Latest news with #Beloit
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairbanks Morse Defense Awarded Contract to Supply Valves for U.S. Coast Guard's WCC Program
Hunt Valve, part of the FMD portfolio, will supply critical valve systems for two new Coast Guard vessels BELOIT, Wis., August 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) has secured a contract from Birdon to supply key fluid control components for the U.S. Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) program. The company will deliver motor-operated valves for the first two vessels. Click HERE for images. "Safeguarding maritime commerce extends beyond the open ocean. We must also ensure the security and reliability of our inland waterways," said Michael Johnston, President of Components at Fairbanks Morse Defense. "This contract underscores Fairbanks Morse Defense's enduring commitment to maritime readiness across all critical corridors that drive the nation's economy." The WCC program is a major modernization effort to replace the Coast Guard's decades-old fleet of inland buoy and construction tenders. These vessels are responsible for maintaining more than 28,000 aids to navigation across 12,000 miles of inland waterways, which are critical routes for the transport of over 630 million tons of cargo annually. Beyond navigation, the cutters also support search and rescue, environmental protection, marine safety, and port security. The new fleet will have up to 30 vessels consisting of three variants: River Buoy Tenders (WLRs), Inland Construction Tenders (WLICs), and Inland Buoy Tenders (WLIs). Birdon was awarded a contract in 2022 to design and build 16 WLRs and 11 WLICs, and construction on the first vessel is underway at Birdon's shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Acquired by Fairbanks Morse Defense in 2021, Hunt Valve, together with its divisions, Hunt Valve Actuator, Montreal Bronze, and Pima Valve, LLC, is a trusted provider of advanced fluid power engineering solutions for U.S. and Canadian maritime defense forces. The company brings decades of expertise in delivering high-performance, severe-duty valves and engineered system solutions that meet the rigorous standards of the Navy and Coast Guard and are built to endure the world's most demanding naval environments. About Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) builds, maintains, and services the most trusted naval power and propulsion systems on the planet. For nearly 100 years, FMD has been a principal supplier of a growing array of leading marine technologies, OEM parts, and turnkey services to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Canadian Coast Guard. FMD stands ready to rapidly support the systems that power military fleets without compromising safety or quality. In times of peace and war, the experienced engineers, sailors, and technicians of FMD demonstrate our commitment to supporting the mission and vision of critical global naval operations wherever and whenever needed. FMD is a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management. To learn more, visit View source version on Contacts Fairbanks Morse Media Contact: Mercom CommunicationsMichelle HargisTel: 512-215-4452fairbanksmorse@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This school built high-end training sites on campus to prepare students for local skilled jobs
Rising senior Cole Mellom finishes the top of a smoker he created in a Beloit Memorial High School academy that features manufacturing. | Photo by Wayne D'Orio for The Hechinger Report This story about career and technical education was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger's weekly newsletter. BELOIT, Wis. — As Chris Hooker eyed a newly built piece of ductwork inside Beloit Memorial High School, a wry smile crept over his face. 'If you worked for me,' he told a student, considering the obviously crooked vent, 'I might ask if your level was broken.' Hooker, the HVAC manager of Lloyd's Plumbing and Heating Corp. in nearby Janesville, was standing inside a hangar-sized classroom in the school's advanced manufacturing academy, where students construct full-size rooms, hang drywall and learn the basics of masonry. His company sends him to the school twice a week for about two months a year to help teach general heating, venting and air conditioning concepts to students. 'I cover the mountaintop stuff,' he said, noting that at a minimum students will understand HVAC when they become homeowners. But the bigger potential payoff is that these students could wind up working alongside Hooker after they graduate. If his firm has an opening, any student recommended by teacher Mike Wagner would be a 'done deal,' Hooker said. 