Article Author: Jake Fredericks

The architects and engineers at Towerpinkster have helped design some wonderful-looking workplaces since the company’s founding in 1953. TOWERPINKSTER; KALAMAZOO, MI | However, for President and CEO Bjorn Green, a workplace is measured not by its appearance, but by the quality of day-to-day interactions within its team. “I think it’s all about building relationships with […]

When you dial the phone number of Wiser Financial Group, you will always be greeted with a cheerful “Hello” and never a machine. WISER FINANCIAL GROUP; KALAMAZOO, MI | This philosophy of fostering real, human connections is also behind the tray of fresh-baked cookies that greets guests in the lobby. In turn, the people who […]

WSI, a nationally acclaimed staffing and recruiting agency, helps local candidates find suitable employment and grow in their careers. WSI; KALAMAZOO, MI | Though its team is dedicated to matching clients with the perfect job, that passion is driven by WSI’s commitment to building a better community—in and out of the office. To accomplish this, WSI holds […]

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 […]

Local leaders soft-shoe, waltz, and whirl to support student aid. Organization: Western Michigan University Department of Dance Event: Dancing with the Stars Date: Saturday, October 27, 2018 Time: 7:30 P.M. Location: Miller Auditorium, 2200 Auditorium Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 Lynn Chen-Zhang Partner and COO of Zhang Financial Member of Western Michigan University (WMU) Board of Trustee Vice […]

Women make up over 50 percent of the regional population in Southwest Michigan. Though workforce participation has skyrocketed, challenges still exist for women in the workplace, such as unequal pay, under-representation in managerial roles, and fewer degrees earned in university subjects such as engineering and computer science. To address these issues head-on, Southwest Michigan First […]

We sat down with Dannie Alexander, Director of Facilities and Construction Management Services at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Nicole Marques, Business Development Manager at Miller-Davis, to hear what they had to say about leadership, creativity, free time, and more. How Can You Identify a Great Leader? Dannie Alexander: I identify a great leader as […]

An Internship Insight with Hali Kunst. Hometown Caledonia, Michigan Education Western Michigan University Chemical Engineering Major; Biology Minor; Life Sciences Focus Expected Graduation: Spring 2019 Position Process Engineer Intern High-Tech and Fast-Paced Industrial consulting firm CRB’s engineers (chemical, mechanical, civil), along with critical utility specialists, and an array of other experts, collaborate to design solutions […]

Award-winning culture will be valuable recruitment tool. With its jobless rate hovering around 4.0 percent, the Southwest Michigan region may be experiencing what many economists deem “full” employment. This statistic is a positive one when describing the area’s economic health, but a challenging one to overcome for companies seeking to hire new employees. To attract […]

A Q+A with Zach DeYoung, Partner at Maestro. How Do You Approach Design at Maestro? Maestro is a forward-thinking design agency creating things that you probably wouldn’t imagine get made in Kalamazoo. We’ve been here for 11 years, and we work with huge Fortune 500 companies like Southwest Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, and Google. I […]

A Night of Horsing Around Changes Lives at the Cheff Center ORGANIZATION: Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center EVENT: The Cheff Center’s Annual Shindig DATE: September 7, 2018 TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. LOCATION: 8450 North 43rd Street, Augusta, MI 49012 A CONVERSATION WITH: Tara East, Executive Director of the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center WHAT SERVICES […]

Sarah Meldrum packs up a career at Graphic Packaging International. Education Western Michigan University (WMU), Graphic and Printing Science, B.B.S. ’16 Hometown Sylvan Lake, MI Employment Material Management Analyst, Graphic Packaging International On the Job Graphic Packaging International is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of folding cartons. A carton could be a cereal box, […]