Business Department

Business
Department

CAMPUS VISITORS

FBE PELLA TRIP

GUEST SPEAKERS

CLASS T OURS
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fall newsletter
PAGE 2 & 3
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Art Attema
Assistant Professor of Business
Education & Department Chair
(712) 722-6353
attema@dordt.edu
Dr. Namsuk Choi
Assistant Professor of Economics
(712) 722-6347
nchoi@dordt.edu
Dr. Robert Hilbelink
Professor of Accounting
(712) 722-6351
robert@dordt.edu
Brian Hoekstra
Instructor of Business
Administration
(712) 722-6348
hoekstra@dordt.edu
Meet the 2009-2010 Business
and Accounting Department
Tim Klein
Instructor of Business
Administration
(712) 722-6304
tklein@dordt.edu
Shirley Folkerts
Associate Adjunct
Business Administration
(712) 722-6292
folkerts@dordt.edu
Dr. Gary Vander Plaats
Associate Professor of
Business Administration
(712) 722-6267
gvanderp@dordt.edu
Erica Vonk
Business Administration
Department Assistant
(712) 722-6341
evonk@dordt.edu
Dr. John Visser
Professor of Business
Administration
(712) 722-6350
visser@dordt.edu
Dale Zevenbergen
Instructor of Business
Administration &
Special Gifts Officer
(712) 722-6349
dzevenbe@dordt.edu
Top left: Namsuk Choi, Gary Vander Plaats, Erica Vonk, Dale
Zevenbergen, Robert Hilbelink, Shirley Folkerts, Tim Klein
Front row from left: John Visser, Brian Hoekstra, Art Attema
CAMPUS VISITORS
The following are statistics based on our campus visitors from August to November 2009:
▫ 56 students have visited Business/Accounting programs
▫ 36% of those who visited have applied to Dordt College
▫ 60% of those who applied have been accepted to Dordt College
▫ 6 students have visited from Canada
▫ Other students have visited from Iowa, Arizona, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana,
Florida, South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Idaho, California
FBE Pella Trip
October 29 & 30, 2009
The Future Business
Executives Club fall trip
to Pella, Iowa was
attended by 17 students
and 5 Dordt faculty.
Thursday afternoon the
group visited Vermeer
Manufacturing and
Friday they toured
Musco Lighting and
Pella Corporation.
VERMEER MANUFACTURING
Hosts were Dordt Alum Mark Zylstra - Director of Continuous Improvement, Kim
Brooks-Miller - HR Manager, and Kevin Van Engelenhoven - Plant Manager.
Vermeer is heavily focused on Lean and Continuous Improvement, and they have
one of their assembly lines set up as a “Model Line”. The model line concept is
basically to set up one line as the ultimate example of Lean, and put all the theories
in place on that line. Then the rest of the organization can benchmark that area and
try to become that ‘lean’. Vermeer’s model line is a
brush-chipper assembly line in the Environmental Division.
The group was given a full tour, watched a video about the
history of Vermeer, and participated in a discussion panel
with five Dordt alumni. The faculty and students enjoyed the
discussion panel the most as they were able to have
questions answered by a wide cross-section of alumni.
Vermeer Manufacturing is an on-going testimony to the
founder and his wife who are great examples of humble
Christian servants.
Quotes:
“Vermeer impressed me as a company on the front edge of their industry, with very
Christian goals and principles, with a very generous company support of kingdom
causes.” - Professor Attema
“This was a great look at a manufacturing example of Lean, in a company that is very
good at it.” – Professor Zevenbergen
MUSCO LIGHTING
Hosts were Kayla Owens, and Dordt College alumni
Adam and Kate De Jong. We enjoyed the morning visit,
presentation, and tour of Musco. They gave us the history
of Musco and how they evolved from small tools into
outdoor lighting. Their philosophy, “We Sell Light”, was
very evident throughout the company. Many of the
employees took time to visit with us and show us their
work areas. Their focused lighting technology makes them
a very “green company” saving huge energy costs for their
customers. They also have electronic worldwide monitoring and a
“turn on/off” system which can control turning lights on and off
and monitor outdoor lighting all around the world such as a
stadium in Beijing. Musco is also a visible servant in the
community providing employment, fiber optics, and
donations to add to the quality of life in the Oskaloosa area.
Quotes:
“It was great to witness the practical
application of material learned in the
classroom and to see the role that
strong moral values play in the
running of their company.”
– Kristen Brands
“Do nothing that you will regret,
because you do not know who will
manage you and who you will
manage.” – Tyler Turney
Quotes:
“Musco is a little known company,
but I was so impressed that they do