'Plus, if they come through this class, I know them.' Manufacturing and construction dominate the business needs inside Beloit, a small city of 36,000 just minutes from the Illinois border. Sitting at the nexus of two major highways, and within 100 miles of Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Beloit is home to a range of businesses that include a Frito-Lay production plant, an Amazon distribution center and a Navy subcontractor. In the next two years, a $500 million casino and hotel complex is scheduled to open. But staffing these companies into the future is a major concern. Across the country, the average age of manufacturing workers is increasing, and one in four of these workers is age 55 or older, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2021 figures, the most recent available. In many other jobs the workforce is aging, too. Wisconsin is one of several states looking to boost career and technical education, or CTE, as a possible solution to the aging and shrinking workforce. While the unemployment rate of Rock County, which includes Beloit, is 3.6 percent, only slightly higher than the state's 3.2 percent, there's a worker mismatch in the city, according to Drew Pennington, its economic development director. Every day, 14,000 city residents travel outside of Beloit to work, while the same number commute into the city to fill mostly higher-paying jobs, said Pennington. So when Beloit decided to revamp its public high school in 2018, CTE and work-based learning were at the forefront of the transformation. The 1,225-student school now has three academies that cover 13 different career paths. After ninth grade, students choose to concentrate in an area, which means taking several courses in a specific field. Students also have the option to do work-based learning, which can mean internships, a youth apprenticeship or working at high-end simulated job sites inside the school. 'This creates not just a pipeline to jobs but also to career choices,' said Jeff Stenroos, the district's director of CTE and alternative education. 'There are a lot of really good-paying jobs in this area. Students don't need to leave, or go earn a four-year degree,' Stenroos said. An auto mechanic can 'earn six figures by the age of 26 and that's more than an educator with a master's degree,' he said. Beloit's effort is a shift in high school emphasis similar to the extensive CTE programs being run in other places, notably Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama. In 2024, 40 states enacted 152 CTE-related policies, the biggest push in five years, according to Advance CTE, a nonprofit group that represents state CTE officials. Nationwide, about 20 percent of high school students take a concentration of CTE courses, it says, adding that the high school graduation rate for students who concentrate in CTE is 90 percent, 15 percentage points higher than the national average. Three years ago, Wisconsin called for 7 percent of its high school students to be in workplace learning programs by 2026. Beloit's progress puts it far ahead of that target. In Beloit Memorial, nearly 1 in 3 students meet this designation today, Stenroos said. The high school features a cavernous construction area where students build full-scale rooms, learn masonry and complete plumbing and electrical wiring projects. The metal shop offers 16 welding stations and a die-cutter machine that allows students to create customized pieces to fit projects. Down the street, the school runs an eight-bay car repair center, a space it took over when a Sears autobody shop left town. These spaces are 'better than a lot of technical colleges,' Stenroos said. In addition to their high school courses, Beloit Memorial students pile up industry-recognized certifications, Stenroos said. More than 40 percent of its students graduate with at least one certification, and 1 in 4 of them has multiple certifications. While some simple certifications, such as OSHA Workplace Safety, can be accomplished in just 10 hours, others, such as those for the American Welding Society, require up to 500 hours of student work, he added. The state has called for 9 percent of graduating high school students to have earned at least one certification by next year. To incentivize schools to offer these opportunities, the state's Department of Workforce Development pays schools for each student who earns a certification; in 2024, Beloit received $85,000 through this program, Stenroos said. One of the school's best automotive students, Geiry Lopez, graduated this year with five Automotive Service Excellence certifications. Standing less than 5 feet tall, Lopez said she is not bothered that she might not look like a typical mechanic. 'I know I can do this,' she said, adding that she hopes to work on heavy machinery such as tractor trailers after she graduates. She's worked on her own car, with some fellow students, replacing the brakes, a front axle, rotors and wheel bearings at the school's garage, she said, although she still hasn't been able to drive it. 'My dad is taking forever to teach me how to drive,' she said. The garage operates like an actual business, but the only customers are teachers and other Beloit staffers and students. Students estimate work costs, order parts and communicate with customers before any repairs take place. While oil changes and brake replacements are common, some students are totally rebuilding an engine in one car. Over in the welding room, rising senior Cole Mellom was putting the finishing touches on a smoker he built in less than a month's time. He said he loved the creativity of finding a plan, cutting the metal and building something that he could sell, all while in school. Plus, he knows that welding is a key skill needed for his dream job, race-car fabrication. In the past, students created a custom-made protective plate that the city's police use on a bomb squad vehicle. The welding program has 125 students this year and had to turn away 65 more because of space limitations, Stenroos said; last year, 17 of the school's welding academy graduates enlisted in the armed forces to specialize in welding. These programs are designed to help meet the future needs of the state's workforce. More than one-third of Wisconsin jobs will require education beyond high school but less than a bachelor's degree by 2031, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. For the last four years, the state has had more job openings than people on unemployment. 