120th Anniversary
Leadership Message
As we step into our 120th year, the impact of our mission is overwhelming. Technology and innovation have taken us from making brooms and weaving baskets, sold door to door, to producing privacy filters and specialty tool kits for the federal government and Department of Defense. At each step in Beyond Vision’s growth, there were people who wouldn’t allow blindness to be a barrier to employment.
The cocoa hair floor mats are the oldest item on the federal procurement list. Since the 1930s, we knew diversification was key to our survival. As you’ll read in this report, one man’s knowledge of a manufacturing process created a whole new avenue of employment.
In the 1950s, employment for people who were blind still meant weaving baskets. Misconceptions about blindness persisted through that time. Our machine shop remains only one of two in the United States that is staffed by people who are blind.
By the 90s, our predecessors continued to make the effort to be competitive on the highest levels. Our ISO Certification was unheard of among other agencies focused on the employment of people who are blind. We knew then, as we do now, that the quality of our work, commitment to good process and customer focus were critical. That is one of the reasons we continue to grow and plan to thrive despite the many challenges facing all industries today.
While all this passion to be commercially competitive drove growth, there was never any higher priority than mission growth. Consider the fact that in a dozen decades, we’ve made employment possible for thousands of people with vision loss. How many lives were changed for the better because of access to a job? How many people were able to live their lives with the dignity they deserved? How many people realized blindness was not debilitating?
We can’t give it an exact number, but the truth is, Beyond Vision has strengthened the community and given the dignity of jobs and careers to many.
As the organization grew, so did employment opportunities. Opening the customer care center made a new path for people with vision loss into professional positions. Numerous employees built their technical skills and advanced from production to become customer service representatives. From there, the possibilities for advancement continued. Human resources, IT, procurement, senior leadership roles are all filled by people with vision loss side-by-side with sighted coworkers. Beyond Vision will always ignore barriers and give flight to career growth.
Today, we continue to look for new ways to defy misconceptions. We refer to a metaphor that, “Beyond Vision is a runway…a place to land and a place to take off in one’s career.” Many of our employees have had the chance to build their confidence and skills to “take off” from Beyond Vision to other career opportunities. Everything in our past points to the importance of focusing on our “runway”. While society has changed, the assumptions about the ability of people with vision loss to work continue to block career growth. This is why we are here and why we do what we do each and every day to make sure that if a person who is blind wants to advance, they have the opportunity to do so. In combination with our career options, we also give employees the confidence to pursue their dreams and the knowledge of what they need to succeed. Add to that the advocacy of our public policy efforts, we give voice to the needs of people who are blind.
With the support of our employees, donors, customers, and friends in the community, we persist in our mission. Now and in the next 120 years.
Sincerely,
Jim Kerlin
President & CEO
and
Mike chew
Chairman, Board of Directors
Our Vision
Enrich the lives of Americans who are blind…through the dignity of work valued by customers and the community.
Our Mission
Grow by being a valued partner to customers, suppliers and the community while operating as a fiscally responsible enterprise.
Volunteer Board of Directors
Thomas E. Arenberg
Accenture (retired)
Kristin Clevenstine
Astellas Pharma US
John Emanuel
Husch Blackwell LLP (retired)
James Kerlin
Beyond Vision
Gen. Paul Lima (ret.)
U.S. Army
Tom O’Connell
Tank Holding Group/Snyder Industries (retired)
Art Serna
City on a Hill
Michael Chew – Chairperson
Mississippi Industries for the Blind (ret.)
Shawn Duffy, CPA – Chair Elect
WTC Machinery
Eric Isbister – Secretary
GenMet Corporation
Victoria Kubert
ATI
Burton Metz
Wangard Partners
Lise Pace
BOSMA
Our Impact
55% Mission Ratio
118 Employees
63 Employees who are visually impaired
55 Employees who are sighted
94,408 Blind paid working hours
46% Mission direct hours
$37,875,000 Revenue
Beyond Vision
Employees of the year
Each year, employees from different areas of the company nominate a coworker who they feel best demonstrates Beyond Vision’s core values. These values include placing the mission first, delighting customers, truthfully and openly communicating, continuously improving, promoting upward mobility, ensuring safety and having fun!
