Article Photographer: Hannah Ziegeler

The 2017 Catalyst Education Awards, sponsored by the Michigan Lottery, recognize educational excellence. We sat down with this year’s winners to see their commitment to education firsthand. In these exciting times of astonishing access to technology and information, the traditional model of education has changed. The days of lecturing and rote memorization are over. Today’s […]

Family-focused culture proves to be a winner for Sturgis Molded Products. Company Sturgis Molded Products (SMP) Headquarters 1950 Clark Street Sturgis, MI 49091 Website smpco.com Year Founded 1966 Regional Footprint 182,500 square feet, with a 30,000-square-foot warehouse expansion planned later in 2018 Local Executive Mark D. Weishaar, President Number of Employees 240 Annual Sales $50 […]

Leadership at Special-Lite opens the door to engagement. SPECIAL-LITE; DECATUR, MI | At Special-Lite’s headquarters in Decatur, Michigan, CEO Henry L. Upjohn II is a regular sight on the production floor. A visionary in both leadership and engineering, he has played a pivotal role in the history of this entryway manufacturer. Not only has Upjohn […]

Edwards Garment helps companies dress up their corporate image. Company Edwards Garment World Headquarters 4900 S 9th Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009 Website edwardsgarment.com Executive Gary Schultz, President and CEO 150 Years of Tailor-Made History Founded in 1867 by Samuel Rosenbaum as a material and sewing notions firm, the company originally traded under the names Kalamazoo Pant […]

Zeigler Motorsports aims to make organizational training fun (and fast!). For many, the thought of team building exercises conjures youthful images of camp counselors leading campers down to the lake or human resources managers struggling to stir up excitement with clichéd activities like the trust fall, Two Truths and a Lie, or game of capture […]

We spent some time with Troy Cuvelier, President at Integrated Technologies, to hear what he had to say about leadership, cell phone apps, and more. Define leadership. Inspiring, always learning, educating, optimistic, listening, caring, compassionate, appreciative, team-focused. Who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? My grandmother. She instilled in me, from […]

We sat down with Paul Martus, principal industrial designer at Newell Brands, for a glimpse at design through his eyes. What does an industrial designer do? I truly believe we provide a service—a problem-solving service. We’re part detective, part artist, part futurist. We solve problems through visualization. These problems shape the future and hopefully make […]

With its commitment to healthy vegetables, all in a row! Summer evenings are a time when many of us enjoy sitting down to fresh, locally-grown vegetables for dinner, whether it’s a ripe red tomato on a juicy cheeseburger or slices of zucchini served with barbeque chicken. But, for many Southwest Michigan residents, a regular supply […]

Turn off Sprinkle Road and ride on into Zeigler Motorsports. Company Zeigler Motorsports This Regional Location Celebrating its grand opening on June 14, 2017, this facility boasts 85,000 square feet at 5001 Park Circle in Kalamazoo, Michigan and sits on 50 acres offering outdoor test track experiences. The Big Picture Zeigler Motorsports is part of […]

We took some time to talk with Sophia Quinn, Regional Sales Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan/Blue Care Network, to hear her thoughts on leadership, motivation, and more. Define leadership. The ability to bring a group of people together to attain a common goal. Who has had a tremendous impact on you as […]

We sat down with Lauryn King, Team Leader of the Test Lab at Eaton’s Center of Excellence, to hear what she has to say about leadership, tough decisions, and more. Define leadership. Leadership is being a developer, raising up your team, and empowering them to learn new things and develop themselves. Who has had a […]

We sat down with Dan Jaqua, President and Owner at Jaqua Realtors, to hear his thoughts on leadership, lunch, and more. Define leadership. Observation brings understanding. Understanding brings tolerance. Tolerance brings direction. Direction brings followers. To me, that’s what leadership is. Observation is the ability to observe what’s going on—the ability to observe in any […]