'There's more jobs than there are people to fill them right now,' said Deb Prowse, a former career academy coach at Beloit Memorial who now works at Craftsman with Character, an area nonprofit that helps train students for careers in skilled trades. Hooker, the Lloyd's Plumbing HVAC manager, agreed. 'Every project we work on has a delay, from a multimillion-dollar mansion to a three-bedroom spec,' he said. 'There aren't enough workers.' The main reason Beloit Memorial has been able to zoom past state and national goals for both CTE and work-based learning is the school's single-minded focus since 2018 on helping to ensure that its graduates will understand what businesses need and giving them a head start toward gaining those skills. High school officials actually pared back the program from 44 pathways to 13, Stenroos said, part of an effort to tie each pathway to specific jobs. About 75 percent of pathways target area jobs, with the remaining quarter highlighting prominent professions within the state, he added. Even though three straight budget referendum defeats have left the district with a $6.2 million funding gap, Stenroos said he's been able to keep the CTE equipment modernized through donations and strategic allocation of the school's federal Perkins grant and the state reimbursement for student certifications. In one instance, the school recently bought a $20,000 scanner for its automotive program; the machine can not only help diagnose a car problem, but also connect students to garages throughout the country that have successfully fixed the specified problem. 'It's an expensive piece of equipment,' Stenroos said, 'but it's industry-certified and will give students real-life experience.' Each of the three academies has an advisory board of teachers and industry professionals who work out how to embed practical lessons in classroom curriculum. 'We ask business people, 'What do you need, and how can we help our kids get there?' ' said Stenroos. 'It's really cool how receptive the school is to feedback,' said Heather Dobson, the business development manager at Corporate Contractors, Inc., a 200-person general contracting firm. She explained that the district has incorporated small changes over the years, such as having students work in Microsoft programs instead of Google Classroom apps and teaching them how to write a professional email. 'Rarely is there an idea presented that they don't embrace,' said Celestino Ruffini, the CEO of Visit Beloit, a nonprofit that promotes tourism of the city. The school is expanding its hospitality program because of the expected influx of jobs connected to the new casino and hotel, he said. All the changes aren't at the high school, however. In order to employ Beloit Memorial students, Frito-Lay had to alter its corporate policy of not allowing anyone under 18 to work in its plants, according to Angela Slagle, a supply chain manager there. The company now hires Beloit Memorial students for its career exploration youth apprenticeship program, she added. The connection to area businesses goes beyond the school's leaders. Each year, about 10 teachers complete an externship in which they spend one week of their summer at a local business. Teachers are paid $1,000 for the 20 hours, and they not only learn about what jobs a company may have but also find ways to incorporate real-world problems into their classroom lessons. A few summers back, math teacher Michelle Kelly spent a week at Corporate Contractors. She was searching for different ways to use construction-based math problems with her students. In addition to using math to estimate a bid for a project or calculate the surface area of a job, she realized that complex math is needed to build a truss, the framework used to support a roof or bridge. Because the triangular truss is supported by different lengths of wood inside its structure, Kelly said, building one requires the calculation of angles, total area, how much wood is needed and more. Since all her algebra students were in the school's construction academy, she partnered with those teachers to go beyond blueprints and have the 10th graders build trusses, a collection of which sit in the back of her classroom. She sees this work as one way to help counter the chronic absenteeism that has existed since Covid. Teaching with this kind of hands-on work makes students see the relevance of algebra, she said. 