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WED AM News: County leaders urged to ensure processes are well-defined before introducing AI; Rockwell Automation report explores cybersecurity views. September 23, 2026 - A data expert with Waukesha County urged local government leaders to ensure any processes they're looking to automate with AI are well-defined, to avoid higher costs and other pitfalls. Kevin Koenig, the county's solutions and data engineering manager, yesterday addressed members of the Wisconsin Counties Association during the group's annual meeting in Wisconsin Dells. "If we cannot describe the process, we are not ready to automate it," Koenig said. "We are definitely not ready to hand parts of it off to an AI agent... many of our processes cross departments, cross systems, cross policy." He noted the visible portion of a given county's process for a government function may not represent the full scope, including various records-keeping requirements and approval chains. Koenig urged county staff to "think across" the organization when deploying an AI system, not just the piece of the process they handle. When considering deploying an AI tool, especially an agentic system that can take more substantial actions on its own, he urged attendees to consider who's in charge of approving changes to the target process, what happens when there's exceptions, which records are created and what policies govern what's being done. "Process clarity is AI readiness," Koenig said. He also noted AI can be extremely useful, but can't compensate for an undefined or inconsistent workflow and can "scale the confusion faster" if used in an improper way. "Risks of unclear process could be inconsistent resident service, faster mistakes, reduced staff trust, harder troubleshooting, poor auditability and high usage cost due to re-work and repeated prompts to the AI," he said. And because AI systems are so heavily reliant on data, he cautioned county leaders that data within government is subject to numerous retention and public records requirements, raising issues about privacy for residents. "Some of the risks with poor data include wrong recommendations, conflicting answers, overexposure of sensitive information, low trust and higher operating costs," Koenig said. "So trustworthy AI starts with trustworthy data, and cost-effective AI starts with well-scoped data." - A new report from Rockwell Automation finds businesses around the world are largely confident in their ability to defend from online threats, even as cybersecurity incidents are on the rise. The Milwaukee company yesterday issued its report, "Operational Resilience in the Age of Connectivity," drawing on information provided by 1,500 manufacturing and industrial operations across 17 countries. Although 90% of the businesses tapped for the report say they're confident in their ability to "prevent, contain or recover from" a cyber incident, 46% also said they've experienced one in the past year alone. Report authors say this signals a "disconnect" between true operational risk and confidence in cybersecurity protections. Still, about 35% of these operations said cybersecurity is one their biggest external obstacles to growth in the coming 12 months, ranked No. 2 among concerns behind only workforce shortages. Meanwhile, 62% of companies in the report say they've already invested in cybersecurity platforms, while 45% say they plan to apply AI and machine learning to cybersecurity efforts in the coming year. "These findings point to a clear shift: organizations are embedding cybersecurity into broader digital transformation strategies alongside AI, automation, cloud technologies and connected operations," authors wrote. The report urges business leaders to stay vigilant as IT and operations "become increasingly interconnected," muddying the waters for cybersecurity incident preparedness. Authors say companies face a growing challenge in distinguishing "routine" security threats from those that could disrupt their operations. "Continuous monitoring helps understand the risks that matter most before they cause disruption," authors wrote, touting the impact of proactive detection and response programs. - Rehlko, a Milwaukee-based energy systems business, plans to double its annual backup power capacity by expanding its manufacturing operations in China. The company yesterday announced it's investing in its manufacturing facilities in Changzhou, expected to boost its capacity from 5.5 gigawatts to 11 gigawatts. The release notes rising demand from AI infrastructure such as data centers, semiconductors and other factors is straining power infrastructure around the world. Brian Melka, president and CEO of Rehlko, calls the city a "critical hub" enabling the company to serve customers in Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "Our continued investments at Changzhou reflect the discipline behind our growth, doubling capacity while sharpening the speed and precision behind every system we ship," Melka said in a statement. The company says it has recently launched a new production line for smaller generator systems at its Changzou site, along with a smart warehousing system, upgrades to larger generator production capacity and integrated automated guided vehicles. Since 2020, shipment revenue at the site has doubled, according to yesterday's release. - A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is defending the quality of care at the Tomah VA Medical Center after U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin called for an investigation into the hospital. The Madison Dem recently sent a letter to the department's leadership expressing "grave concern" over allegations of patient care issues at the Tomah center, including inadequate staffing leading to injuries and other risks. She said employees of the hospital have reached out to her office to raise concerns about "poor management" and the care of hospice patients in particular. When asked for comment, a spokesperson with the federal agency's Office of Public Affairs said providing "the best healthcare possible is a top VA priority." "In an effort to quickly investigate this situation, VA has asked Sen. Baldwin for specific details - such as dates, times and locations - regarding the allegations