Last month, Zeeland Lumber & Supply hosted our annual Zeeland Partner Summit at the Frederik Meijer Gardens. Our biggest event of the year, the Zeeland Partner Summit brings together our customers, our suppliers, and our team together for a fun, educational networking experience.
This year, we hosted more than 380 attendees and were proud to feature a lineup of the industry’s best speakers and suppliers. In case you weren’t able to join us this year, here’s a short recap of what happened at the event:
Keynote Speaker: Mike Novakoski on Becoming Unmistakable
This year’s keynote speaker was Mike Novakoski, president and CEO of Elzinga & Volkers. In an industry where it’s historically difficult to retain a labor force, Elzinga & Volkers has created a true community of team members that have rated the company a top place to work in the country.
Mike spoke about his company’s unique philosophy and presented their approach to overall company success through his new book: Become Unmistakable: Start the Journey from Commodity to Oddity. We were grateful to hear from him this year and trust that those in attendance are applying his insights to their places of work. Having that continual improvement mindset will help keep the construction industry moving forward.
Spotlight on Safety
Phu Nguyen from MIOSHA kicked off our annual summit with a presentation on the state of safety in the construction industry. There’s a lot changing in the world of construction safety, and it was great to hear about some of the new technologies and procedures making construction safer than ever.
Focus on Forest Products
The construction industry would look very different without the forest products that provide the framework for the buildings, homes, and spaces that we create. This year, Zeeland Lumber & Supply was excited to host Hampton Lumber, one of the nation’s foremost lumber mills based in the Pacific Northwest, for a talk on the state of the forest product industry. This was a timely seminar that focused on the past year of volatility, our current state, and provided a glimpse into the year ahead.
2019 Economic Forecast
Every company in the construction industry wants to know what to expect from the economy in the coming years. Dr. Paul Isley, the Associate Dean of the Seidman College of Business at GVSU gave this year’s economic forecast. Dr. Isley touched on a number of topics, including hot-button issues like housing conditions here in Michigan and the state of the construction labor force.
The Zeeland Partner Summit Tradeshow
Each year, the Zeeland Partner Summit continues into the evening with a delicious food spread, beverages, and a building products tradeshow. This year, the tradeshow was better than ever, and we’d like to give special thanks to our supplier partners Andersen Windows & Doors, Trex, LP Building Solutions, Certainteed, and Thermatru Doors for coming out and making the tradeshow such a success.
The Zeeland Partner Summit is Zeeland Lumber & Supply’s biggest event of the year. We’d like to thank everyone who was able to attend, including all of our partners, suppliers, team members and clients who made the event a great experience for everyone.
If you weren’t able to attend the Zeeland Partner Summit this year, be sure to check out some of the speakers mentioned above, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can help supply you with the products you need for your next project!
Zeeland Lumber & Supply offers a wide range of construction products, from manufactured roof trusses and wall panels to exterior products like windows & doors, decking & siding, and interior products like cabinets, doors, and trim. Check out our website and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram!