'Would it be easier to just have them take a test? Yes.' Beloit Memorial Principal Emily Pelz said the school's work is paying off. In the last four years, the school's four-year graduation rate has ticked up slightly, from 83.4 percent in 2021-22 to 85.2 percent in 2024-25, while its attendance went from 78.5 percent to 84.8 percent in the same period, Pelz said. Rik Thomas, a rising senior who already has his own business repairing and modifying cars, said this work has definitely made him more interested in school. While he thought the academy would merely explain what a construction career might include, 'It's nice to find out how to do the work.' His father works in construction and, Thomas added, 'He loves that I take this program.' Thomas and his classmates built a wooden shed earlier this year and were able to sell it for $2,500, with the money going to pay for more materials. Likewise, the first smoker created in the welding class was bought by Stenroos; the students are looking forward to posting the second one for sale after they determine how much they should charge. While the school's construction and other trade-related fields have drawn the most attention, its three academies also offer career paths in healthcare, education, business, the arts, hospitality and more. For example, rising senior Tayvon Cates said he hopes to study pre-med at a historically Black college or university on his way to becoming a cardiology radiologist. Cates, who is in the school's health and education academy, said, 'If you want to do something, the school can help you do it.' This story about career and technical education was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger's weekly newsletter. Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Fairbanks Morse Defense Awarded Contract for FM 175D Engine to Support U.S. Navy's DDG(X) Program
BELOIT, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 8, 2025-- Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management (Arcline), has been awarded a contract to provide the U.S. Navy with an FM 175D high-speed diesel generator engine for integration into the DDG(X) land-based propulsion system test site, supporting the U.S. Navy's goal of reducing design risks as it continues developing the next-generation platform. 'Fairbanks Morse Defense has a long history of delivering mission-critical power and propulsion solutions for the U.S. Navy,' said Mike Clark, Chief Operating Officer of Fairbanks Morse Defense. 'The selection of the FM 175D for this important land-based test highlights the superior power density needed on modern surface combatants, ensuring the DDG(X) has the energy needed to operate advanced combat systems while maintaining operational efficiency.' Designed to succeed the Flight II Ticonderoga-class cruisers and the Flight I/II Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the platform is currently in the design and feasibility stage, with construction expected to begin in 2032. As the Navy's next-generation large surface combatant, DDG(X) will integrate a wider array of advanced systems, demanding unprecedented levels of power generation. The ship is designed with an Integrated Power System (IPS) to generate, convert, and distribute power for ship operations. The DDG(X) electrical plant is expected to deliver more than 75 megawatts of power for standard operations while enabling high-energy equipment, advanced sensors, and enhanced propulsion systems. The FM 175D propulsion system generator set can produce 3.8 MW of power, which is considered among the best in class for power density. Unlike conventional high-speed engines, the FM 175D delivers significantly greater power while maximizing fuel efficiency, making it an optimal choice to reduce the life cycle costs of the DDG(X) platform. It has a power output range of 1,740 to 4,400 kilowatts and operates at 1,800 to 2,000 RPM. Fairbanks Morse Defense launched the FM 175D into the United States in 2023 to meet the growing demand for high-density power system solutions in the naval defense industry. As the most power-dense engine available in the U.S. maritime sector, the FM 175D is well-proven in maritime defense and commercial applications worldwide, offering increased electrical output for modern naval operations and combat systems. The FM 175D is available in 12, 16, or 20-cylinder configurations with a 175mm bore, and is capable of driving mechanical propulsion systems or generators for onboard power generation. About Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) builds, maintains, and services the most trusted naval power and propulsion systems on the planet. For nearly 100 years, FMD has been a principal supplier of a growing array of leading marine technologies, OEM parts, and turnkey services to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Canadian Coast Guard. FMD stands ready to rapidly support the systems that power military fleets without compromising safety or quality. In times of peace and war, the experienced engineers, sailors, and technicians of FMD demonstrate our commitment to supporting the mission and vision of critical global naval operations wherever and whenever needed. FMD is a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management. To learn more, visit View source version on CONTACT: Fairbanks Morse Media Contact: Mercom Communications Michelle Hargis Tel: 512-347-0300 [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WISCONSIN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING MARITIME TRANSPORT HOMELAND SECURITY OTHER DEFENSE DEFENSE CONTRACTS PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING HARDWARE SOURCE: Fairbanks Morse Defense Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 07/08/2025 01:35 PM/DISC: 07/08/2025 01:36 PM
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CVS is closing 270 pharmacies in 2025. Are any in Wisconsin?
