Photo by Pat Christman
Ginny Jordan, the quality manager for MICO, Inc., gave a tour to area business and higher education leaders Friday. The tour was part of an effort to introduce MnSCU Trustee Duane Benson (second from the right) to the cooperative efforts between local colleges and businesses.
NORTH MANKATO — Duane Benson, a key member of the governing board that oversees Minnesota State University and South Central College and dozens of other state colleges and universities, accepted an invitation from Mankato-area businesses Friday and left impressed.
The focus of Benson's visit was the critical ties between local public colleges and employers in the area.
"We think it's really important those representatives have an understanding of the impact the higher education institutions — MSU and South Central College — have on our economy," said Jonathan Zierdt, executive director of Greater Minnesota Economic Development, which invited Benson.
After July, when the term of board Chairman Robert Hoffman of Waseca expires, Benson may be the only member of the board representing southern Minnesota. While Benson may be best known for his 11-year career as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders and two other NFL teams, the Lanesboro cattle farmer has impressive political and business connections.
He spent 14 years in the state Senate, seven as minority leader. And he was executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, an organization of the state's largest companies.
Benson said MSU and SCC appear to be doing better than most in the MnSCU system in working to meet the needs of local businesses. He said he saw examples Friday in everything from the health care field to manufacturing to wireless technology.
"They really do a wonderful job of that," said Benson, who said Winona State University's work with industry in composite materials technology is the only one he considers comparable.
Benson was joined by Richard Davenport and Keith Stover, the presidents of MSU and SCC, and other business leaders in a tour of the MICO, Inc. headquarters and manufacturing plant in North Mankato.
Of the 235 local employees of the hydraulic brake manufacturer, 107 have attended or are currently taking classes at MSU or SCC.
MICO reimburses workers for some of the education expenses as well as providing internships and job-shadowing opportunities for local college students, according to company officials. Stover said upgrades in the technology and teaching labs at SCC will make his students even better prepared to be of immediate value to companies such as MICO, and he hopes to develop a reciprocal relationship where students can be trained on some of the company's state-of-theart equipment.
Davenport asked MICO's Brent McGrath if the company is having trouble with foreign competition, particularly Chinese manufacturers.
McGrath said he's unaware of losing any business to the Chinese, pointing to the company's customer-first attitude, its willingness to do small-volume jobs and the quality of the products.
The latter is crucial when manufacturing brakes for heavy equipment, McGrath said. Case, Caterpillar and John Deere are top customers.
"When that stops working," McGrath said, pointing to a hydraulic brake on a conference room table, "somebody's going to have a very bad day — maybe their last day. People don't want their brakes made in China."
Benson said he's confident Minnesota can continue to compete globally — even in manufacturing — if the employees are top notch. And it will be the job of MnSCU institutions to help make sure they are.
"As long as we do that," he said, "we'll be able to compete."
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