Humphrey Products Invests in Employees Through Kalamazoo Valley

When in need of quality workforce development opportunities, Kalamazoo-based manufacturer Humphrey Products turns to Kalamazoo Valley Community College to invest in the next generation of the company's trained workforce. The partnership has been a valuable investment for navigating the changing labor market and for training newer and current employees in the wake of the retirement of the company's experienced workforce.

"The college has been a big help in furthering training at all levels of the company," said Kevin DeLancey, Humphrey Products production trainer and continuous improvement coordinator. "The classes I've taken have developed my leadership skills and aid the continuous improvement component of my career."

The Going PRO Talent Fund offered through the state of Michigan is a resource that Humphrey Products utilizes to provide employees with training offered by the college. The funds are awarded to employers in need of developing, training and retaining newly hired and current employees. Funding is offered for short-term training that leads to industry recognized transferable credentials, such as the corporate training classes offered at the Groves Campus.

Kalamazoo Valley offers an array of corporate training opportunities, including certification exam prep, team building, leadership, management and human resources courses. Other training opportunities include software, mechatronics, mechanical, maintenance, safety, technical and computer options. Training can also be customized to suit the needs of each organization.

"Our demand-driven workforce development training means that each day is different," said Maddie Isch, Kalamazoo Valley associate director of corporate training. "We like to tell our customers, 'You name it, we build it,' and we really mean that. We can create anything a business or community organization might need to reach their goals."

As a fifth-generation member of her family's business, Humphrey Products Senior HR Coordinator Mallory Humphrey has also benefited from the courses offered by the college. Humphrey credits the training for providing skills needed for her recent promotion.

"The HR Certification Prep course has helped me gain new knowledge and skills and has helped me network with other like-minded professionals," Humphrey said. "It's helped me build confidence in my career. I take a lot of pride in what I do and I'm excited to see where it goes."

Machine tool operators, such as machinist Jesse Sellers, also benefit from the college through Humphrey Products' apprenticeship program. Sellers, who is on track to graduate with his journeyman certificate in April, is receiving valuable training paid for by his employer.

"Differentiating between what sort of knowledge is generally applicable to machining as a whole, versus what's more specialized, has been invaluable when applying myself at work,"

Sellers said. "It boils down to critical thinking, troubleshooting the task at hand and considering how to apply what I've learned in the past, at work and at school."

Humphrey Products also offers a tuition reimbursement program that pays for employees' college credit courses. DeLancey participates in the program and plans to graduate from Kalamazoo Valley in December 2025 with an associate degree in business administration.

"I'm gaining knowledge that I'm applying every day in my career," DeLancey explained. "Whether that's applying what I'm learning to reports or documentation. It's also helped improve my writing skills as I construct training plans for our employees."