Stoughton Trailers, LLC, a national leader in transportation equipment, is pleased to announce that the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce has inducted Don Wahlin, Founder of Stoughton Trailers, into Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s Wisconsin Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

Wahlin, a Wisconsin native, purchased the remaining assets of a small, bankrupt business is 1961 and founded Stoughton Trailers. Over the course of the next four decades, Wahlin’s visionary leadership, business acumen and patient wisdom built the company into one of North America’s largest trailer manufacturers. Eventually, Stoughton grew to become the largest manufacturer in its home county.

In addition to his industry leadership, Wahlin served as a pilot in the Air National Guard for 23 years and raised eight children with his wife, Carol. Together they also founded The Wahlin Foundation to invest in the local communities. The Foundation has contributed to projects such as the Stoughton Youth Center, the VFW Memorial Park, the Evansville Aquatic Center, the Stoughton Hospital, the Stoughton Library and more.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be inducted into the Wisconsin Manufacturing Hall of Fame,” said Wahlin. “None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our talented team of employees and the support and continued leadership of my family. It’s a true privilege to join these Wisconsin icons as an inductee.”

Wahlin is the 80th inductee, joining an impressive list of Wisconsin industry titans including the last year’s inductee, Ashley Furniture’s Ron Wanek and historical inductees such as Jerome Case, Patrick Cudahy, Kurtis Froedtert, HenryHarnischfeger, Samuel Curtis Johnson, John Kimberly, Walter Kohler, Oscar Mayer, George Mead, Frederick Miller, Charles Nash, Gustave Pabst, F.J. Sensenbrenner, Arthur O. Smith and Reuben Trane.

“Don was an obvious addition to the Hall of Fame,” said WMC President & CEO Kurt R. Bauer. “He is a champion of industry, leadership and philanthropy and a great servant to our country and his family. His legacy will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.”

The induction ceremony was held today at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee as part of the annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY) awards. WMC’s predecessor organization, Wisconsin Manufacturers’ Association, started the then-called Industrial Hall of Fame in the 1950s “to honor those individuals who made significant contributions to the state’s industrial history.”

In 1970, for an unknown reason, the Hall of Fame was discontinued. However, in 2024, WMC, in partnership with First Business Bank, made the decision to reconstitute the program in order to showcase Wisconsin’s growing manufacturing legacy and celebrate the innovators and entrepreneurs who have contributed to the state.

The Wisconsin Manufacturing Hall of Fame distinguishes and honors the legacy of the leaders who have built Wisconsin. Wisconsin has a rich heritage of manufacturers who have impacted its economy and expertly lead companies, all while investing in their communities through philanthropy and civic engagement.