Increasing Competitiveness Through Collaboration

Convened in 1989, The Right Place | The Center-West Manufacturers Council is dedicated to the business success of the region’s manufacturing industry. The council’s vision is to be the regional forum for advancing manufacturing success in West Michigan. Members work together in a collaborative environment to promote, facilitate, enable, and advocate for advancing a “best-in-class” manufacturing sector.

Manufacturers Council Executive Team

• Chair - Patrick Greene, President, Cascade Die Casting Group, Inc.
• Vice Chair - Chris Bardeggia, Vice President of Global Quality & Lean, Steelcase
• Past Chair - David Beemer, Chief Operating Officer, Terryberry
• Facilitator - Justine Burdette, Vice President of Technical Services, The Right Place, Inc. | Regional Director, The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West
• Workforce Development Chair - Steve Heethuis, Training Director, NN Inc.| Mobile Solutions Group
• Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Board Representative - Michael Davenport, President & CEO, Jireh Metal Products
• Membership Chair - Todd Maines, TACK Electronics
• Continuous Improvement Champion - James Kolodziej, Operations Manager, Flexco
• Member at Large - Peter Hungerford, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, ADAC Automotive
• The Right Place, Inc. - Brad Comment, Senior Vice President Investor Relations, The Right Place
• Retired Member - John Fynewever
• Administrator - René Booker, Executive Assistant, The Center-West
  

Manufacturers Council Member Directory

If you would like to contact any members of the Manufacturer's Council, please contact Rene Booker at bookerr@rightplace.org or 616.301.6247.
* = Executive Team Members

ADAC Automotive, Peter Hungerford, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer *

Alro Steel, Randy Maitland, Vice President and General Manager

Amway Corporation, Bradley Rick, Director of Manufacturing Operations

Aquinas, Katharina Hausler-Gross, Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement

BISSELL, Kara Smith, Senior Director - North American Operations & Consumables

Bradford White, Peter Kattula,Vice President of Operations

Cascade Die Casting Group, Inc., Patrick Greene, President, Chair*

Cascade Engineering, Christina Keller, President - Cascade Business Team

Conveyability, Inc. Heath Verstraete, President

D&M Metal Products, Bob Buist, President

DeWys Manufacturing, Jon DeWys, President

Ferris State University, Gary Wendlowsky, Senior Coordinator of Camps & Conferences

Flexco, Doug Saunders, Director of Operations *

Grand Rapids Community College, Bill Pink, Ph.D., President

Grand Valley State University, Paul Plotkowski, Ph.D., Dean, Padnos College of Engineering and Computing

Herman Miller, Beau Seaver, Vice President of Global Advanced Manufacturing

Irwin Seating Company, Graham Irwin, President and CEO

Jireh Metal, Michael Davenport, President and CEO *

Lacks Trim Systems, Curt Webb, Director of Supply Chain

Leggett & Platt – Work Furniture Group, Bob Ballard, Senior Vice President of Global Operations

Master Finish Company, John Mulder, COO

Medbio, Inc., Christopher Williams, President and CEO,

Michigan State University, Kevin McCurren, Commercialization Program Director - Gateway Grand Rapids

NK Manufacturing Technologies LLC, Jake Kassouni, Sales Engineer

NN, Inc. | Mobile Solutions Group, John Buchan, Executive Vice President - Mobile Solutions & Power Solutions

NN, Inc. | Mobile Solutions Group, Steve Heethuis, Training Director *

Nucraft Furniture, Scott Petzhold, Vice President of Human Resources

Ranir - A Perrigo Company, Ann Mason, Senior Director of Oral Care Operations and Supply Planning

Retired Member - John Fynewever *

RoMan Manufacturing Inc., Robert Roth, President and CEO

Steelcase, Chris Bardeggia, Vice President, Global Quality and Lean - Vice Chair *

TACK Electronics, Todd Maines, President *

Terryberry, David Beemer, COO *

The Right Place, Inc., Brad Comment, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations *

The Right Place, Inc. | The Center-West, Justine Burdette, Vice President, Technical Services, The Right Place, The Center-West Regional Director *

The Right Place, Inc. | The Center-West, René Booker, Executive Assistant *

Unist, Chuck Boelkins, President

Western Michigan University, David Meade, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Wolverine Coil Spring Co., Jay Dunwell, President