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Manufacturing
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Head of the Class Continued from Page 11

sure to what manufacturing is and what a career on the project, they decided to use a 3D-printed
pathway in machining would be. plastic fixture, but on the first test run, the fixture
“We know there is a need,” Femrite says. cracked. Seeing the problem, they decided to
“There are jobs to be filled in these areas.” switch to steel, hand-milling a fixture that would
give them the same shape but more strength.
Beyond the skills Learning to troubleshoot problems and solve
Trades-centered programs also attract stu- them is one of the main benefits for students in
dents who might not have considered a technical the class, says Depies.
or manufacturing career without this exposure. “Some students just look at things and can
Margaret Turgeon, a Centennial senior, signed figure it out instantly,” says Depies, but most
up for metal shop because of her interest in build skills gradually through instruction and
art. In Depies’ class, she worked on a bouquet trial and error. “It’s like math,” he says. “We start
of metal flowers, carefully shaping each petal with the lower-level skills. When the machine
using a metal snip, then welding the blooms to stops working, they have to troubleshoot.”
a metal rod for a stem. “I’ve always enjoyed Original article by Mary Lahr Schier for
doing more hands-on stuff,” she says. “I regis- the Fall, 2026 issue of Enterprise Minnesota.
tered late for school and was surprised they had Reprinted with permission.
a metal shop. I knew immediately that I wanted This article was edited for space. To read
to do it. I kind of fell in love with it.” the full article, go to https://www.enterprisemin-
Students working at Tiger Manufacturing at Hutchinson High School
Nearby, seniors Tim Knott and Indy Jones nesota.org/articles/fall-2026/head-of-the-class
manufacturing center. Tiger Manufacturing Not all students go on to careers in welding reworked a fixture they made to hold a bolt
has operated for eight years as a student-run or manufacturing, Koehring says, but no matter during CNC shaping. When the pair first took
company, doing projects for local manufactur- what their career choice is, students gain valu-
ers, according to Gary Koehring, technology able life and work skills. “The main benefit is
teacher at the high school. It’s received more the students learn job responsibilities,” says From Classroom to Company: Montevideo High
than $4 million in donations of cash and equip- Koehring. “They learn to meet deadlines and
ment from local partners. maintain quality standards, and they know that School Students Launch “HawkBuilt” Manufacturing
Working at Tiger Manufacturing is the is important because they are doing work for a
capstone to many students’ high school careers. real company, a real project.” Montevideo Public Schools
Students start taking classes in woodworking, Walking into the Industrial Arts wing at
welding, drafting, and machine tooling in ninth Responding to demand Montevideo High School, you’ll find more
and 10th grade, Koehring says. In their junior or Ten years ago, Westonka High School in than just a standard woodworking class; you’ll
senior years, they must apply to work with the Minnetrista formed the Tonkabots, a robotics find a fully operational business. HawkBuilt
student-run company. “We want the program to team that has gone on to win state and regional is a student-run manufacturing educational
be impactful,” he says. “We want the right kids championships. “When we started looking program that is officially open for business
to be there.” for mentors for the team, we found them in which gives students a front-row seat to the
Student projects range from building gates the manufacturing fields,” says Mark Femrite, world of professional trade and entrepreneur-
for the local elementary school to producing assistant superintendent for the school district. ship.
laser-cut maps of nearby lakes. They’ve done “That led to great discussions about the needs While some shop classes focus solely on
projects for local manufacturers, as well as the those companies have.” the build, HawkBuilt students are responsible
city of Hutchinson. In addition, some students Next year, the high school will complete for the entire conception of a product. This
are placed in internships at area companies, such its first significant remodel since the building comprehensive approach includes:
as a Hutchinson-based manufacturer of preci- opened in 1972. As part of that $93.4 million Client Relations: Students take direct
sion cutting tools. project, a manufacturing lab will be available to orders from community members and local
The company got approval from OSHA students, including a Haas CNC mill, as well as businesses, maintaining professional com- soft skills—like communication and problem-
and the Youth Skills Training program to have equipment for manual milling, computer-aided munication from the first inquiry to the final solving—that local employers are looking
students work in its production facilities. To design and computer-aided manufacturing delivery. for.”
become an intern, students go through the same programming, welding, and other skills that The program specializes in a variety of
interviewing process as regular applicants, says machinists need. The machining program is one Project Management: Once an order is custom-made goods, including: Wood cutting
Katie Bruns, chief human resources officer. of three trades-oriented programs the school is placed, students organize their own build boards, Corn Hole boards, Cribbage boards,
Those accepted are trained by skilled introducing in the new building. Along with pro- teams, delegating tasks and managing time- Handcrafted furniture and custom signage to
company employees and can work three to four grams to train students in nursing, emergency lines to meet deadlines. name a few.
hours a day for up to 90 days. “If they enjoyed medicine, and construction, the manufacturing Operations & Logistics: Beyond the crafts- By blending traditional woodworking
their time and were a good fit for our company, programs are part of a “recalibrating” of the manship, the team handles the essential with modern business management, Montevi-
we would work with them as they furthered high school curriculum to reflect industry needs “business” side of the shop—calculating deo High School is ensuring that its graduates
their education at the local community college,” as well as student interest. material costs for accurate pricing and ensur- are prepared for the workforce.
says Bruns. In the past five years, the company More than twice as many students applied ing products are professionally packaged for Support our Student Builders
has hired more than a dozen students full or part for the machining program as slots were avail- their new owners. Are you interested in commissioning a
time through the program; some have worked able its first year, Femrite says. The nursing and project or learning more about the program?
their way up to leadership positions. construction programs saw similar levels of “HawkBuilt is about more than just Visit the HawkBuilt website to see our current
“Getting to work with the candidates when interest. sawdust and safety glasses,” says Industrial work and find out how you can support our
they are young allows us to develop in them the “For us, this was a great opportunity,” says Arts teacher Matthew Olson. “It’s a career student entrepreneurs. https://sites.google.
culture and work ethic that our team has,” says Femrite, “because we needed to remodel the and technical education program designed to com/montevideoschools.org/hawkbuilt/home
Bruns. “It helps them with soft skills. If indi- high school and we could move this need into provide students with high-level job skills.
viduals possess good soft skills, everything else the remodeling process.” We are using advanced machinery to create montevideoschools.org
is trainable.” The goal was to give the students expo- custom products, but we are also building the