By Rachael Pfenninger, director of strategic execution, AMBA
In June 2024, up-and-coming emerging professionals joined one another in St. Joseph, Michigan, for the 2024 Emerging Leaders Leadership Retreat. This two-day, professional development event was an opportunity for emerging leaders in the AMBA community to network with one another, tour a top-tier AMBA member facility and engage in an in-person workshop with Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership facilitator Michael Wiseman.
The event kicked off with a plant tour workshop at Hanson International (St. Joseph, Michigan), where HR Director Baylee Boyer and President Julie LaVanway guided attendees through the cultural elements and technology investments that set Hanson International apart from its competitors. When asked to what the company credits its recent success (the company, most recently, celebrated its second-best quarter in company history), both Boyer and LaVanway highlighted the focus on continuous improvement, the efficient processes that have been put in place and, most importantly, the team environment and significance placed on each individual employee and his/her development.
Following the plant tour, attendees engaged with Senior Productivity Specialist Michael Wiseman of the Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, who highlighted how effective leadership can drive and leverage team development, cohesion and employee engagement to impact organizational health and bottom-line profitability. Workshop content explored how emerging management professionals can cultivate the leadership skills necessary to support similar results in their company environments.
During the workshop, attendees learned the following:
- How “teams” are defined and related considerations.
- The stages of a team and appropriate leadership actions for each.
- Common team roles and their connection
with leadership. - Leader behaviors that drive effective teamwork.
- Strategies to build an effective team.
- An individualized plan for hands-on application with steps to practice and develop key teambuilding skills.
Finally, to wrap up the Leadership Retreat, attendees joined Dean Dave Krueger, Career and Workforce Education, Lake Michigan College, for a tour of the Hanson Technology Center (HTC). At this facility, students in the technology programs learn their skills on state-of-the-art equipment.
The HTC features labs and equipment for the study of robotics, CNC, welding, mechatronics and more. The space also features The Fab Lab, an area open to the public where community members can bring their ideas to life with 3D printers, laser cutters, shopbots and other high-tech tools.
“We were thrilled to host the AMBA Emerging Leaders group for a tour of the facility,” stated Krueger. “It’s exciting to show off the custom apprenticeship programs we’ve developed, like the ones we have with Hanson International and other manufacturing facilities, and the community relationships we’ve built. We hope that this draws more interest not only to our facility, but also highlights the role that community training and development can play in supporting the longevity of the US mold manufacturing industry.”
AMBA Emerging Leaders will have an opportunity to learn alongside peers again in 2024 during an upcoming virtual series. For session details, dates and registration information, visit www.amba.org/events.
Photos courtesy of Jimmy Renallo, Creative Techology.