so much for the community.”
– Joey Kleinwolterink
“It was interesting to learn about
the company’s history, global
reach, and services that it
offers in addition to lighting.”
– Sara De Bruin
PELLA CORPORATION
Hosts were Jaime Meyer and Andrea Dana – Human Resources, Denny
Van Zanten – COO and Exec. Vice-President, and about a dozen other
Dordt alumni. Pella provided a great lunch with Dordt alumni joining
the students and faculty at each table. Lunch was followed by an
inspiring address by Dordt Alumnus Denny Van Zanten. He gave insight
to the focus on the Pella “family” of employees. A one hour tour of the
facility was given including some of the assembly and parts making
areas. Pella then led the group through an exercise by a training
specialist related to understanding your personality and how that
relates to developing a personal brand. As always,
Pella was a great host and a wonderful
organization to make connections with.
Our Guest Speakers - Fall 2009
Ed Lotterman - Syndicated columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press & Professor at Augsburg College
Spoke with Visser’s Money and Banking class on the Federal Reserve and the economy. He also gave
two public addresses.
Milt Kuyers – Chairman and CEO of GMK Companies Inc.
Spoke with the Senior Seminar class on business ethics, heart investments, and family stewardship.
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on the nature of
entrepreneurship, being a Christian in business, and his life story.
Mike & Bev Mulder – PrinsFinancial and PrinsBank
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on bank regulation, bank innovation,
& strains on the financial system.
Spoke with Visser’s Money and Banking class on being a Christian in business and their life story.
Kevin De Vries - Exxel Pacific
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on the nature of entrepreneurship,
being a Christian in business, and his life story.
Spoke with Visser’s Money and Banking class on being a Christian in business and their life story.
Adrie & Marla Groeneweg - Founder of Pizza Ranch
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on the nature of entrepreneurship,
being a Christian in business, and his life story.
Phil & Kristy Kooima - Kooima Company
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on the nature of entrepreneurship,
being a Christian in business, and his life story.
Bob & Charlie Zylstra - Former CEO of MTron
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on the nature of entrepreneurship,
being a Christian in business, and his life story.
Jim & Marilyn Dean – CEO of Center Fresh Group, Center Fresh Egg Farm, Sioux County Egg Farm, Center Fresh
Africa, and Sioux Center Pullets
Spoke with Vander Plaat’s Entrepreneur/Small Business Management class on the nature of entrepreneurship,
being a Christian in business, and his life story.
Gail Anderson – Aventure Staffing
Spoke with Hoekstra’s Human Resources class on Recruiting.
Jack Schreurs – Rosenboom Machine and Tool (RMT)
Spoke with Hoekstra’s Human Resources class on economic challenges in human resources.
Steph Regenerus – Link Manufacturing
Spoke with Hoekstra’s Human Resources class on workplace safety.
Randy Jacobsma – Sioux County Treasurers Office
Spoke with Hoekstra’s Principles of Management class on the need for management in public service.
Robert De Haan – Dordt College Professor on Environmental Studies
Spoke with Choi’s Economics of Natural Resources and Environment class on sustainable development in a
Christian perspective.
Josh Soodsma, Thomas Madison, Ben Ellingson – Eide Bailey
Spoke with Hilbelink’s Principles of Accounting class on the profession of public accounting in society.
Thomas Madison and Ty Inglis – Eide Bailey
Spoke with Hilbelink’s Advanced Accounting and Intermediate Accounting.
Nick Cross and Matt Mellema – Pella (Sioux Center Operations)
Spoke with Zevenbergen’s Operations Management class on their story and their jobs and some of the key
processes they are responsible for as a Production Manager and Senior Engineer.
CLASS
TOURS
FALL 2009
Organizational Behavior – Professor Hoekstra
Toured: Link Manufacturing, Pella Windows, Golden Crisp, Supreme Packing Co.,
and Nemschoff all located in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Operations Management – Professor Zevenbergen
Toured: Pella – Sioux Center Operations and Holiday Inn Express
Advertising and Personal Selling – Professor Zevenbergen
Toured: Ozone Solutions on a marketing communications project and Hope Haven
International Ministries on a marketing/fundraising project.
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Contact Erica Vonk at evonk@dordt.edu or (712) 722-6341