MDG Awarded $168,000 WisTRAIN Grant to Advance Workforce Skills
Funding will support advanced manufacturing, fermentation, and AI training for 35 employees, including five new hires.
Oak Creek, WI (October 20, 2026) – Microbial Discovery Group (MDG) has been awarded $168,000 through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Wisconsin Training for Resilient Advanced Industry Needs (WisTRAIN) employer grant program. MDG is one of 82 employers selected to receive funding through the federally supported initiative.
The grant will support training for 30 current employees and five new hires across MDG’s fermentation, engineering, maintenance, and process development teams. Training will cover advanced fermentation operations, manufacturing analytics, AI-enabled manufacturing, manufacturing execution systems, and project management.
“This investment is more than funding,” said Sona Son, Vice President of Operations at MDG. “It gives our people the opportunity to deepen their expertise, build new skills, and grow with the company. Many of us, myself included, have built our careers at MDG, and we want current and future team members to see that same opportunity for themselves.”
Son began her career with MDG in 2008 as a microbiologist, moving into various leadership roles over the years and now serving as Vice President of Operations—a prime example of the company’s investment into its people. Over the past five years, MDG has nearly doubled its workforce and expanded its manufacturing operations to three facilities totaling 217,000 square feet, supported in part by state workforce development initiatives.
Through the WisTRAIN grant, MDG will strengthen the technical expertise behind its growing manufacturing operations while creating opportunities for employees to advance their skills. Learn more about the program in the State of Wisconsin’s announcement.
About Microbial Discovery Group
Microbial Discovery Group (MDG), a subsidiary of United Animal Health, was founded in 2007 with a mission to Feed, Clean, Save the World. MDG is an R&D-driven product development, scale-up, and large-scale Bacillus fermentation company. The company, headquartered in Oak Creek, WI, focuses on the research and development of microbial solutions to address some of the world’s largest problems. At MDG, ideas are refined and delivered by applying Real Science to a Trusted Process, yielding Proven Success. Visit mdgbio.com to learn more.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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