CVS plans to close 270 stores in 2025, joining other pharmacy chains and big box retailers in the U.S who have initiated mass closures in recent months. The Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based company announced the closures in a mid-October press release, CVS Director of External Communications Amy Thibault told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The chain closed 900 stores between 2022 and 2024, after announcing it would reduce its "store density" in November 2021, according to a statement. It currently operates more than 9,000 stores across the U.S. Despite the closures, "85% of people in the U.S. will still live within 10 miles" of a CVS location, according to a CVS statement. The chain also said it has plans to open nearly 30 stores this year. In Wisconsin, three locations closed earlier in 2025, according to Thibault. They were located at: Beloit: 1063 4th St. Milwaukee: 3030 W. Villard Ave. West Allis: 9220 W. Greenfield So, are any other Wisconsin CVS pharmacies planning to shutter this year? Here's what to know: There are not any other planned closures in Wisconsin for 2025, Thibault confirmed. More: Walgreens is closing 500 pharmacies in 2025. Are any in Wisconsin? CVS operates in 48 Wisconsin cities, according to its website. You can find the pharmacy closest to you by using its store locator. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: CVS store closures: Are Wisconsin locations closing?
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Resigning Beloit Police Chief announces where he's going next
BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — Resigning Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles has announced that he will be taking his expertise to the West Coast for his next venture in law enforcement. On June 6th, Sayles will officially no longer be Beloit's Police Chief and will begin a new journey as the Deputy Police Chief of Seattle, Washington. Sayles is beginning a new journey in his career, but hopes his tenure has left a lasting legacy. Sayles feels the city helped him grow in his career, starting out as a patrol officer. 'It was my first law enforcement job,' Sayles explained. 'It's been a city that I've been able to see grow over the last 20 and a half years.' Sayles said the time spent in Beloit serving the community made the decision even harder. 'That was a very tough decision for me to make in regards to being recruited,' said Sayles. 'To go to a new police department, it took me about five months to actually make the decision.' One memory from his time in the police academy helped Sayles make his decision. 'I actually found one of my notepads and it talked about how one day I wanted to work at a very large police department, and the police department was going to be very large,' Sayles continued. 'We have over a thousand men and women who serve in that police department. So it was a goal that I set for myself that I wrote down, and I'm going to accomplish here pretty soon.' Sayles is proud of his efforts to make every voice heard. 'We really diversified our police department, not just based on people's skin tone, but diverse thoughts, diverse backgrounds, diverse upbringings, socioeconomic backgrounds,' said Sayles. 'We've been able to really put women into law enforcement.' The resigning chief hopes to have left a lasting legacy and impact on the community. 'I poured so much into this community. Hopefully, those relationships remain, and they continue to grow and blossom,' Sayles said. 'All I can do is plant seeds. I think planting those seeds has helped not just the police department, but the community of Beloit as a whole.' Sayles said his next position will be announced when the department makes an official statement within the coming days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
