The Q3 2020 edition of The Right Place, Inc.'s RPI Insider highlights the essential workers of the COVID-19 pandemic in West Michigan, new tools for manufacturers in a post-economic shutdown market, and tips on refocusing talent attraction strategies in an era of remote work and limited talent pools.
Quarter 3 - 2020
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: PROJECT: GENERAL TRUCK PARTS & EQUIPMENT TALENT ATTRACTION POST COVID-19 THE CENTER-WEST NEW TOOLS & SERVICES
Life is changing rapidly for manufacturers and their employees as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. As priorities shift, many companies are finding that their company culture is shifting, too. How can you, as a leader, embrace those changes and take an intentional approach to building your company’s culture for the future? This 50-minute webinar will feature experts from the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West and executive coaching firm Vistage Michigan. They’ll share best practices for building culture and amplifying your values to assemble a high-functioning team that’s ready to take on the evolving challenges and changes ahead. Building Your Culture August 11, 2020
The Center-West and MiBiz are teaming up to present an industrial-strength quarterly webinar series focused on best practices for small and mid-sized manufacturers. Each webinar in the 2020 series — Back to Manufacturing Basics — will feature experts on the topic at hand as well as Michigan manufacturers sharing their stories. The 50-minute webinars will provide actionable, real-world information to help manufacturers improve their efficiency, enhance quality and drive profitability.
To register, visit mibiz.com/backtobasics
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
8
14
Feature Article: West Michigan Dataconomy A breakdown of essential workers in the region
CEO Update
Talent Hello West Michigan takes Intern Connect virtual
4
15
Projects General Truck Parts & Equipment Packaging Compliance Labs, LLC
Investor Spotlight PwC
12
The Center–West Navigating your business restart & recovery
6
Refocusing Talent Attraction Strategies Post COVID-19
13
Manufacturing Success Peterson Farms
5 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CEO Update
To our Investors and Partners,
It is hard to believe, but our community has now been navigating this pandemic for over five months. During this relatively short period of time many of our companies had to make dramatic changes that would normally occur over a period of years, not months. New product lines and supply chains have been created, virtual meetings have replaced a vast majority of business travel, and companies have shut down and restarted their operations over the course of this pandemic. We have faced countless other obstacles and the learning curves have been steep, but West Michigan persistently rises to meet these challenges. The teamat The Right Place continues to bewith you every step of theway as we restart our economy and move forward together. New resources continue to become available to assist businesses during these tumultuous times. In fact, it was recently announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation received additional CARES Act funding for the Small Business Restart Program in the amount of $100 million. The Right Place is responsible for distributing $9,545,455 of these funds toWest Michigan businesses. Independent review committees have been assembled throughout our region to review grant applications. These individuals represent economic development partners, municipalities, counties, Downtown Development Authorities, chambers of commerce, local banks, finance professionals, and community foundations. Once again, the collaborative spirit of West Michigan shines. These grants will provide up to $20,000 in funding to eligible small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, 30% of these funds have been designated for minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. Applications are currently being accepted via MEDC’s website and we encourage your company to apply if you qualify. Alternately, if you do not qualify, we encourage you to share this information with the small business owners in your network. We will continue to keep you informed of any resources and opportunities that become available to our region during this pandemic. Without your support, we would not be able to provide these critical connections to West Michigan businesses. We thank you for your steadfast commitment to our efforts.
Birgit M. Klohs President & CEO The Right Place, Inc.
2
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
YOUR DIRECT PATH TO BUSINESS GROWTH.
Running a growing business is dicult enough. And as you grow, knowing what resources are available, where to find them, and when to reach out can be another challenge entirely.
Fortunately, we’re here to make those challenges easier. The Right Place is your single source for business success in West Michigan, providing you with the tools and support you need to continue doing what you do best—running your business.
Find guidance, resources, and a team ready to assist at rightplace.org .
info@rightplace.org \ 616-771-0325
GENERAL TRUCK PARTS & EQUIPMENT
Chicago-based company opens first Michigan operations in Walker
“The decision to expand inWest Michigan reaffirms the region as a place companies can locate to access markets across the entire state,” said Brent Case, Vice President of Business Attraction for The Right Place and project lead, “Companies located in Chicago and neighboring states recognize the affordability and many other benefits of expanding in West Michigan and we’re pleased to assist in projects like these.” Citymanagerof Walker, Darrel Schmalzel, is also looking forward to the company’s first Michigan operation opening, “We are pleased towelcome General Truck Parts & Equipment to Walker. We are confident their new location will provide them the opportunity to serve their Michigan clients more effectively.”
