Meet The Team

ResponsibilitiesSteers the ship by developing and implementing corporate strategy with the team and keeping and delivering on promises to customers.

Best Business Advice Manage your boss. Tell him or her what you will do. Aim higher and achieve more and create value by doing more than just your job. Learn from everyone you can, the worst bosses can be the best mentors … you’ll learn what you don’t want to be. Hire people with better capabilities and skills than your own. Help your team operate at all levels of the company, including directly with your boss and above and mentor them through the process. Don’t worry about an employee or subordinate eclipsing you, rather embrace it and work for it. Everyone wins.

Favorite Place In MichiganI like different places for varied reasons, which is why I enjoy living here. There is more lifestyle variety than any other state or place I have visited or lived. There is always something for any season, activity or the mood I’m in. If I had to pick, northwest Michigan is my favorite place. Detroit is a close second because I grew up there and identify with the people in the area and the long-term success of the city.

What To Know About JimWorking in a global business opens up my world to so many different experiences and people. I enjoy talking with taxicab drivers wherever I visit. You can learn so much about their country and the way people live and spend their daily lives.

What Jim Does For FunI enjoy camping, livestock farming, boating, hunting, firearms, car racing, spending time with family and dogs, visiting small towns in Northern Michigan, attending sporting events and concerts in Detroit, and meeting and talking to people in Michigan and all over the world.

I also love to travel. I’ve visited amazing places and always came away with a great appreciation of those countries and their cultures. I had my kids live overseas and traveled quite extensively with them to provide them with an opportunity to see the world while appreciating how fortunate they are to live in the U.S. Two of them are now officers in the U.S. military, one in the Army and one in the National Guard.

ResponsibilitiesWith the team assists in developing corporate strategies and assessing opportunities that help the company grow.

Best Business AdviceHire people smarter than you. It will pay off. Always take responsibility for your mistakes and the mistakes of your team. Never blame your team for them to your boss. If there is an issue, take it up with them separately. That is leadership.

Favorite Place In MichiganLudington. The public beach is outstanding, and it has one of the best, if not the best, state parks in Michigan. People in Ludington are kind and friendly. There are many restaurants with great food and the House of Flavors can’t be beat for ice cream or for food you just can’t get anywhere else.

What To Know About MargeI am a big believer in teamwork. No one is successful alone.

Before moving into the corporate world, I was an automotive journalist covering all areas of the automotive industry and I got to drive fast cars (and some not so fast cars) all over the world. I was a member of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year jury and the Car of the Century jury, which was made up of 133 professional automotive journalists from 33 countries. I am on the Board of Trustees for Kettering University and the Board of Directors for ARISE Detroit!, which works to improve the city’s neighborhoods.

What Marge Does For FunTravel. I have visited more than 50 countries and all but one state. Each country and state offered its own adventure, culture and tradition. Travel takes me out of my comfort zone and taught me to celebrate and respect differences and similarities. It made me a better person and gave me a great appreciation for the life I am blessed to have in the United States.

ResponsibilitiesKeeps the business in line with regulations and ensures all essential documents are accurate and filed on time and provide direction on major legal and regulatory issues.

Best Business AdviceAttitude. Attitude is the little thing that makes a big difference. Attitude is the engine of effort, focus, and resilience. Attitude will find solutions.

Favorite Place In MichiganPictured Rocks, Lake Superior

What to Know About CurtI’ve been a board member of Judson Center for approximately 20 years. Judson Center is a social service agency that provides foster care, adoption, autism assistance, behavioral health services and more to children and their families.

What Curt Does For FunI enjoy hiking the woods, road trips, and watching my kids’ participate in various sports.

Responsibilities Customer acquisition activities in Asia. Principal consultant for Japanese clients entering the US market. Executive search services in both North America and Japan. Contribute to strategic planning by king for ways to optimize the earnings of the company and increase the ability of the company to solve customers' problems.

Best Business AdviceThink of yourself as a partner who is solving a problem for your customer, not as a vendor that is supplying a product or service. If you build and maintain a good business model you can focus on serving your customers, and let the revenue take care of itself. This is much better than trying to drive revenue numbers while simultaneously serving your customer.

Favorite Place To Live In MichiganI've never lived in Michigan, but I hear the North part is beautiful and is great for many outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, cross country skiing, etc. I enjoy these types of activities and hope to visit Northern Michigan in the future to do some fishing.

What To Know About EdI speak fluent Japanese and have lived and worked in Japan for 10+ years. I'm very passionate when it comes to building bridges between Japan and North America. I've spent many years providing consulting and training to help Japanese and US businesses work together more efficiently by reducing the number of miscommunications caused by cultural differences. Now I've begun to expand my sphere to include other Asian countries and cultures. China has a great need to integrate into other cultures and markets and I'm exploring ways to apply my experience in that area.

What Ed Does For FunII love being in nature, whether it's on a beach listening to the ocean or in the mountains listening to the wind in the trees. I feel energized and peaceful when I'm in nature and find a need for meditation in that environment. I also love to travel with my wife. Cruises are one of our favorite ways to travel and we most recently took a 15-day cruise from Seattle to Yokohama. One of the things I love about cruises is that I can sit out on the deck with my laptop and work while I relax.

I also love music. For many years I have sung in various barbershop quartets. I listen to all genres from pop to classical. I enjoy learning things from YouTube and relax by watching video clips on things like outdoor survival, auto-mechanics and tiny homes. I have several smokers and love making ribs, pulled pork and tri-tip. I make a killer prime rib. Along with smoking food, I love eating it.