Article Author: Heather Baker

Two local counties—Kalamazoo and St. Joseph—will be seeking tax dollars to fund an expansion of career and technical education during the Tuesday, November 5 election. This comes at a time when existing regional employers of all sizes face a workforce skills gap and companies are desperately searching across America for new locations where pools of […]

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet’s luxury kitchens cook up the ultimate experience. Company Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Philosophy To design and build the best outdoor cooking and entertaining equipment in the world. Local Roots The company traces its lineage back to 1906, when the Kalamazoo Sheet Metal Company was founded to make stainless steel equipment for the dairy […]

The year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Schupan & Sons family of companies. In reaching this milestone, President and Chief Executive Officer Marc Schupan credits the company operations, which he compares to how hockey great Wayne Gretzky skated on the ice. “We ‘skate to where the puck is going to be, not where […]

The beauty of diversity in the workplace is much more than skin deep. Workplace diversity no longer merely denotes the color of one’s skin in the workplace, but rather implies the range of differences belonging to the people of an organization. Differences in race, gender, ethnicity, age, education, place of birth, tenure, position within the […]

Catalyst Development Group builds a climate of caring—inside the office and out. CATALYST DEVELOPMENT GROUP; KALAMAZOO, MI | Catalyst Development Group, responsible for constructing and maintaining many striking structures across Michigan, knows that it takes the whole team to get a project off the ground. They have therefore created a scaffolding of strong values and […]

National Flavors delivers joy through flavor. Company National Flavors LLC Website nationalflavors.com Regional Locations National Flavors completed construction of a new 36,000-square-foot headquarters at 3680 Stadium Park Way in Oshtemo in 2018. Its multi-million dollar investment created space for new offices, labs, manufacturing, and distribution. It continues to maintain a location on Crosstown Parkway in […]

Getman Corporation reigns as king of underground mining equipment. Company Getman Corporation Website getman.com Regional Locations Headquartered in Bangor, with a second manufacturing facility in Comstock Charter Township Number of Employees 170 Executive Erik VanAllen, President & CEO History Getman Brothers Construction Company entered the equipment business following World War II with a small motorized […]

We sat down with John Rumohr, Senior Mechanical Engineer at TowerPinkster, and Jim Ritsema, City Manager of Kalamazoo, to hear their thoughts on leadership, childhood, and Labor Day plans. What is your most important role as a leader? Jim Ritsema: A leader needs to establish a vision for the organization and then get out of […]

There’s more than one angle to WSI’s Jeff O’Brien. Just one look at the desk of WSI President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff O’Brien reveals a lot about his company. Since 2001, WSI, a recruitment and staffing specialist currently with offices throughout the Midwest, has impacted thousands of lives by helping people get full-time and […]

Schupan & Sons’ Rich Holtz Golf Outing offers participants a hole-in-one experience; Marc Schupan, CEO Of Schupan & Sons, tells us more. Organization: Schupan & Sons Event: 19th Annual Rich Holtz Golf Outing Date: June 14, 2018 Time: 11:00 am Location: Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort What makes this event so special to you? This event is our […]

Honee Bear Canning serves up only the best ingredients. Company Packers Canning Co., dba Honee Bear Canning Co. Website www.honeebear.com Location 72100 M 40 Lawton, MI 49065 Year Founded Honee Bear Canning was founded in 1943 and Packers Canning in 1967. The two entities existed as a partnership between the grandfather of Steve Packer, current […]

We sat down with Director of Service at CTS Telecom, Tom Ward, to get his perspectives on leadership, risk, and more. What does it mean to be a good leader? A good leader is a person who people look up to and want to follow. They’re someone who is willing to sacrifice for their team, […]