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Anne Charette An Executive Search Consultant, Anne Charette has more than 15 years of experience in management and professional recruiting with both private employers and third-party recruiting and search firms. As the daughter of a career Naval Aviator, Anne has lived all over the world and chose to make her home base in Kalamazoo where…

Jerry Wallace Jerry Wallace is an Executive Search Associate for Welsh & Associates. His career history includes more than 15 years of experience in recruiting with a primary focus on matching top-level professionals and corporate executives with local opportunities. He is recognized for his ability to confidentially source and uncover highly qualified candidates.  Jerry has…

Julie Diamond Julie Diamond joined the Welsh & Associates team as an Executive Search Consultant after spending more than 10 years as a Pharmaceutical and Medical Device representative. She’s a lot like many of the people we work with, a “trailing spouse” who has moved more than once for her husband’s career. Julie’s background in…

Sheri Welsh Sheri Welsh is the President & CEO of Welsh & Associates and her career includes more than 20 years of experience in talent attraction, selection, and retention as well as human resources consulting. Founding Welsh & Associates in 2002, today the firm is recognized as an industry leader by companies throughout West Michigan.…

The Welsh Wire: AJ Willit of LogiQuip “Frankly, if I can do it just about anybody could.” The “it” is coming up with the money and expertise to buy out the owners of a successful Galesburg small business, LogiQuip. And the guy doing it was AJ Willit, current LogiQuip President/CEO. AJ shares his story of…

The Welsh Wire: Amy Ritsema, OnSite Wellness One of the biggest benefits to having a wellness program for employees is that is demonstrates that you value your workers as people. “When you offer a program that says, hey, we care about you, the employees really value that,” says Amy Ritsema, co-owner of OnSite Wellness in…

The Welsh Wire: Becky Poe, Agritek Industries In today’s tight labor market, it makes sense to look for opportunities to nurture high school students for future employment in your industry. How do you make that happen? “Number one, have a good relationship with your local school district and their tech center,” says Becky Poe, student…

The Welsh Wire: Best of 2018 Sheri Welsh interviewed lots of fascinating business leaders on The Welsh Wire podcast this year. Listen to this week’s show to hear from some of her best guests: One of the first steps in managing risk in your business is to identify what the risks are. And who knows…

The Welsh Wire: Bill Boersma of OC Consulting Group When it comes to life insurance, business owners have to deal with a key factor of uncertainty -- that they often don’t know what they don’t know. “Life Insurance is one of these things that is amazingly complex, it's much more complex than people understand it…

The Welsh Wire: Brad Morrill, Crystal Flash Setting up a Customer Relationship Management system, or CRM, can improve the way your small business interacts with customers and potential clients. Brad Morrill, director of commercial business for Crystal Flash, a 100 percent employee owned fuel supplier based in Grand Rapids, was recently interviewed by Sheri Welsh…

The Welsh Wire: Bradley Hartwell, Northtown Real Estate Grand Rapids’ booming economy has led to a shortage of industrial and office space and a surge in new construction, according to Bradley Hartwell, owner of Northtown Real Estate in Grand Rapids -- a recent guest on The Welsh Wire podcast. “It's tough to find existing industrial…

The Welsh Wire: Chris Shires, Gilmore Car Museum What’s it like running USA Today’s #1 Michigan tourist destination? Much like running a successful small business. “Trying to forecast the future, trying to stay on top,” says Chris Shires, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners. Chris appears on this week’s Welsh Wire…

The Welsh Wire: Cynthia Kay, Cynthia Kay & Company Media Production A notable west Michigan’s small business leader, author and public speaking expert says every great presentation zeros in on the needs of the audience. “It's not what you want to tell someone, it's what does that audience need to hear,” Cynthia Kay tells Sheri…

The Welsh Wire: Cynthia Kay, Cynthia Kay and Company Video interviews with current employees, used on your website and in social media posts, can play a really important role in enhancing employee acquisition. But you need to be consistent and in it for the long run. “What we’re really looking for is building a program,…

The Welsh Wire: Cynthia Kay, Cynthia Kay and Company and Author of Small Business for Big Thinkers As a small business owner, how do you know when you’re ready to go after big customers? “I think you have to be really honest with yourself because if you’re expecting to hit a home run right away…

The Welsh Wire: David Rhoa of Marana Group When you’ve been around for over four decades and been known by the same name that entire time, it’s a bold decision to reboot with a new company identity. But Lake Michigan Mailers, a Kalamazoo data document and distribution services company now called Marana Group, believed that…

The Welsh Wire: Dr. Dino Signore When someone owns the company, it’s easy to get immersed in the day-to-day minutiae of running the firm. But leadership expert and professional facilitator Dr. Dino Signore says a more valuable use of a company leader’s time is to step back and focus on setting the vision. “Once they’ve…

