Yesterday, Wednesday the 26th, Ben left the Miron Construction Studio to do a remote show at the Miron Construction Headquarters in Neenah! It was a different show compared to the usual political jargon; nevertheless, it was filled with conversations with different Miron Construction team members.
The first guest was Dawn Grenzer-Stumpf, the Educational Engagement Manager at Miron. She and Ben chatted about her role as the “education and Miron Construction conduit”; Dawn finds eager and talented high school students for their youth apprenticeship program. The youth apprenticeship program allows high school students to get a jump start in their careers by gaining on-the-job experience, learning hands-on skills, earning a paycheck, AND earning class credits. In fact, this year, four youth apprenticeship students will be graduating high school and becoming registered apprentices. With the increasing costs of college, Dawn highlighted an amazing and worthwhile alternative path for motivated youth.
Ben’s next guest was Brandon Blank, the Director of Risk Management. Because construction is a dangerous industry, and according to Brandon, causes more traumatic brain injuries than other departments, safety is prioritized. Brandon discussed safety measures Miron takes, including updating the helmets worn by workers and vigorous training requirements such as the “Speak Up Listen Up” program.
Theresa Lehman, the Sustainability Services Director, joined Ben next to talk about her role at Miron Construction in working with project teams to create and maintain sustainability-based goals. She shared Miron’s “Building Green” mission: “to lead by example to demonstrate the benefits of the triple bottom line: people, planet, and payback through education, corporate culture, and practical construction solutions.” Theresa added that “you don’t know what you don’t know”, so it is huge to work with clients to discuss their sustainability options and offer solutions that meet their goals. Finally, she shared that Miron is currently undergoing sustainability-based projects such as at Maplewood Middle School and Appleton International Airport.
We had two guests next: Maria Seitz and Morgan Hilgart from the Human Resources Department. They spoke with Ben about their aim to improve daily experiences, encourage flexible working hours, show care for employees, and meet employees’ needs so they can truly enjoy work; all of these are certainly the benefits of working for Miron Construction. Additionally, Maria and Morgan shared about MiCare, the umbrella of health clinics offering care to employees and their families, internships that offer real-world experience and the opportunity to build a legacy, and the formal mentorship program for staff members.
Finally, Eric Marcoe joined to discuss his role as the Leadership and Life Coach at Miron Construction. He talked to Ben about the Dream Project, which was created to invest in their employees by not only helping them identify their dreams outside of work but also helping them ACHIEVE their dreams. Eric also shared that suicide rates amongst construction workers are 4x higher than those of the general public, and he emphasized the importance of having staff on site who can check in with these workers. As Eric said, “We make a difference one conversation at a time, one person at a time.”
Dave Edwards of AM Fox Valley and Hayley Tenpas of Focus Fox Valley also interviewed Miron Construction team members for their shows. Dave spoke with Dave Voss, the President & CEO of Miron Construction, Tim Kippenhan, the Vice President, and Dan Voss, the Executive Vice President. Hayley talked with Jen Bauer, the Senior Vice President, Sara Montonati, the Communications and Culture Manager, and Alan Loux, the President and CEO of Rawhide.