DeLonna Williams
Contact Center Supervisor
DeLonna always goes above and beyond at work. Without her our call center would never be where it is. Every morning, she starts the day with an inspirational quote or funny joke to put a smile on her team’s face.
PangNhia Xiong
Assembly & Packaging
PangNhia has taken off on our career runway! Her career has taken her from Production to Customer Service and she has taken those skills to another, lucky business. While here, she was always looking out for her coworkers and acts as a leader whenever possible. She is kindhearted, smart, and very dedicated to her career growth.
Perry Ling
Customer Service
Perry is a is a driven person and tries to achieve his best every day. He approaches every new problem with patience and every new project with enthusiasm.
Philanthropy at Work
Someone in the US permanently loses their vision every 7 minutes. In Wisconsin alone, up to 200,000 residents face visual impairments, and, by 2030, age-related blindness cases are expected to double. People with vision-loss are often told they need to “rethink” their future. The narrative on abilities in the workplace is changing and Beyond Vision is proud to be one of the organizations leading that change. We must continue to drive change, because roughly 7 out of every 10 adults who are legally blind are not employed.
Operating capital from Beyond Vision products and services continue to grow within each business unit. In addition, philanthropy plays an important role in the fulfillment of our mission.
Each year, we provide an estimated more than 2,500 combined hours of training for our employees, growing skills like computer literacy, machining, servant leadership, customer service, management, and so much more. We are not just a place for those who face the challenges of blindness to earn a paycheck, we are a place that empowers people to reach their full potential by focusing on their abilities, not their disabilities. The real measure of our success are the staff taking off on our runway of success entering new careers with other organizations!
Your support helps fight poverty, promotes economic opportunities and strengthens communities.
Beyond Vision
Timeline
1903
Beginnings
Established as a State agency under the State Board of Control with 16 men weaving baskets.
1920s
Relationships
Began working relationships with companies like Harley-Davidson and Briggs & Stratton.
1932
Products
Began producing cocoa mats for the U.S. Government and still do today.
1958
Manufacturing
Opened one of only two machine shops operated by people who are blind in the U.S. that is still working.
1965
Location
Moved to the State Street location, the former Milwaukee Electric Tool Facility.
1985
Independence
Separated from the State as a fully self-funded social enterprise, Wiscraft.
1997
Expansion
Started AIB and opened our first Base Supply Center at Naval Station Great Lakes.
2002
Qualification
Earned ISO9001:2000 Certification, rare among similar agencies at the time.
2009
Innovation
Opened Customer Care Center to provide greater career advancement opportunities for employees.
2013
Representation
Functionally merged Wiscraft and AIB to launch Beyond Vision.
2019
Ambition
Continued to innovate and grow while employing people who are blind side-by-side with sighted people earning a competitive wage and benefits.
2022
Growth
The VisABILITY Center officially opens and consolidates all Beyond Vision’s operations from three separate locations into one.
Founded in 1903
Beyond Vision was established in 1903 as the “Wisconsin Workshop for the Blind”. Created with the intention of giving people who were blind an occupation, Beyond Vision has built a career runway that goes much further than the original mission could have dreamed.
By continuously working to improve our service offerings to customers we are able to provide sophisticated assembly, machining on several levels, a variety of packaging options, inbound and outbound call center outsourcing.
The runway does not stop there, elevated employment opportunities include administrative and leadership roles.
We continued to innovate and opened our Customer Care Center in 2009. This allowed us to provide even greater career advancement opportunities for employees.
Now in our new home at the VisABILITY Center, we are continuing to expand and grow and find new ways to serve our community.
Do you have memories or photos of Beyond Vision?
Please contact marketing@beyondvision.com to share.
