The holidays are over and it’s time to hit the ground running! We got a lot of plans for 2024, but here’s a few highlights to keep you in the loop about all the great and exciting work we’ve got going on.
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Thanks to your support, we’ve now achieved over 72% of our fundraising goal! Almost there! Let’s keep this going all the way to 100%!
Beyond Vision operates one of only two machine shops in the United States that employs people who are blind. With great ingenuity and engineering, we have made manufacturing an accessible career. Since 1958, people with vision loss have had fulfilling Beyond Vision careers as machinists in the Greater Milwaukee Area, doing work for Oshkosh Defense, GenMet, Harley-Davidson, Mitsubishi, and many other manufacturers.
The equipment in our machine shop needs an update. After 30 years, our CNC machine is tired and having trouble. We’ve got the work lined up, now we need the right equipment to meet the demand. A new machine would mean an additional full-time employee and possibly create the need for a second shift!
Your support in helping fund a replacement would realize one of the reasons we moved to the VisABILITY Center, greater capacity for growth! Our goal is to fundraise at least $50k for a good used machine or up to $130k for a new machine. Thank you for your support!
Learn more on our Auctria page on how to donate and track our progress.
Our mission is to combat the staggering 70% unemployment rate among adults who are legally or totally blind. Therefore, it is essential that we provide training & workforce development for our staff. The costs entailed with this support is $98,000 annually, among many other essential expenditures. We would not be able to fund these enormous and worthy expenses without the amazing support of our donors and clients! In 2022 alone, your support made possible for an estimated more than 2,500 hours of training, 60 earned raises in compensation, 8 earned promotions, and countless more staff taking off on our runway of success, beginning fantastic new careers with other organizations, using skills that they’ve learned here!
One fantastic example of the success that your support has fostered is Jed Moss. Just last month, Jed has been promoted from Assembly & Packaging III Team Lead to Customer Service Representative Commercial Products. After being referred by one of our staff to apply, Jed made the difficult decision to move from Marinette to Milwaukee and become a staff member in January of 2019. Since joining our team, Jed has said that “There is opportunity to advance here if you work hard; I appreciate that. I look at every job as a challenge. I always try to beat what I had done the day before.”
Beyond Vision is honored to be named one of the thirty-six Wisconsin manufacturers that have been selected as finalists for the 35th Annual Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY) Awards!
Each year, a strong field of nominees demonstrates that there are good stories to share in manufacturing. These nominees are dedicated to building a better Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award program honors businesses for their commitment to excellence, their employees, and the state. This program celebrates the successes of manufacturers in our state: our innovations, philanthropy, technological advances, commitment to customer satisfaction and the quality jobs we create.
Winners are scheduled to be revealed and nominees honored at the Manufacturer of the Year Award Ceremony at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee on February 22, 2024.
Check out the full list of finalist on WMC’s website.