Chicago-based General Truck Parts & Equipment recently announced the opening of its first Michigan location on 3 Mile Road in Walker. The new operation will bring 7-10 new jobs to the West Michigan area in the next three years and the company will invest over $500,000 to launch operations. Founded in 1970, General Truck Parts® provides new and remanufactured truck parts, serving the truck parts and equipment industry for on-and off-highway, industrial, agricultural, construction, mining, logging, and light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, General Truck Parts also has six other operations located in Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Nashville, Portland (Maine) and Rochester (NY). “We knew we could improve service and delivery times with a new operation in Michigan,” said Eric Sjoredsma, General Sales Manager – Grand Rapids who oversaw the selection and construction of the new operation inWalker. “WecontactedTheRight Place and they assisted us in identifying potential locations and connected us to key people to help us open our first operation in Michigan.” Brands available through General Truck Parts include Oshkosh®, Eaton®/Fuller®, Navistar®, Rockwell®, Meritor®, Kessler®, ZF®, Spicer®, Tractech®, Borg-Warner®, GMC®,Mack®,Allison®, Spicer®, Clark-Hurth®, New Venture®, TTC®, Fabco®, Muncie®, Axletech®, SAF- Holland and many more.
4
PACKAGING COMPLIANCE LABS, LLC
Medical Device Packaging Company announces Kentwood expansion
“Having an innovative firm like Packaging Compliance Labs bring more jobs and investment to Kentwood is excellent for our residents and for the community at-large,” Kepley said. “We are glad to be home to Packaging Compliance Labs and commend the company’s efforts to provide critical solutions to the health care industry when they are needed most.” To learn more about Packaging Compliance Labs, visit pkgcompliance.com .
Corporation have provided continuous support to our business as we’ve prepared for this upcoming expansion.” The MEDC is supporting the expansion with a $135,000 Jobs Ready Michigan grant, a program designed by the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) to address the cost associated with recruiting and training individuals for occupations that are high-wage, high-skill, or high-demand. “West Michigan’s medical device manufacturing industry has grown steadily over the last five years at a rate of about ten percent,” said Eric Icard, Senior Business Development Manager for The Right Place and project lead, “These are high-paying, high-quality jobs that are contributing to our regional economy. When a company like Packaging Compliance Labs chooses to expand here, it makes way for continued growth as they create an increasingly efficient supply chain for medical device manufacturers in the area.” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley also shared his optimism about what PCL’s expansion will mean for his community.
West Michigan-based medical device packaging engineering firm, Packaging Compliance Labs, LLC (PCL) recently announced plans to expand its current operations in Kentwood. In addition to a capital investment of $2.5 million, the companywill bring 27 new jobs to the area. PCL was founded in 2014 as a solution to a stagnated healthcare packaging industry. Headquartered in Kentwood, Mich., PCL specializes in helping global medical device manufacturers launch new devices to market faster while maintaining regulatory compliance around the globe. PCL, along with its sister company, SmartStart Medical, LLC (SSM), will take on the additional 27 jobs as a result of this expansion. SSM specializes in device cleaning, packaging, sterilization, and pilot production for new medical technologies. “Packaging Compliance Labs is in the midst of an exciting period of growth,” said Matthew Lapham, President, Packaging Compliance Labs. “We’re thankful that The Right Place and their partners at the Michigan Economic Development
5
2020 ECONOMIC SUCCESS STORIES
6
TALENT ATTRACTION POST COVID-19
C OVID-19 put a freeze on just about everything; events, graduations, dining-in, and hiring were all halted in the wake of the global pandemic. Many companies pumped the breaks on opening new positions and even pushed back start dates for already confirmed hires. Now that the state is opening back up and companies are adjusting their forecasts for 2020, questions about hiring outlooks still remain.
