Anchored by the ongoing expansion and growth of a manufacturing star like JR Automation, Cornerstone Alliance celebrated the successes of outstanding companies and individuals at the Business Recognition Breakfast, hosted by Cornerstone Alliance, Berrien County’s lead economic development agency, and the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce. Keynote speaker, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, highlighted the State’s competitive and pro-business climate in his keynote address before more than 500 business owners and leaders at Lake Michigan College.
Cornerstone Alliance President Rob Cleveland says, “We are thrilled to give these Berrien County companies and individuals this well-deserved recognition for the exceptional work they do to make Berrien County a more attractive place to live and work.” He adds, “The diversity of the recipients shows Berrien County is an inclusive and quality environment where people of all types and companies of all sizes can be successful.”
The Cornerstone Alliance award winners include:
JR AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES RECEIVES MANUFACTURING LARGE BUSINESS AWARD
JR Automation was founded in 1980, and has grown to become one of the leading global systems integrators and solutions providers for the industrial automation industry. Today, more than 1,700 employees occupy 15 facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, with headquarters located in Holland, MI.
In 2017, JR Automation broke ground for a 25,000 square foot expansion at its Lincoln Charter Township facility on Red Arrow Highway, investing $1.9 million and creating 60 new jobs. JR Automation also broke ground in 2017 on an 83,000 square foot expansion in Holland, MI, the company’s largest facility expansion to date. Most recently, JR Automation acquired Doerfer Corporation’s automation systems group (comprised of Advanced Automation, Wright Industries, FSA Systemes D’Assemblage, FSA Romania, PSB Technologies and equity interests in Beijing BYJC-Fabricom Assembly Line Co., Ltd.) This acquisition will increase their North American presence as well as in Europe and Asia, establishing JR Automation as a global leader in industrial automation and robotics systems integration.
THE MASON JAR CAFÉ RECEIVES MICROENTERPRISE AWARD
Jayme Cousins and Abel Abarca Martinez opened The Mason Jar Café in the Benton Harbor Arts District in 2014. The restaurant is a testament to their passion for serving local, made from scratch, and organic food. Each dish is made to order and prepared fresh daily. When The Mason Jar opened, they had one dining area, ten tables, and five employees. Today there are 21 tables, two dining areas and a staff of 25, as their universal appeal has soared.
INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER – COOK NUCLEAR PLANT RECEIVES ECONOMIC GROWTH AWARD
The Cook Nuclear Plant has been one of the major driving forces in the economy of Southwest Michigan ever since plans were announced in 1959 to build “an atomic power plant” in Lake Township. It was the largest construction project ever in the state, more than 3,000 workers for about eight years, costing $1.3 billion.
The plant has operated safely and reliably for decades, providing electricity for 1.5 million average homes and good jobs for more than 1,000 workers. The plant is also Berrien County’s largest taxpayer, providing almost 12-percent of the total county revenues, growing to $36 million annually in 2016.
American Electric Power, one of the nation’s largest electric companies, is the corporate parent for the Cook Nuclear Plant. And AEP’s goal of “A Brighter Future Together,” perfectly coincides with the economic impact, and Cook’s commitment to Michigan’s Great Southwest.
GLORIA ENDER RECEIVES MERLIN HANSON EXEMPLARY LEADER AWARD
Gloria Ender is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Finishing, an electro- and powder- coating business with an international customer base. In 1988, Ender and her husband Erik started Freedom Finishing. Today, Freedom Finishing produces 300,000 parts every day in its 60,000 square foot production facility located on Meadowbrook Road in Benton Harbor.
Freedom Finishing’s customer base includes the likes of industry giants General Motors, Ford, Whirlpool Corporation and Herman Miller.
Freedom Finishing employs a staff of 62. It is important to Ender that each staff member is treated fairly and as an individual. She holds her employees accountable and encourages them to offer solutions to be more efficient and offers them career growth opportunities.
Ender, a gourmet cook, lives in Stevensville, Michigan, with her husband and four rescue dogs. She has a daughter, Liz, who is attending Lake Michigan College.
NORMA TIRADO-KELLENBERGER RECEIVES DAVID R. WHITWAM OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Norma Tirado-Kellenberger is Lakeland Health’s Vice President of Human Resources, Information Technology, Organizational Transformation, and Chief Talent and Transformation Officer. Since arriving here with her family in 2010, Tirado-Kellenberger wanted to give back to the community. She is the President of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra (SMSO) Board of Directors. Tirado-Kellenberger serves on the Cornerstone Alliance Board and chairs the Governance Committee, and sits on Michigan’s Great Southwest Strategic Leadership Council, where she chairs the Leadership Accelerator, a leadership program she helped create.
In her tenure at Lakeland, she has worked with Dr. Hamel and her colleagues to create a culture of love and compassion.
Tirado-Kellenberger was born in Puerto Rico and is a graduate of Marquette University with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature; and an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Healthcare Administration at Central Michigan University. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling and golf.
Cornerstone Alliance is a non-profit, investor-governed economic development organization primarily focused on increasing employment opportunities, private sector capital investments and the local tax base in Michigan’s Great Southwest; with specialized business services offered in economically distressed areas, and today’s annual meeting showcased accomplishments over the past year and plans for the future of our region.
