Milwaukee City Snapshot
There has been a well-documented—though not yet well-measured—increase in small-batch manufacturing over the past decade. It’s been most noticeable in cities as more products and brands emerge to take advantage of the increasing interest in all things “made locally.” But most of the evidence to date has been anecdotal. It’s not surprising, then, that many members of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance (UMA), including decision makers in cities across the country, told us they know remarkably little about the smaller-scale manufacturers emerging in their local economies. These businesses often combine design, art, and production in innovative ways. As a result, they do not fall neatly into the data collection categories that government has used to classify manufacturers for generations. Policymakers and economic development officials report to us that they’re left with a sense that something is happening, but they’re not entirely sure what. The entrepreneurial spirit of these businesses’ owners and workers—and the contributions they can make to the local economy—seem to hold promise for cities. But the exact role and economic potential of these emerging businesses are poorly understood.
UMA conceived of the State of Urban Manufacturing study as a way to help fill this information gap and begin to give policymakers, economic development practitioners, and workforce training providers information they can use to make strategic decisions. Our goal is to help UMA members begin to understand what the small-batch manufacturing sector looks like in their cities, who its entrepreneurs and employees are, and what cities can do to help these firms thrive and grow into larger employers. This was the reason that the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Bader Philanthropies invited UMA to include Milwaukee in the State of Urban Manufacturing study. “Many economic development leaders and community members have observed a persistent challenge in using traditional workforce development approaches to connect city residents— particularly of cultural minority groups—to jobs,” said Marcus White, Vice President of Civic Engagement at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, research partner of the State of Urban Manufacturing research in Milwaukee. “We hope that shining a light on this sector will help to identify ways in which Milwaukee’s leaders can prepare to support smaller-scale manufacturing to expand our economy in ways we may not be used to thinking about.”
In this snapshot, we explore key findings about Milwaukee’s making and manufacturing economies; these findings incorporate the perspectives of both firms and practitioners in the city’s manufacturing ecosystem. In particular, we touch on many opportunities support the emerging small-manufacturing sector in Milwaukee.