Hello West Michigan has been helping companies attract talent to the region for 10 years. Born during a time of similar economic circumstance—when unemployment was low in 2007 and suddenly high during the recession of 2008. The founders of Hello West Michigan knew that having resources for talent attraction was still important, even during a time of high unemployment. Companies need resources to support relocating candidates, including area information, marketing pieces, housing resources and connection opportunities for significant others. Hello West Michigan offers all of those resources and more. Since 2010, when Hello West Michigan was officially launched, the Grand Rapids MSA has added 31,000 in-migrants, or relocations, from outside of West Michigan. This has accounted for 39% of the area’s population growth from 2010 – 2018.* When compared to the state as a whole, Ottawa and Kent Counties have the fastest growing populations in Michigan, with 11% and 9% growth from 2010 – 2019.* Hello West Michigan has supported the region’s growth during times of both economic recovery and expansion. Regardless of what the coming months bring, Hello West Michigan will continue to be a resource for employers as they evaluate and refocus their talent attraction efforts. Some big-name companies, like Twitter, have announced they will not be returning to their offices at all. Workers will be able to retain their jobs while having the freedom to live anywhere. This could make talent attraction easier for them long-term because workers will not have the barrier of relocating to a city with a high cost of living. For companies in West Michigan with positions that cannot be done remotely, especially for extended periods of time, tapping into out-of-state talent for remote work will not be an option. This makes it increasingly important to promote the West Michigan community as a great place to live, with companies that are great places to work. Moving forward, recruiters must have the tools to sell the position, company, and the community. For more information about Hello West Michigan and its resources, visit hellowestmichigan.com/about or contact Rachel Gray at, grayr@hellowestmichigan.com , or 616.771.0354 .
West Michigan companies may be hiring less people after the economic shutdown caused by COVID-19, but hiring the right people is just as important as ever. It is critical that companies dedicate time to refocus their talent attraction strategies for the months, and maybe even years, to come. Although local talent is more readily available because of the increased unemployment rate, companies still need to find candidates with the right mix of skills. For circumstances where there is an immediate need, there may not be time to depend on reskilling programs. If qualified candidates are not available in West Michigan, companies must attract them from outside of the area. Relocation may seem like a loaded proposition in the middle of a pandemic, but there is a group of people more likely to be motivated to move to West Michigan: boomerangs. People who grew up in West Michigan or attended college here are more likely to have non-career reasons for wanting to relocate to the region. Whether it’s to be closer to family, buy a home, or make their vacation home a permanent residence, boomerang talent that is motivated to relocate to West Michigan may also be willing to do so without a relocation package.
7
TALENT ATTRACTION POST COVID-19
8
DATACONOMY: ESSENTIAL WORKERS
W e all witnessed how the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) halted the global economy in a largely unprecedented manner. Yet, while many economic sectors were put on pause, others continued operating throughout the pandemic. These sectors were classified as ‘essential’ industries, and consequently were operated by workers who were also classified as essential. Who are these essential workers, and what jobs do they hold in our community? They range from grocery store clerks and healthcare workers who continued reporting to their places of work, to teachers who continued delivering education in a remote environment. In this segment of our West Michigan Dataconomy blog series, we will examine essential workers in West Michigan and the impact COVID-19 has had on the labor market. Michigan’s total employment is roughly 4,300,000 and, according to our analysis of EMSI’s data, about 2,400,000 of those – roughly 55% of all occupations – are considered essential. In West Michigan we estimate total employment in 2019 to be 807,000 , and about 464,000 of those occupations would be classif ied as essential. Our share of essential workers is slightly higher than the rest of the state, coming in at 58% . The breakdown of essential workers by county is shown in Figure 1 . If we look further into the data by sectors that were considered essential (Figure 2) , it comes at no surprise to f ind that Healthcare/Public Health ( 18.3% ) and Food and Agriculture ( 10.8% ) had the highest concentration of essential workers. However, it is important to note that despite those sectors containing the highest concentration of essential workers, there were still thousands of people in the Water andWastewater sector going towork every day. Water and Wastewater only accounted for 1.3% , yet that still accounted for 10,000 people working throughout the pandemic to ensure essential amenities of modern civilization were maintained.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS BY COUNTY
Figure 1
2019 ESSENTIAL WORKER JOBS
PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL WM JOBS
COUNTY
Allegan Barry Ionia Kent Lake Mason
27,517 8,456 13,820
3.4% 1.0% 1.7%
249,254
30.9% 0.1% 0.9% 1.0% 1.3% 4.7% 1.0% 0.6% 0.6% 10.2%
1,099 6,928 7,910 10,862 37,745 8,113 5,163 4,926 81,931
Mecosta Montcalm Muskegon Newaygo
Oceana Osceola Ottawa
Total
463,724
57.5%
2019 ESSENTIAL WORKER JOBS/ PERCENTAGE
Figure 2
OF TOTAL WM JOBS
18.3%
NON- ESSENTIAL JOBS
10.8%
HEALTHCARE/ PUBLIC HEALTH (147,909) FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (87,107) ENERGY (59,684) PUBLIC WORKS (53,609) TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS (45,148) LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS (31,115) OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVT. OPERATIONS 5.6% 3.6% 3.9% 1.3%
7.4%
6.6%
AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (28,978) WATER AND WASTEWATER (10,174)
9
DATACONOMY: ESSENTIAL WORKERS
requires more formal education. This potential shortage of workers is not an ideal situation to contend with when a vaccine/treatment has not been developed yet. Second, this age group (55-64), is considered a high-risk population for severe cases of COVID-19 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If we look at Kent County’s COVID-19 Dashboard, those ages 50 and above comprise 30% of all cases but, on average, consists of 20% of the workforce.