Cocoa Mat Legacy
Production began on cocoa mats in 1932. The looms and equipment were uniquely designed and built by Supervisor Joseph Ptacek. An immigrant from Bohemia, Ptacek came to the organization with experience in the cocoa mat production.
Innovation like this created an opportunity to elevate employment options for people who are blind. Ideas like this helped build Beyond Vision’s runway and will continue!
To this day, Beyond Vision’s cocoa hair mat is the oldest item on the Federal Government’s Procurement List.
Capabilities
Beyond Vision is a fully self-funded non-profit. This means as a social enterprise, we are a competitive business that has diversified our service offerings to continually expand career opportunities for people who are blind or with vision loss.
Everyone is dealing with the labor shortage and outsourcing makes good sense. Contracting Beyond Vision is a turn-key solution for your overflow work. Proven performance and dependability from a mission-driven partner show the community your company is socially responsible.
Let us know if you want to outsource your:
Machining + Customer Care + Assembly + Packaging
Events
Shot in the Dark
Shot in the Dark is a unique golf outing that starts just before sunset and fades under the dark night sky. Held for the first time at Oakwood Golf Course, in Franklin, WI, the experience was even more exciting.
Each year, this event raises funds that directly support training and accessibility opportunities for our employees who are blind. The event also helps us connect with our supporters in a fun, unique environment. Please join us in 2024 for a great outing and a great mission. Consider becoming a sponsor or donating to our silent auction. Contact Dan for more information or to reserve a foursome today!
Join us next year for Shot in the Dark 2024!
September 6th – Oakwood Golf Course
120th Celebration – June 2024
White Cane Safety Day – October 15, 2024
Manufacturing Day – October 1, 2024
Doors Open Milwaukee – September 28, 2024
West Allis Christmas Parade – December 2024
Interested in sponsoring or attending in 2024?
Contact Dan Brever at (414) 778-5800 or dbrever@beyondvision.com
Meet Rose
Rose Burrell
Talent acquisition coordinator
Rose has worked for Beyond Vision for more than a year now in Human Resources. She’s represented Beyond Vision at a number of events and spoken about her work here. At Shot in the Dark, she was able to share her experience of not being treated with the fairness that she deserves by many employers.
This is disappointing because Rose has the passion and personality that you dream of hiring. Nevertheless, Rose also shared how she has been able to thrive and been empowered through her career with Beyond Vision. Rose is engaged to be married, has a guide dog named Pierce, and is working towards her MBA from UW-Whitewater.
Meet Tony
Tony creapeau
IT Technician
Five years ago, Tony Creapeau’s story at Beyond Vision started. Like most, Tony began with QPS employment as a Temp Call Center Agent. However, nine months later, Tony was brought on board full-time. After being brought on full-time, Tony excelled in the company and worked his way into his current role as Beyond Vision’s IT Technician.
Tony has years of knowledge. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Management Computers Systems from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). Aside from this personal accomplishment, Tony has countless professional achievements.
What is the career runway?
A place for people with vision loss to land and a place to take off in their careers. It could mean a first job, career change or an opportunity to try something new.
What does the runway do?
The runway is a place to try out having a job when no one ever thought you could. It’s a place for people to take off and use their skills to succeed in any career path they choose.
Are you looking for a runway for your career as a person who is blind?
Do you know someone with vision loss that could use our runway?
Contact HR@BeyondVision.com or call 414-778-5800 to learn more.