The Welsh Wire: Fred Schubkegel, Varnum Lack of access to legal expertise is no barrier to small business growth, thanks to MiSpringboard, the Varnum law firm’s statewide initiative that provides free legal services to Michigan startups. “We didn’t want there to be any hesitancy or any barrier to a company staying in Michigan, starting in…

The Welsh Wire: Heather Isch of LKF Marketing and Elizabeth Wright of 633 Group When the 633 Group decided to go through a redefinition of their core values and culture and a major rebranding, they found a trusted partner in Kalamazoo’s LKF Marketing. Their collaboration resulted in a 2018 Silver Davey Award for Integrated Campaign…

The Welsh Wire: Jeff Disher of DISHER and Brad Hilleary of Webb Chemical When Webb Chemical Service Corporation, a full-service chemical distributor with locations in Muskegon Heights, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana, began facing the challenges of rapid growth and a changing culture, they called in the expertise of business consulting company DISHER in Zeeland,…

The Welsh Wire: Jesse Young, Kreis Enderle Non compete agreements can be an important component of your plan for long term business success. Jesse Young, an attorney for the west Michigan-based Kreis Enderle law firm, tells Sheri Welsh in this week’s Welsh Wire Podcast interview that there are several specific reasons a company should consider requiring…

The Welsh Wire: Jim Coyle, Nexus Business Solutions Managing and maintaining growth is crucial to long term business success. A key factor is surrounding yourself with a great team that will allow your company to grow. “Sometimes (owners) don’t have the right people,” says Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) expert Jim Coyle of Nexus Business Solutions…

The Welsh Wire: Jim Medsker, Keystone Solutions Group A 20-year veteran in the fast moving and dynamic manufacturing industry has a sage suggestion for how to be a successful entrepreneur. “Keep your gauges at nominal,” says Jim Medsker, president of Keystone Solutions Group, a Kalamazoo-based product development and contract manufacturing firm focusing on medical devices, automotive…

The Welsh Wire: John Barry of Schupan Aluminum & Plastic Sales Most businesses in Michigan offer some level of health insurance coverage if they want to recruit and retain quality employees. But few go so far as Schupan & Sons in Kalamazoo, which provides its workers with an onsite health center. Schupan partnered with Fabri-Kal…

The Welsh Wire: Kevin Murphy of Miniature Custom Manufacturing Miniature Custom Manufacturing of Vicksburg has grown from a single employee in 2007 to over 75 employees today. The plastic injection molding firm specializes in automotive, food packaging and medical, and was recently recognized as a member of the 2019 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. What’s…

The Welsh Wire: Marc Foerster, Crystal Flash If you sense that your sales have stagnated, that you’re not as operationally efficient as you used to be, or that you’re not providing the level of customer service that you’d like, then consider implementing a market segmentation project at your company -- basically, sorting your customers by…

The Welsh Wire: Mark Pruss, TecNiq Inc. Many firms struggle to handle rapid expansion. The co-founder of a fast-growing Galesburg firm says he and his business partner benefited from learning that they didn’t have to do everything themselves and instead that they could rely on key people to make day-to-day decisions. Mark Pruss, co-founder of…

The Welsh Wire: Mary Jo Asmus, Aspire Collaborative Services LLC What is leadership? How is it different than management? “A lot of people think about leadership as the people part, the part where you lead people. Management is about managing things because you really can't manage people,” says executive coach Mary Jo Asmus, founder and…

The Welsh Wire: Mary Jo Asmus, Aspire Collaborative Services LLC Building positive relationships is a crucial skill if you want to be a great small business leader. “It doesn't mean you have to be a friend with the people who have a stake in your leadership, but it's really about developing relationships that are good…

The Welsh Wire: Matt Rampe of Beene Garter One way to handle risk in your family-owned business is by being a turtle -- huddling under a shell for protection. But a leading expert on risk management says a better approach is to be willing to stick your neck out. Matt Rampe, senior manager of the…

The Welsh Wire: Nate McFadden, Elevator Service Inc. How do you survive in a sea of whales and sharks? By swimming faster, smarter and more nimbly. Nate McFadden has been the President and CEO of Elevator Service Inc. in Grand Rapids for the past year-and-a-half. Elevator Service Inc. is a 30-year-old elevator construction, modernization and…

The Welsh Wire: Pam Olson of Crystal Flash Crystal Flash is an eight-decade-old employee-owned petroleum distribution company. Because their 280 employees are spread out in multiple locations across Michigan, northern Indiana and northwest Ohio, it faces some unique challenges when trying to maintain engagement, accountability and an understanding of the “big picture” of company goals…

The Welsh Wire: Park Kersman and Phil Pearce, 75th Anniversary, Lorin Industries, Inc. Lorin Industries, Inc. of Muskegon, the global industry leader in the innovation and production of coil anodized aluminum, in 2018 celebrates 75 years in business. Sheri Welsh interviewed Lorin Industries President and CEO Park Kersman and his Vice President for Global Sales…