she cites," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "We look forward to receiving her response." The spokesperson noted a 2026 Office of the Inspector General inspection of the Tomah site found no instances of quality, safety or administrative issues. And the email said the hospital's nurse turnover rate is about 5%, well below the national average rate of 17.6%. Baldwin's letter specifically mentioned pressure injuries - also called bedsores - resulting from staffing and management problems. But the VA spokesperson said the rate of hospital-acquired pressure injuries "remain very low" at Tomah. "In Q3 of FY2026, no triggering cases for high-risk residents at Tomah were discovered at the community living center - the nationwide average is nearly 8%," the spokesperson wrote. Meanwhile, Baldwin's letter also highlighted the recent criminal charges announced against a former Tomah VA nurse, arguing they "raise serious questions about the care of the hospice patients" at the facility as well as the VA's response. Beth Holz was reportedly charged with intentionally withholding oxygen from a hospice patient at the facility. The agency's spokesperson said the VA "moved quickly and according to established procedures" after the incident took place and immediately removed Holtz. Following an investigation, she resigned in January of this year, the spokesperson said. For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com. - Gov. Tony Evers has appointed banking executive Aaron Towns to the board of directors for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., touting his role as "a respected member of the business community" in the state. Towns' appointment fills the spot left empty by former member John Brogan when he resigned. He's currently director of commercial banking in Wisconsin at BMO Financial Group. In a statement on the new role, Towns says he's honored to be appointed and grateful for the opportunity to serve Wisconsin. "Our state has extraordinary people, businesses, ideas, and resources," he said. "I look forward to bringing my experience in finance, innovation, and economic development to help connect these strengths, expand opportunity, and strengthen Wisconsin's economy and communities."

Rehlko Doubles Annual Backup Power Capacity at Changzhou manufacturing facility. Sep 22, 2026, 09:15 ET Strategic Investment Program Doubles Annual Backup Power Capacity from 5.5 GW to 11 GW, Strengthening Rehlko's Global Manufacturing Network Across Asia, EMEA, and Latin America MILWAUKEE, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Rehlko, a global industrial energy resilience platform providing custom-engineered, integrated power solutions for mission-critical infrastructure worldwide, today announced a strategic investment program at its Changzhou, China, manufacturing facility to double annual backup power capacity from 5.5 GW to 11 GW. The investment comes as demand from AI infrastructure, data centers, semiconductors, digitalization, and the broader push for supply chain resilience strains power infrastructure worldwide. The Changzhou facility is an increasingly important component of Rehlko's global manufacturing network, producing generator systems ranging from 6 kW to 4,000 kW as well as key components that support Rehlko's broader manufacturing operations globally. The facility's role as a strategic manufacturing hub helps reduce supply chain bottlenecks and strengthens the resilience of Rehlko's global operations. The site serves customers across China, Southeast Asia, EMEA, and Latin America. "Our continued investments at Changzhou reflect the discipline behind our growth, doubling capacity while sharpening the speed and precision behind every system we ship," said Brian Melka, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rehlko. "Changzhou is a critical hub in our ability to serve customers not only across Asia, but also throughout EMEA and Latin America." Recent investments at Rehlko's Changzhou facility include the launch of a smart production line for smaller generator systems, a new smart warehousing system, upgrades to the medium and large generator production lines, and the integration of automated guided vehicles and a manufacturing execution system. These investments are already delivering measurable results, with shipment revenue at the Changzhou facility doubling since 2020 and first pass yield improving from 93% to 98%. The doubling of annual backup power capacity, from 5.5 GW to 11 GW, reflects the combined impact of the investment program's capacity expansion, automation, and operational improvements, and is targeted without requiring any physical expansion of the facility's footprint. The Changzhou expansion is part of Rehlko's broader global manufacturing investment, which includes capacity and capability expansions at facilities in Colmar and Cholet in France and Kenosha in the United States, as well as the 2025 acquisitions of WB Power Services and Wiltech Acoustics in the United Kingdom. Together, these investments reflect Rehlko's commitment to building a manufacturing platform capable of supporting customers across every major region it serves. About Rehlko Rehlko is a global industrial energy resilience platform delivering custom-engineered, integrated power solutions for mission-critical infrastructure. With more than 100 years of heritage, Rehlko is positioned at the intersection of AI expansion, grid instability and electrification. Its vertically integrated, full-lifecycle capabilities span engineering, manufacturing, deployment, servicing and operation of backup, prime, continuous and bridging power systems, accelerating speed-to-power while building long-term customer relationships and service revenue. Rehlko is a leading power solutions provider to hyperscale and non-hyperscale data centers, with an established presence across healthcare, telecommunications and industrial markets. The company has deployed more than 14 GW of data center capacity, over 90% custom-engineered for specific applications. Inventor of the world's first internal combustion engine-driven generator, Rehlko now operates across 80+ global locations, combining global scale and singular focus to power the world's critical infrastructure. Learn more at rehlko.com. SOURCE Rehlko