Milwaukee’s modern water technology hub began with beer.
Karen Frost, executive director of The Water Council, traces the region’s distinctive concentration of water businesses back roughly 150 years, when breweries and other water-intensive industries drove demand for pumps, valves, meters, and pipes.
That demand helped create a dense local supply chain of manufacturers with specialized water expertise. Companies including A.O. Smith, Badger Meter, and Kohler became prominent names in the broader southeastern Wisconsin manufacturing network.
Those industrial roots still shape Milwaukee’s economy. The equipment makers and technical knowledge that once supported breweries now form the foundation of an innovation ecosystem connecting established manufacturers with new water technologies and businesses.
The story of Milwaukee as a water hub is not a sudden reinvention. It is the continued evolution of an industry built around the city’s need to move, measure, and manage water.
Episode at https://youtu.be/ufD8T_5QPYI?si=krZi4qJlPNgoT_kQ
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