The Welsh Wire: Park Kersman and Phil Pearce, Lorin Industries There are not many small firms that stay in business for 75 years, through three generations of family ownership. But Lorin Industries in Muskegon, a leader in aluminum finishing and coil anodizing solutions, has thrived by being willing to change with the times -- including…

The Welsh Wire: Randy Boss of Ottawa Kent Insurance One of the first steps in managing risk in your business is to identify what the risks are. And who knows better what risks are out there than the men and women on the front lines: your employees. “We use as an employee interview system, we…

The Welsh Wire: Rob Elliott of Pondera Leadership Consulting Do you know who you really are? You better if you want to be an effective business leader. Self-awareness is crucial to leadership, says Rob Elliott, a partner in Pondera Leadership Consulting. He talked recently with Sheri Welsh for The Welsh Wire podcast, sponsored by the…

The Welsh Wire: Sara Fazio, Kreis Enderle One of the key but underappreciated benefits of having a succession plan for your small business is the impact on employee retention. A succession plan helps make your workers more confident that the company, and their jobs, are going to survive the illness of death or the business…

The Welsh Wire: Shannon Bronsink and Cassie Goodband, Keyser Insurance A couple of Kalamazoo insurance executives are shaking up the West Michigan human resources world through their participation in a global event series called DisruptHR. Shannon Bronsink, Director of Marketing & Communications for Keyser Insurance Group in Kalamazoo, and Cassie Goodband, Keyser Sales Executive, organized…

The Welsh Wire: Shawn Premer, Consumers Credit Union Consumers Credit Union is one of west Michigan’s premier financial institutions and a desirable employer of choice. It attained that status thanks to their development of a well-respected workplace culture, manifested by their gleaming new employee-friendly headquarters on the west side of Kalamazoo. Sheri Welsh recently talked…

The Welsh Wire: Stacey Hamlin of CTS Telecom Millions of years ago, nimble mammals managed to survive beneath the feet of mighty dinosaurs. There are some parallels with today’s Michigan telecom industry, where family-owned CTS Telecom has thrived amidst big company behemoths. How did they do it? By taking calculated risks and not being afraid…

The Welsh Wire: Steve Owens of Consumer Credit Union Do you have a strategic plan? Of course you do! What business doesn’t at least profess to have a strategic plan to help guide them to future success? And yet, what good is a strategic plan if it’s done once and then sits gathering dust on…

The Welsh Wire: Steve Owens of Consumers Credit Union A billion dollar, 100 thousand-member credit union may not seem like the kind of place you’d identify as a hotbed of innovation. But the leaders of Consumers Credit Union in west Michigan recognized that if they were going to remain relevant to their members, and grow…

The Welsh Wire: Sue Tellier, JetCo Solutions When you’re a small business that relies on highly skilled but highly specialized workers, you need to craft a very thoughtful interview procedure to make sure you can recruit the talent you need. “Our methodology for interviews has nothing to do with gotchas’, we have no gotcha’ questions,”…

The Welsh Wire: Todd Mulder of Old National Bank and Heidi and Amanda Smith of 2K Tool Family-owned small businesses face lots of challenges. 2K Tool, founded 15 years ago by Heidi Smith and her son Kevin, has navigated a path to growth and success by having a productive partnership with their banker, Old National…

The Welsh Wire: Tom Emigh of Acorn Leadership What’s the key to effective leadership in a family business? Identity. “You have to know who you are before you can lead effectively, and that's really the core of it,” says Tom Emigh, Leadership Coach & Principal for Acorn Leadership. “Identity is about the question, who am I?”…

The Welsh Wire: Tom Mathison, Mathison | Mathison Architects If you want to successfully launch a business with your children, a spouse or other family member, it’s important for everyone to have a professional, business-oriented attitude. “Be respectful of each other,” says Tom Mathison, who with his son Evan Mathison (a fellow architect) founded Mathison |…

The Welsh Wire: Tom Olive, Crystal Flash Crystal Flash was founded 85 years ago as a one-truck fuel distributor. Today, it is one of Michigan’s largest propane retailers with 270 workers. Since 2016 it has been an employee-owned company through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). At that time, President and CEO Tom Olive rolled…

The Welsh Wire: Von Washington Jr. and Sarah Klerk, The Kalamazoo Promise The Kalamazoo Promise pays for up to four years of college tuition and fees for every student who graduates from Kalamazoo Public Schools. It’s a tremendous resource for the Kalamazoo community but also for the business sector that’s concerned about future workforce access.…

The Welsh Wire: Von Washington Jr. of The Kalamazoo Promise The Kalamazoo Promise announced they have signed an agreement with the state’s largest skilled trades union - the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC) – to expand the Promise to include skilled trades apprenticeships with the MRCC’s Joint Apprenticeship Program. “We're hearing it…