Company honored for its leading support of Business Resource Network in Oakland County

Witzenmann USA and the late Darius May were recognized this week with a Michigan Works! Association Impact Award, recognizing the flexible metal parts manufacturer’s commitment to workforce development and its collaborative partnership with Oakland County Michigan Works!

The award was given to Witzenmann USA and May’s family during a special virtual ceremony held Wednesday.

“Witzenmann USA is being recognized for its commitment to the organization’s existing employees and innovative efforts to recruit and train new talent,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “This company is a role model for others not only in Oakland County, but across the state, as we rebound from the pandemic and get our economy moving forward.”

Witzenmann USA is a tour host for high school students during Oakland County Manufacturing Day and has worked with Oakland County Michigan Works! to train apprentices through the MAT2 program. In addition, they received a Going PRO Talent Fund grant to train existing and new employees.

Witzenmann USA was one of the first Oakland County companies to join the Oakland County Business Resource Network (BRN).

The Oakland County BRN is committed to improving employee retention by providing Success Coaches to help employees address personal challenges, such as child care, transportation, and personal financial concerns. Today, 15 companies participate in the program. Witzenmann USA employee Darius May benefitted from the BRN services.

May joined Witzenmann USA in 2013 as a general operator. He rose to the position of setter, responsible for changing over tools, minor troubleshooting and training other employees. The Pontiac resident was without reliable personal transportation for some time, with his truck in need of significant repairs. Known as a hard worker, May took public transportation to work, traveling on multiple buses, several hours per day, to and from his job in Troy.

Oakland County Michigan Works!, in partnership with the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, launched the BRN program in 2019, to help employees of participating companies overcome a variety of barriers to employment, with reliable transportation near the top of the list. May’s BRN success coach Nykol Baker worked with him to apply for financial assistance provided by a local foundation to get the truck repaired. Reliable transportation improved his quality of life and job performance, according to Witzenmann USA executives. Sadly, May passed away unexpectedly in 2020 from COVID-19.

“Darius’ story is but one of many that highlight the value of the Business Resource Network,” said Jennifer Llewellyn, director of Oakland County Michigan Works! “This program is designed to help people faced with a variety of challenges that impact their jobs which, in turn, helps companies address the challenge of reducing employee turnover.”

Barb Weintz, human resources manager, Witzenmann USA, said May permanently impacted the organization and it plans to honor him by continuing its participation in the BRN program, so every employee who faces similar challenges can be supported.

“Witzenmann USA believes fully that by embracing the support programs offered by Oakland County we are empowering our employees and investing in our company’s future,” Weintz said.

Oakland County Michigan Works! operates service centers in Novi, Oak Park, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy and Waterford. Combined, they assist more than 105,000 job seekers annually. Services include career coaching, interviewing and job search workshops, placement assistance, training courses and job trend information.

The service centers also assist more than 3,000 employers seeking assistance with talent recruitment, apprenticeship programs, job fairs, candidate pre-screening, hiring and training support, layoff support and labor market data.

Service center staffs remain available by virtual appointment to work one-on-one with job seekers to build their resumes, prepare for job interviews and help address other needs. To schedule a virtual meeting, call 1-248-858-5520 and select the office nearest to you. The service centers are hosting several virtual workshops for job seekers. A schedule can be found at OaklandCountyMIWorks.com.