Article Author: Jake Fredericks

STAFFING AND RECRUITMENT FIRM Kalamazoo, MI WSI’s mission is to “empower people to live their best lives.” As a staffing and recruitment firm, this means helping people find a profession where they will be successful and fulfilled; however, the company’s guiding purpose also translates to the way it treats its internal staff. Culture Manager Lauren […]

CREDIT UNION Kalamazoo, MI In business for over 85 years, Honor Credit Union prioritizes collaboration. As a growing credit union with 24 locations throughout Southwest Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, “We place a premium on creating intentional spaces that keep our team members engaged, empowered, and connected,” says Brand Manager Stacey Dodson.  Leaning into its […]

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FORM Kalamazoo, MI The headquarters of the full-service product development firm Tekna is a hive of activity, with industrial designers, mechanical engineers, graphic designers, and creatives of every kind huddled around computer screens and sketching out new ideas on whiteboards. The space—with ceilings high enough to allow for an airplane to be suspended […]

RISK MANAGEMENT ADVISORS AND CONSULTANTS Kalamazoo, MI Gibson is always thinking ahead. Whether providing insurance to cover illness and injury or even building a succession plan for a family business, the company is dedicated to managing risk. Gibson recently expanded its presence in the region. One of the company’s values, “Pursue Growth,” is the force […]

INTERNSHIP INSIGHT Meet Josie Position: Product Integration Intern at Getman Corporation Education: Michigan Technological University Major: Mechanical Engineering Expected Graduation: December 2021 This Is No Desk Job I’m working with the operations and product integration team here at Getman to figure out how we can make the floor run more efficiently. When we’re building a […]

Your local Goodwill is just a place where you can donate clothes to those in need and pick up some crazy sweaters, right? Wrong! “Goodwill does a lot more than accept donations,” explains Sarah Mead, marketing coordinator of Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan. “A lot of people don’t know what we really do. Behind the […]

The holidays are already upon us, and we can hardly believe it! Even though we’re super excited to browse through downtown shops in the coming weeks, as Thanksgiving approaches, it’s also important to keep in mind that the holidays are a time for gratitude and giving. At the end of the season, after all the […]

Do you have a hunger to grow both professionally and personally? Do you dream of being a catalyst for change in your community? If so, you are the leader Southwest Michigan needs. Turn on the TV, and you’ll see the stock market is hitting record highs. Or think back to previous reports by First & […]

BEN JEGLIC IS GETTING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AT KAISER ALUMINUM Position Engineering Intern at Kaiser Aluminum    Education Western Michigan University (WMU) Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engeneering   Graduation Date May 2020 Keeping Pace With Production I work on the engineering and maintenance team. Our main goal as a team is to maintain our equipment, though I […]

USING EMPATHY AND PLENTY OF POST-ITS A Q+A WITH ALISON SHIELDS __________________________________ What is your role at Stryker? I’m a user experience (UX) researcher on Stryker’s product development team. My job is to advocate for the people who will eventually use our products. I work to understand the needs of the end-user by gathering authentic […]

We sat down with two local leaders to get their insights on success, development, motivation, and more. Joseph Thomas III FIELD Services and Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Manager at Kalamazoo County Ninth Circuit Court—Family Division Linda Apsey President and Chief Executive Officer of ITC Holdings Corp. — First Things First First big purchase? Thomas: My […]

Event Annual Holiday Art Sale Organization Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) Date and Time November 30 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
December 1 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Location 435 West South Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 — What roel does the KIA play in the community? When I first moved to Kalamazoo, the city […]