of prime working age (25-55 years) as seen in Figure 5 . Analyzing the age demographics are critical to help identify if the sector or occupation has many workers approaching retirement and whether there are enough workers in the younger cohorts to avoid a talent shortage. Sectors with larger amounts of workers in retirement age, such as Healthcare, have a twofold problem. First, there will be a vacuum of workers left behind once those close to retirement decide to retire. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that this sector
There are over 360 different occupations classified as essential, Figures 3 & 4 show the 20 occupations that have the most jobs inWest Michigan. As you can see, the majority of workers in these occupations do not need more education than a high school diploma and have median hourly earnings between $14.00 - $15.00 . Essential workers’ age in West Michigan closely resembles the age breakdown of Michigan’s labor force at large with the bulk of work being done by people
TOP 20 ESSENTIAL WORKER OCCUPATIONS IN WEST MICHIGAN
Figure 3
MEDIAN HOURLY EARNINGS
MEDIAN ANNUAL EARNINGS
2019 JOBS
TYPICAL ENTRY LEVEL EDUCATION
TYPICAL ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
DESCRIPTION
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
17,721
$14.15 $29,439.42 No formal education
Short-term on-the-job training
High school diploma or equivalent
Office Clerks, General
16,822
$16.69
$34,711.62
Short-term on-the-job training
Registered Nurses
15,338
$31.43 $65,368.48 Bachelor's degree
None
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
14,085
$11.71
$24,353.07 No formal education
Short-term on-the-job training
High school diploma or equivalent Postsecondary nondegree award
Customer Service Representatives
13,807
$16.41
$34,136.08
Short-term on-the-job training
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
12,887
$20.60 $42,852.30
Short-term on-the-job training
Cashiers
12,688
$10.65
$22,160.24 No formal education
Short-term on-the-job training
Packers and Packagers, Hand
8,324
$11.12
$23,130.16 No formal education
Short-term on-the-job training
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
High school diploma or equivalent High school diploma or equivalent
7,500
$14.87
$30,926.47
Moderate-term on-the-job training
7,447
$17.91
$37,261.42
Moderate-term on-the-job training
7,111
$27.54
$57,291.01
Bachelor's degree
None
High school diploma or equivalent High school diploma or equivalent Some college, no degree
7,111
$28.52 $59,320.64
None
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
7,089
$14.88 $30,942.65
Moderate-term on-the-job training
6,835
$17.56
$36,518.96
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Construction Laborers
6,506
$16.39 $34,094.62 No formal education
Short-term on-the-job training
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
High school diploma or equivalent High school diploma or equivalent
6,368
$15.19
$31,592.70
Short-term on-the-job training
6,258
$18.60 $38,680.48
None
5,990
$15.35
$31,930.37 No formal education
Short-term on-the-job training
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
High school diploma or equivalent
5,982
$19.22 $39,986.03
None
Cooks, Restaurant
5,975
$12.04 $25,048.14 No formal educational
No formal educational
10
DATACONOMY: ESSENTIAL WORKERS
EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR ESSENTIAL
Figure 4
JOBS BY SECTOR
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
ENERGY
Doctoral/Professional degree
In Michigan, US minorities make up roughly 19% of the population. Again, West Michigan’s essential workers closely mirrors Michigan’s demographic spread (Figure 6) , with only the Food and Agriculture sector being an outlier. Indeed, the Food and Agriculture sector is comprised of 26% U.S. minorities. COVID-19 has been an unprecedented event that has tested the creativity, resilience, and strength of our community. While many stayed home to slow the spread of the virus, many more ventured out to ensure the basic systems and infrastructures FOOD & AG HEALTHCARE/PUBLIC HEALTH LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVT. OPERATIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS PUBLIC WORKS TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS WATER AND WASTEWATER
Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Postsecondary nondegree award
High school diploma or equivalent
No formal education
The Right Place team would like to sincerely thank the essential workers that continued to serve our West Michigan community during this challenging time. REFERENCES We used the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system to identify essential occupations. We also defined essential workers by the SOC codes The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) and The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have compiled. We analyzed this based on EMSI’s data.
