Mid-State Technical College alumnus Ken Hastreiter has earned recognition for his contributions to technical education and the central Wisconsin community. Hastreiter received Mid-State’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award on Dec. 15 during the fall graduation ceremony on the Wisconsin Rapids Campus, where he also delivered the commencement address.

“What an honor it was for me to be able to participate in this year's graduation as well as receive the Distinguished Alumni Award,” Hastreiter said. “Each and every Mid-State graduate has unlimited possibilities, and to be able to share my vision and prayer for them was a very humbling and exceptionally rewarding experience.”

Hastreiter credits Mid-State Technical College with providing a great foundation from which to start his career and his business. Now president and owner of Hastreiter Industries, Hastreiter earned his Machine Tool associate degree from Mid-State Technical College in 1983 and went on to open a small machine tool shop in Marshfield in 1988 with the purchase of a single manual lathe. Today Hastreiter Industries is a recognized leader specializing in precisely honed and highly reliable machined parts for aerospace, defense, energy and other industries worldwide.

“It has been my pleasure to see how Mid-State has positioned itself to be such a high-quality institution, improving yearly on the educational opportunity provided to our communities,” Hastreiter said. “It is truly an academic gem in the state of Wisconsin and, I believe, in the whole country.”

In the last three years alone, Hastreiter Industries has more than quadrupled in size, moving into a new 42,000 square foot facility in Marshfield this October, with plenty of room to grow on the property. In 2018, the company was named Machine Shop’s Top Shops award in the category of Human Resources and featured on the magazine’s cover. 

Hastreiter has given of his time and talent in the community as an Awana leader, Junior Achievement instructor and Scout Master. Going even further, the Hastreiters are in the process of launching Shiloh Bound, a nonprofit organization designed to mentor people from challenging backgrounds, giving them independence through training in interpersonal and life skills combined with a trade skill.

“The Mid-State Foundation appreciates and enjoys our partnership with Hastreiter Industries,” said Jill Steckbauer, foundation and alumni director at Mid-State. “Mid-State’s strong industry connections and partnerships ensure students are exposed to the most current training and technology, and we are extremely proud to have chosen Ken Hastreiter for the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. Ken continues to demonstrate the pride of a technical college education, and I get the privilege of seeing the impact partners and alumni have on our students every day.”

Mid-State’s Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a truly outstanding Mid-State Technical College graduate who has demonstrated accomplishments in his or her professional field, community involvement, support for the technical college system and a commitment to continuing education and lifelong learning.