NMU Helps to Fuel Medical Device Mecca

Despite its relatively small population of about 22,000, Marquette is home to three medical device manufacturers that have created a globally competitive industry cluster in the upper Midwest. NMU's Engineering Technology Department has partnered with Able Medical Devices, EXALTA Group and Mount Mfg to develop innovative approaches to training and retaining a pipeline of qualified employees who will fuel the companies' growth. A recent example of this collaboration is the Work Scholars program. This story is one of several innovaton-related features in the summer issue of Northern Magazine.

From their freshman year, students in the program receive paid internships at the companies under the guidance of professional mentors. The goal is to prepare them for a successful career in a well-paying, high-demand sector that will allow them to remain in this desirable community after graduation. The manufacturers benefit by providing curriculum insight that ensures students acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to meet evolving industry demands. They also maintain impactful connections with these potential employees throughout their education, which will ideally aid in recruitment and retention.

An automated manufacturing method known as computer numerical control (CNC) machining factors prominently in the industry. Software-driven systems control machine tools to cut, carve or drill materials. CNC creates highly precise, complex parts, which are essential for medical devices surgeons and patients rely on. NMU has a full manual machine shop lab, a print lab, 3D modeling capabilities and a CNC lab with two Swiss lathes purchased with financial support from Able. One of the company's employees instructed students on the machines' use in manufacturing.

"Having an industry presence in the classroom is key to this whole system," said NMU Engineering Technology Professor Cale Polkinghorne ('05 BS, '08 MAE, '10 EdS). "It's a huge advantage for students to know that they're learning from a professional in the field who has day-to-day technical expertise in CNC machining. It also helps me because it keeps me connected to the industry and confirms that we're doing things correctly in terms of educating their future workforce. Having that direct link to industry adds legitimacy to the curriculum and the work our students are doing in the labs. Most of the employees working on the machine floor at all three Marquette manufacturers went through Northern."

May graduate Josh Guinazzo had saved enough money to cover the cost of Northern's two-year CNC associate degree program, but he said a paid internship at Able during that period was "a game-changer" that allowed him to seamlessly pivot to a bachelor's degree. Guinazzo now works at the company full time.

"What's rewarding about this industry is knowing that what we make helps heal people," he said. "Sometimes you're machining one tiny component and later you see how it's put together with other parts to form a complete surgical instrument or implant. That connection between what you do every day and how it ultimately helps patients is incredibly rewarding. The hands-on education I received at Northern, along with the incredibly supportive faculty, prepared me to transition directly into manufacturing operations."

Able, EXALTA and Mount are reviving a collaboration with NMU that was originally established in the 1990s by Marquette orthopedic surgeon Matthew Songer. As the founder of the first medical device manufacturer in Marquette, then known as Pioneer Surgical Technology, he helped to establish the region's foundation in the sector and inspired future investment in local workforce development. Alumni in leadership positions at the current companies all credit Songer for his ambitious belief that innovative, world-class manufacturing could take place and thrive in Marquette.

"Innovation in Marquette looks different than Silicon Valley, but it is no less real. It is engineers, machinists, programmers, operators and technicians solving complex manufacturing problems every day and building products that impact patients around the world," said Adam Paltzer ('99 BS), one of the first student interns to transition to full-time employment at Pioneer Surgical. He now serves as vice president for business development at Able, a Longyear company, where 43 of the 77 employees attended NMU.

"One of the most unique things about the Marquette manufacturing community is that it was largely built with local talent," he added. "Pioneer Surgical proved that you could grow a highly technical medical device business in the Upper Peninsula if you invested in students, employees and partnerships with Northern Michigan University. Internships, mentorship and technical development were treated as strategic investments, not side projects. That mindset still lingers. There is a misconception that students need to leave smaller communities to find advanced technical careers. Companies in Marquette are proving the opposite."

EXALTA Group, which evolved from Pioneer Surgical through various acquisitions and mergers, now operates internationally while maintaining deep roots in Marquette. Ruth Solinski ('96 MPA), the company's vice president of human resources for North America, said about 50 NMU graduates fill roles across every level of the organization, from research and development and IT to accounting, HR and manufacturing operations. She adds that the company routinely supports four to six Northern interns, many of whom become direct hire employees.

"Having this ecosystem allows us to attract candidates who are more likely to stay because they have options if they want to gain a different experience within the med-device space," Solinski said. "They don't have to leave an area they've come to love for the lifestyle and natural beauty. The more we have options within that that chosen geography, the more likely we are to continue to pull in the kinds of skills and capabilities that enhance the community. That means we have more mountain bikers. We have more people who want to volunteer with nonprofits. The employment and salary base adds some vibrancy to Marquette County. Perhaps our three companies should get together and do some sort of economic evaluation, because I think that is also really significant."

In an area steeped in the history of industrial mining operations, the medical device sector is expanding regional perceptions of what manufacturing looks like. Solinski said visitors are often surprised by the clean facilities, highly technical environments, advanced automation and sterile rooms where medical products are packaged for surgical use around the world.

Jesse Nye ('09 BS) is chief operating officer at Mount Mfg, which relocated its operations from Denver to Marquette in 2020. Fifteen of the company's 35 employees are NMU alumni. Nye agrees that the med-device cluster has become an important economic engine that helps to prevent the talent drain of skilled personnel.

"One of the biggest things I hear from area high schools is that parents want their kids to have a place to grow up and work. It's all too often that young people have to look elsewhere for jobs in highly technical fields. What these companies have created is a pathway for people to stay here and build meaningful careers. The sky's the limit for anybody who comes to work here; there are no barriers to growth and advancement. The only determining factor is how hard somebody is willing to work and how much effort they want to put into it.

"We've seen employees start as CNC machinists or production technicians and eventually move into engineering and management positions. Providing that kind of opportunity creates a stronger, self-sustaining local economy, and it benefits everybody-not just the companies, but the entire community."

For Northern, the Work Scholars program represents more than workforce development. It signifies a shared commitment by the university and med-tech sector to strengthen the region through education, innovation and collaboration. And for recent graduate Guinazzo and other NMU alumni, the result is an opportunity to build a meaningful career in an appealing community they want to make their home.

Read other features in Northern Magazine's summer "Journeys to Innovation" issue here.