Kurtis & Rebecca Wolfinger

Self-Employed, Mil Spec Manufacturing LLC

Industry: Manufacturing

Kurtis and Rebecca Wolfinger are local business owners in the manufacturing industry who strive to help veterans transition back to civilian life after serving in the military. In fact, Kurtis being a veteran is what led them to Rowan County five years ago. When Kurtis finished his active-duty contract with the U.S. Army, they relocated to Salisbury because “it was the perfect location to commute to college” and access the W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. According to Kurtis, the VA Hospital in Salisbury is “hands down the best VA Hospital I’ve visited.”

Their business, Mil-Spec Manufacturing LLC, started humbly in 2022 as a remote company that offered CAD/CAM services, then grew into a brick-and-mortar CNC Machine Shop. It was their unique and creative approach to starting their company that caught the eye of Practical Machinist, a worldwide media company for the manufacturing industry. The Wolfingers were featured on an episode of “Shop Tours” in 2023. Their episode exploded with interest and The Wolfingers went on to partner with Practical Machinist to create the video series, “Becoming a Practical Machinist.” This series follows their journey starting a machine shop from scratch. Since then, the Wolfingers have become industry thought leaders, and started the movement “Collaboration over Competition,” which encourages American machine shops to connect and support one another in the efforts of rebuilding American Manufacturing. They also worked with Practical Machinist to create a video series “Becoming a Practical Machinist.” You can visit their company website at https://www.mil-spec-manufacturing.com/ to learn more.

Becoming Rowan County business owners has helped this couple achieve their dream of contributing “to the nation’s economy while supporting fellow veterans. We couldn’t have picked a better location for our company.” As their business continues to grow, the Wolfingers plan to partner with Skillbridge, and offer Active-Duty soldiers an opportunity to work and train at Mil-Spec Manufacturing during the last 6 months of their active military contract. “We understand that PTSD, mandatory C&P exams, and learning to navigate life with new disabilities. Being local to the VA Hospital will give these soldiers an opportunity to focus on their health while learning a new skill.” Their passion for giving a hand-up to fellow Veterans landed them an invitation to become Advisory Board Members at Warrior Rising, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping U.S. Military Veterans achieve success in business through partnerships, mentoring, and economic assistance.

When they’re not running their business, the Wolfingers love engaging with the community by supporting other local businesses and attending what they call “knockout community events!” They love dining at Hendricks BBQ, La Cava, The Smoke Pit, El Patron, Katana Fusion, Country Donuts for sweet treats and KocoJava for coffee. The Cheerwine Festival held downtown every May is a favorite warm weather festival and Downtown Salisbury’s signature wine tasting event, Wine About Winter, held every February is the perfect wintertime outing.

But what is it that they love most about Rowan County? Well, to these entrepreneurs and advocates, “Rowan acts as the heart of this thriving Piedmont area. You can quickly travel to surrounding towns and cities through the vast highway system. This allows us to experience that small town charm, but still enjoy those BIG city amenities. Also, with being a military family, the close proximity to the VA Hospital has been life changing for us.” 

The Wolfingers encourage every Rowan resident or those looking to relocate to “be uniquely you” because “you’re welcome here!”