of our society continued to function. The data on these workers is readily available for analysis, and no doubt will be the subject of more in-depth studies for quite some time to come. While data is broken down into facts, figures, and bar charts, it is important that we do not forget the most critical component to this information. This data represents people. It represents mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and grandparents who took on considerable risk in order to maintain a system that many of us continued to benefit from in the safety of our homes.
AGE AND RACE OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS BY SECTOR AGE RACE Figure 5
Figure 6
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
ENERGY
FOOD & AG
HEALTHCARE/PUBLIC HEALTH
LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVT. OPERATIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
PUBLIC WORKS
TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
WATER AND WASTEWATER
Retirement Age (55-64) Prime Working Age (25-54) Early Career (19-24)
U.S. Minorities White
11
DATACONOMY: ESSENTIAL WORKERS
NAVIGATING YOUR BUSINESS RESTART & RECOVERY As the dust begins to settle and businesses restart their operations following the widespread COVID-19 economic shutdown, it can be difficult to know where to go from here. That's why The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West (The Center-West) team has developed a variety of tools and assessments for West Michigan manufacturers to tackle the challenges of operational restart & recovery head-on. We are here to support our region's manufacturers through the uncertainty of the months to come. Contact us today at thecenter@rightplace.org to discuss how we can help your manufacturing operations get back on track.
POST COVID-19 OPERATIONAL PLANNING As businesses prepare to return to work, or continue to adapt as information changes, operational plans are critical documents that outline your organization's plan for a safe return. It includes strategies such as social distancing, barriers, PPE, hygiene, disinfection, isolation and training. The Center-West is now offering a variety of services to meet your COVID-19 operational planning needs - from operational plan development or review, workplace evaluation or risk assessment. Learn more about these assessment options here . POST-PANDEMIC CASH FLOW ANALYSIS Today, perhaps more than ever, Small to Mid-Size Manufacturers (SMMs) are faced with cash flow management challenges. The Cash Flow Analysis from The Center- West provides a model that helps you look at payroll, accounts receivable and accounts payable with concise data and not emotion. This allows all stakeholders to have a shared investment and easily see how the forecast will affect them. Learn more about the Post-Pandemic Cash Flow Analysis program here .
HIGH-LEVEL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT The recent crises have been a pressure-test for leadership and culture as new values and perceptions form. Leaders may be communicating with their employees more now than ever before, but this is likely one-way communication to simplykeepthemabreast of ongoingchanges. By developing a planned, deliberate culture to drive productivity and innovation, leaders can redefine and set the vision by understanding the needs of their team and aligning them with the company's chosen focus. Learn more about our High-Level Leadership Development coaching program here .
PIVOT 2020 TOOLKIT During this time of uncertainty it can be difficult to plan past today, let alone prepare for your next opportunity. That's why we've developed the PIVOT 2020 Toolkit, designed to: • Create a cadence formeaningful work and conversation during this high anxiety time • Offer methodical scenario planning to more effectively make decisions over the next year • Explore options that help you think about your capabilities and capacity differently, as well as how to deploy limited resources • Help your team identify signals in changing environments and its implications COMPLETE THE PIVOT 2020 TOOLKIT REQUEST FORM NEW TOOLS & SERVICES
12
THE CENTER–WEST NEW PRODUCTS
Peterson Farms: Developing More Effective Leaders
Peterson Farms ( petersonfarmsinc.com ) is a market leader of frozen fruits, single strength juices, juice concentrates and fresh-cut apples. They provide high-quality fruit products to the food industry throughout the U.S. and parts of the world. Peterson Farms produces more than 150 million finished pounds of frozen fruits and seven million gallons of single strength apple juice/cider and juice concentrates. They presently employ 750 at their Shelby, Mich., facility. THE CHALLENGE Due to recent promotions and new hires, Peterson Farms wanted the maintenance management team to establish one shared approach to leadership and staff development strategies. Lisa Kulesza, Maintenance Administrative Manager, and Melissa Vazquez, Safety Coordinator, sought a training program to help center
Special consideration was given to performance metrics, goal setting and performance management, or “how to help others succeed.” Through this training, attendees were able to improve communication within their teams and learn skills to effectively coach the unique personalities of all employees.