Donors
Individuals
Emily Adams
Roger Adkins
Dino Antonopoulos
Thomas & Diane Arenberg
Clifford & Janie Asmuth
Jeff Batchelor
Mark Bishop
Jordan Bloch
Jack Bolog
Jaclyn Borchardt
Richard Bowden
Jill Boyle
Dan Brever
Michael & Mary Beth Brever
Brian Brieske
Steve Bruno
Janet Buettner
Mike Buettner
Rob & Wendy Buettner
Ronald & Janet Buettner
Sydney Burrell
Cindy Buss
Scott Campbell
Al Cervero
Mark Cerwin
Michael Chew
Emily Constantine
Nancy Creuzinger
Carrie Davidson
Tim Desmond
Joan Duffy
Shawn Duffy
John Emanuel
Bernie Erenberger
David & Anne Frank
Bridget Fritz
Gerry Gogliotti
Monica Gorko
Philip Gould
Lois Gresholdt
Katie Griffin
Susan Grosskoph
Cindi Gutbrod
Chad Haney
Julie Hapeman
Brian Happ
Michael Harpster
Derek Higgins
William Hughes
Eric & Mary Isbister
Danita Jackson
Russell Johnston
Ray Kempka
James Kerlin
Shawn Kerlin
Paul Kihslinger
Bill King
Jamie Koenig
Jenny Kramer
David Kraninger
Mary LaPointe
General Paul E. Lima (Retired)
Thomas Line
Andre Lorenzen
Mary Luczaj
Dennis Martin
Marc Mccollough
Brian McNanney
Burton Metz
Kathleen Meyer
Kevin Mucha
Aubin Muszytowski
Paul & Cindy Muzzey
Mike & Nancy Seidl Nelson
Tom & Susan O’Connell
John Pankau
Jeffrey Alan Peil
Cameron Petroff
Angela & Luc Piessens
Chris Powers
Peter Rathmann
Kevin Riordan
Susan Russell
Carl Schumacher
Molly Schweiger
Art Serna
Tammy Seroka
Drew Sigeti
Kirk Skaradzinski
Dan Stahl
Charles Strand
Justin Suelflow
Liliana Torales
Laura Unger
Chris Urban
Fred Varin
Aina Vilumsons
James & Yong Voigt
Debbie Wiegand
Jeff Wilkins
Terry Winarski
Roger Wojtak
Organizations
3M
Allis Manufacturing Corporation
Alvin & Marion Birnschein Foundation, Inc.
Amazon Smiles
American Bolt Corporation
American Transmission Company, LLC.
Anon Charitable Trust
Bader Philanthropies, Inc.
Badger Meter Foundation
Bell Ambulance, Inc.
Benefit Solutions, Inc.
Catherine & Walter Lindsay Foundation Fund
Capital Investment Services of America, Inc.
CJ & Associates, Inc.
Complex Security Solutions, Inc.
Coodin Company Foundation
Curt & Sue Culver Family Foundation
Cushman & Wakefield Boerke
Dakota Outerwear Company
Darn Tough Vermont
Data Memory Marketing, Inc.
Delafield Lion’s Club
Diemasters Manufacturing, Inc.
Dr. Harry J. Heeb Foundation
Essendant
Forest County Potawatomi Foundation
Francie Luke Silverman Foundation
GenMet Corporation
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Harri Hoffmann Family Foundation
Hickory Fund
Husch Blackwell, LLP.
Jerome & Dorothy H. Holz Family Foundation
Kilbourn Marshall
Ludlow Composites Corporation
Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation
Managed Packaging Systems
National Industries For The Blind
Network For Good
New Berlin Lion’s Club
Old National Bank Foundation
Patrick & Anna M. Cudahy Fund
Pieper Electric
PNC Bank
State Of Wisconsin
Thomas J. Reinhart Foundation
Tool, Die, & Machining Association of Wisconsin Forward Foundation
Ultra Tool & Manufacturing, Inc.
Wispact, Inc. Foundation
Wright Tool Company
Your support helps Beyond Vision expand its workforce, providing more people who are blind with the dignity and independence of work. Whether your support comes by outsourcing work or donations, you are changing lives.
Thank you.
Beyond Vision
1540 S 108th St
West Allis, WI 53214
www.BeyondVision.com
Beyond Vision has been proud to do this work for 120 years, but we need your support to continue this work long into the future! Consider supporting our mission at www.BeyondVision.com/Donate today!