Sept 24, 2019

Moraine Park Technical College, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) board, has selected Mercury Marine as the recipient of the 2019 Futuremakers Partner Award.  WTCS President, Becky Levzow, and Moraine Park President, Bonnie Baerwald, presented Mercury Marine with their award at a recent WTCS board meeting. The award recognizes the unique and dynamic partnerships between Wisconsin’s technical colleges and their employer partners.

“We are honored to accept this award as we have enjoyed a decades-long multifaceted relationship with Moraine Park Technical College,” said Andres Gonzalez, Mercury Marine’s vice president of human resources. “Every aspect of our partnership aims to brighten the future: for individuals who benefit personally and professionally from education, training, and encouragement; for Mercury Marine, a company that will always need skilled and talented employees; and for Fond du Lac and surrounding communities that benefit from having a vibrant and capable workforce. This recognition is particularly meaningful coming from Moraine Park Technical College, which is such an engaged and influential force for community improvement and growth. We’re looking forward to continued partnership and collaboration.”

“Mercury Marine is a household name in Wisconsin and a highly-regarded brand across the globe,” said Becky Levzoe, WTCS board president. “Mercury looks to MPTC as an entry-level talent pipeline and for customized instruction that keeps team members’ skills sharp, a testament to the strength of the partnerships between Wisconsin’s employers and our colleges.”

Moraine Park’s EWD team at the College works to customize training for local business partners. Decades ago, Mercury identified the need for leadership training when their tenured workforce began retiring. Since then, they have worked together to create dealer training, machining training, production onboarding, and supervisory training, as well as instruction in forklift, GD&T, First Aid, and Engine Fundamentals. Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus has a customize Mercury training lab, where the College has two full-time instructors available year-round. Currently, Mercury Marine enrolls over 2,000 employees into EWD contracted services and contracts nearly $450,000 in customized training annually.  

Mercury has been a loyal contributor to the Moraine Park Foundation.  Most recently, they were major supporters of the Moraine Park Promise program, which offers the opportunity for debt-free tuition to students in need. Mercury’s pledge of $100,000 paved the way for other donations. Mercury was also one of the initial supporters of the Forming Alliances to Cultivate Talent (FACT) scholarship, a fund designed to strengthen the appeal of manufacturing-related careers, grow program enrollment, and provide local employers with direct access to students in those fields. Since 2011, Mercury has donated close to $200,000 to the Moraine Park Foundation. 

In addition to their support of Moraine Park’s EWD and Foundation, Mercury shows their commitment in other impactful ways. This past year, the College’s manufacturing students worked with Bike Friendly West Bend to create bike racks for the community. Mercury generously contributed the steel for the production of the racks, supporting both the students and the city of West Bend. Employees at Mercury currently serve on nine different advisory committees at Moraine Park, bringing their real-world expertise to the table. They have also been vocal regarding their support of Moraine Park and the value of technical education, even providing legislative advocacy on behalf of the College.