and focus their maintenance leaders. They needed a program that would provide payback through direct application of improvement, problem solving and exposure to leadership methods and tools. Additionally, they wanted leaders to gain a practical understanding of how to be more effective supervisors and lead people to improved organizational performance. THE SOLUTION Through their relationship with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West (The Center-West), Peterson Farms’ leadership team was introduced to comprehensive and valuable Master Supervisor Training. The fundamentals of supervision and leadership were put into practical terms, applications and tools to provide the maintenance managers with a well-rounded understanding of how and when to use key tools and techniques.
RESULTS • Cost Savings: $5,000 • Workforce Investment: $2,500 • Jobs Retained: 27 • Jobs Added: 6
“We had a good experience and received all positive feedback from the participants involved in the leadership training with The Center-West. The training was very informative, structured and provided a good starting point for our existing leadership so they may pass this on to the teams and new hires.”
– Lisa Kulesza, Maintenance Administrative Manager & Melissa Vazquez, Safety Coordinator
13
SUCCESS STORY – PETERSON FARMS
Hello West Michigan takes
Virtual
On June 18, 2020, Hello West Michigan hosted its 7th annual Intern Connect event. For the first time, this conference was hosted as a webinar, delivering an engaging morning of professional development and real- world advice on life after graduation. The virtual conference covered topics including positive communication in the workplace, how to make working from home work for you, and life advice every young professional needs outside of the office so they can thrive at work. The event proved to be a success, with the live airing reaching nearly 220 interns who represented 46 companies and over 47 colleges. Another new addition to this year’s Intern Connect was Hello West Michigan’s “Champion an Intern” program: an opportunity for people to sponsor an intern’s event ticket. Many college students had their internships cancelled due to financial reasons, lack housing on college campuses, or because their internship could not be done remotely. HelloWest Michigan wanted to help these students continue to grow their professional skills and make connections with West Michigan businesses. Through the community support of this program, 18% of the interns who attended Intern Connect were sponsored with a Champion Ticket. Additionally, this year’s Intern Connect expanded to be a multi-day event, offering five opportunities for interns to virtually connect with West Michigan business professionals during the summer months. These virtual connection events are designed so interns can meet professionals in small groups and have longer conversations, similar to an in-person networking event. Intern Connect is the largest gathering of interns in the region and is designed to educate interns about career opportunities and lifestyle in West Michigan. Interns are a critical part of the talent pipeline for companies, as 49% of internships evolve into full-time employment. If you’re just now learning about the event and missed the live webinar on June 18, tickets are still available to purchase the recorded webinar and gain access to the virtual connection events in August. Visit hellowestmichigan.com/work-here/west-michigan-intern-connect or contact Hello West Michigan Program Manager, Jessica Kuster, to learn more: kusterj@hellowestmichigan.com .
Dr. David Weinandy
14
HELLO WEST MICHIGAN
PwC supporting inclusive economic growth in West Michigan
of the organization, the entrepreneurial spirit of West Michigan and the character of our community. We are privileged to contribute to the success of The Right Place.
and economy. As a leading economic development organization, The Right Place has been a driving force in the growth of our region for over 35 years. By convening business leaders across many industries, The Right Place plays a pivotal role in advancing inclusive economic growth, wealth creation and operational excellence by focusing on quality employment and companies in the region. The success of The Right Place is a testament to the commitment and vision
At PwC our purpose—to build trust in society and solve important problems—is at the core of everything we do. We believe trust is earned by delivering exceptional, high-quality client and people experiences. Our people work every day to solve important problems both globally and in our own communities, while preparing our marketplace for the future. Our support of The Right Place brings this purpose to life in West Michigan, a community with a unique culture
Mitch Joppich Managing Partner PwC
15
INVESTOR SPOTLIGHT
The Right Place, Inc. 125 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 450 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
IN BUSINESS, FOR BUSINESS.
THE RIGHT PLACE IS YOUR SINGLE SOURCE FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS IN WEST MICHIGAN.
To request a meeting with our team, visit www.rightplace.org or call 616.771.0325
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