Article Photographer: Hannah Ziegeler

Michael Englmaier learns to design hydraulics at Parker Hannifin Corporation. Hometown Portage, MI Education  Western Michigan University (WMU) Engineering Design Technology Major; Business Management Minor Expected Graduation: May 2020 Position  Engineering Intern at Parker Hannifin, Summer 2018 Working on all Cylinders  I grew up in Michigan, but I was originally born in Germany. My family […]

How Michigan’s Going PRO training fund is injecting growth into Eimo Technologies. If you were to ask a manufacturer to tell you its biggest challenges, the search for skilled talent would likely land among its top three answers. Michigan has worked hard to reclaim its spot among the top states for both manufacturing output and […]

A Q+A with Savannah Walters, Industrial Designer at Newell Brands. How do you approach design in your role at Newell Brands? I’m a staff industrial designer at Newell Brands, a leading global consumer goods company. We have a lot of great brands in our portfolio—since I started here, I have gotten to work on a […]

A Q+A with Michael Betz, President and Co-Owner of ImageStream. How do you approach design at ImageStream? My business partner Tom Brooks and I started this company 20 years ago, in 1999. We were working for Pharmacia & Upjohn, handling its media center here in Kalamazoo. But when the company started moving its jobs to […]

Christian Merasco explores career options at SalesPage Technologies. Hometown Portage, MI Education Michigan State University (MSU) Marketing Major; Retail Management Minor Expected Graduation: May 2020 Position Sales Operations Intern at SalesPage Technologies Testing the Waters When I started college, I knew I wanted to study business, but I didn’t want a career that would confine […]

Mike Roeder, President and CEO of Fabri-Kal Corporation, takes us through his leadership journey. 1963 | Born in Cumberland, Maryland My family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, when I was too young to remember. I had four brothers and sisters, so there was a lot of sharing. We shared toys, cars, bathrooms—you name it. Growing up, […]

We sat down with Alan Smaka, Kalamazoo Office Director for Wightman and Associates, and Tara Vandestreek, Accounting Supervisor at Getman Corporation, to hear these leaders’ thoughts on success, development, motivation, and more. First Things First First job? Tara: Summer Camp Counselor Alan: Street Sweeper First app you check in the morning? Tara: Email and Calendar […]

Megan Scherpereel builds on past experiences at Miller-Davis. Hometown South Bend, Indiana Education Western Michigan University Civil Engineering Major, Mathematics Minor; Expected Graduation: Spring 2020 Position Project Management Intern at Miller-Davis On the Job My role is to support the project management team. Our purpose is to coordinate office communications to make sure that our […]

We sat down with Steve Hessen, Managing Shareholder/Partner at Kreis, Enderle, Hudgins, & Borsos, P.C., and Caitlin Carey, Associate at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, & Cohn, L.L.P., to hear what they had to say about leadership, hiring, time-travel, and more. What does good leadership look like on a day-to-day basis? Steve Hessen: Leaders must be willing […]

Bowling lanes, go-karts, a four-person human gyroscope, and even a virtual reality roller-coaster are just a few set pieces at this workplace. AIRWAY FUN CENTER; PORTAGE, MI | “At Airway Fun Center, all 125 of us come in with smiles on our faces. That passion comes so easily because the only thing we’re selling is fun,” […]

BDO, a global accounting network, has offices all over the world. In order to function optimally across locations, the company has come up with some innovative solutions. BDO USA; KALAMAZOO, MI | Located in the heart of the city’s downtown, BDO’s Kalamazoo office decided to tear down its grey cubical walls to let in more light and opportunity for […]

If you have never visited the offices of Child & Family Psychological Services (CFPS) before, you may be surprised by the animals you meet there. CHILD & FAMILY PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES; KALAMAZOO, MI | Patients are sometimes encouraged to bring emotional support animals with them for their visit, and for those who don’t have a pet, Grady, a […]