Wausau, Wis. (January 3, 2022) Peoples State Bank is matching a $5,000 donation by Kretz Lumber Company, totaling $10,000 for a new Northcentral Technical College (NTC) program to fill a significant need in the lumber industry. The program will train workers on the skills needed to sharpen industrial blades and bandsaws for commercial lumber operations.
“We knew that Peoples would be a good partner in donating to this important new training program,” said Troy Brown, Kretz Lumber Company president. “Peoples has been a great bank for small businesses. They understand small business banking needs, and in this case the importance of the forest products industry to Wisconsin’s economy.”
The new NTC Sawfiling program would be the first of its kind in the nation. It will help fill a void in the lumber industry. “Even with this training program, a good saw sharpener needs three to five years of apprenticeship training to become a master,” said Brown.
“The wood products industry is crucial to the economic success of northern Wisconsin,” said Scott Cattanach, Peoples State Bank president, and CEO. “We are pleased to join with Troy and Kretz Lumber Company leadership to continue growth in this industry. Our founders were entrepreneurs and local business owners, so helping other local businesses with this crucial program aligns with our goals.”
NTC is fundraising to raise the needed funds to begin the program in June 2022 at NTC’s Wood Technology Center of Excellence in Antigo, Wisconsin. The money is earmarked to purchase equipment, renovate facilities, and hire instructors to support the program.
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Peoples State Bank is a community bank headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving north, central, and southeast Wisconsin from ten full-service banking locations in Marathon, Oneida, Vilas, Waukesha, and Milwaukee Counties, as well as a commercial loan production office in Stevens Point, WI.