From employing more than 100 alumni to many interns annually and engaging with students in multiple other ways year-round, Greenheck Group has a dynamic collaborative relationship with UW-Stout.

It's why the Wisconsin manufacturing company, based in Schofield and employing more than 5,000 globally, has received the university's 2024 Employer of the Year award.

"We truly value the depth and breadth of Greenheck Group's relationship with UW-Stout," said Bryan Barts, Career Services director. "Our continued partnership spotlights the polytechnic approach of UW-Stout, and this award bookmarks the success by Greenheck Group in doing so."

Anna Brown and Tom Zompolas from Greenheck Group hold the 2024 Employer of the Year award presented to the company by UW-Stout's Career Services. / Greenheck Group photo

Austin Zoborowski, left, and Brady Wagner, right, are recent UW-Stout graduates who had co-op experiences at Greenheck Group and now work full time for the Wisconsin-based company. / Greenheck group photo

During the 2023-24 academic year at UW-Stout, Greenheck Group:

• Recruited at the biannual Career Conferences, hiring nine students for co-ops and internships and making full-time job offers
• Sponsored a senior capstone engineering project
• Employed two student ambassadors at UW-Stout to communicate employment opportunities and brand awareness
• Participated on advisory committees for academic programs.

Greenheck Group has had a co-op program for more than 30 years. Through UW-Stout' s Cooperative Education and Internship Programstudents are paid a competitive wage and earn academic credit. More than 1,000 students annually take part in UW-Stout's co-op program.

A cybersecurity student intern also was hired this year as part of UW-Stout's grantthrough the state Department of Workforce Development.

"Due to the nature of our industry - manufacturing - a strong majority of these students will work hands-on in our facilities or at our corporate headquarters for the most integrated experience. Many return for another term and eventually come on full time," Strobel said.

A Greenheck Group recruiter greets a UW-Stout student at a recent Career Conference on campus. / UW-Stout

"Due to the nature of our industry - manufacturing - a strong majority of these students will work hands-on in our facilities or at our corporate headquarters for the most integrated experience. Many return for another term and eventually come on full time," Strobel said.

One of those interns was Sophia Moen, a 2023 graduate in business administration, who worked in human resources and returned for a full-time position as a talent development specialist. "I was able to network with a variety of individuals, expand my knowledge in the field of human resources and complete projects that challenged me. Greenheck Group has a phenomenal culture," Moen said.

Interns participate in companywide orientation and jump into problem-solving by working on teams to construct "buddy benches" for community partners. They take on meaningful roles, including product testing and launches. They have helped design a facility expansion and implement new automated machinery.

They also take part in Fundamental Fridays during the summer to learn more about the company and industry. At the end of their terms, they give presentations and receive performance evaluations "to share what they've learned and receive feedback to help them grow in the workforce," Strobel said.

Previous winners of the Employer of the Year award, beginning in 2021, have been Menards, Fastenaland Heartland Business Systems, respectively.

Applied learning and collaboration with external partners, like Greenheck Group, are at the core of UW-Stout's mission as Wisconsin's Polytechnic University.

The co-op and internship program, which works with 750 companies annually, plays a major role in student success. According to Career Services' most recent First Destination report, the overall employment rate of graduates was 99% and average starting salary $58,000, both the best in the region.

UW-Stout's Career Conferences, which Greenheck Group attends annually, also drive student success. More than 300 companies from across the United States participate each fall and spring in the conferences to recruit students for full-time positions and internships. They are among the largest in the Upper Midwest. The fall Career Conferenceis Monday, Sept. 23, through Thursday, Sept. 26.

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