We’re known for our innovation, complex designs and flawless execution. Recently, University of Michigan’s Alec Gallimore, dean of engineering, came to visit and was impressed with what we had to present. Shape’s relationship with U of M began more than 60 years ago with Midge Verplank, CEO of Verplank Trucking and co-found of Shape, completing his MBA from U of M in 1955 and Gary Verplank, CEO and chairman of the board, graduating from U of M’s engineering school in 1963. On Thursday, May 19, Gallimore and two associates from the Development Office, Allison Effler and Joe Gagliardi, came to learn more about Shape’s engineering capabilities. Their visit began at […]

400+ suppliers. 32 recognized. 3 awards given to Shape. At Nissan China Investment Co.’s annual supplier award ceremony, Shape China walked away with three awards, more than any other supplier on April 26. • Quality Improvement • One Time Delivery • 333 Activity Improvement Associates at our China facility have greatly improved their quality by improving their touch point effectiveness, reducing rust and improving the location and information found on labels to reduce the number of miss-shipped parts. During the 333 activity they were able to investigate the root cause of some issues and create an action plan to change where they were getting some of their materials, as well […]

“When we put everyone on the table and asked, ‘Who was the most innovative?’ Shape was the unanimous vote”, said Jimmy Seacrist, director of quality at Futuris Automotive. We currently make seven products for Futuris, a leader in automotive seating components. These products are components to structures on Tesla’s Model X second row seating. This complex piece has received rave reviews from Tesla and even the owner, Elon Musk himself. Jimmy Seacrist, Allan Yageman, senior project manager, and John Wehrenberg, chief operating officer of Futuris Automotive, made a special trip from California two weeks ago to present associates with an award in innovation. “You are the only one ruling the […]

After 14 weeks of deep problem solving, students from Grand Haven and Spring Lake High School presented their findings at the annual FuturePrep’d Academy final event. In January, 11 students came to Shape to learn more about what we do, the manufacturing industry, and career opportunities that fit their interests. Throughout the 16 weeks, students met with their Shape mentors to discuss a chosen problem and possible solutions. “It was fun working with the high school kids,” said Amy King, engineering technician – process. “I enjoyed sharing with them what we do at Shape, and helping them develop solutions to the problem they were trying to resolve.” Students Isabella and […]

“There’s been so much pull from the other regions to learn about the processes,” said Jay Blanchard, continuous improvement manager. “Before the week was done, I had leaders from other regions asking when I could come to their facilities to teach more of their team members.” Eager to start learning and applying the Toyota Production System learnings, associates from our India, Japan and China facilities along with members from TS-Shape jumped into a week of SPS for Leaders training. But the preparation started well before Jay set foot in China. As a strategic approach to the goals of the company, he’s been bringing in associates from different regions to the […]

2015 was our safest years to date, and even MIOSHA took notice. Safety is our top priority here, and we have many resources to make sure everyone goes home in the same condition that they came into work. One of the resources we have available are GroPros, compact video cameras, used to look at issues within a piece of equipment. Just a few years ago we introduced GoPros onto the manufacturing floor to help associates solve problems, safely. MIOSHA was so intrigued by this that they selected us to share our best practice with others. “It allows you to be “inside the equipment”, without actually being physically inside the machines […]

When Gary and Midge Verplank started their companies, they made a promise to give back to the community where they were founded. Over the years, Gary and Midge have helped give back to different causes in the West Michigan area, including United Way. “We are not the singular reason for the success of our companies,” said Midge. “We owe something to the community and those associates. One way we can do that is making sure that our companies and ourselves participate in the well-being of the community that we live and work in.” On Thursday, March 24, the Verplank family received the G.W. Haworth Strength of the Community Award for […]

“Leadership is right here in this room,” explained Mark White, executive vice president of Asian and European operations. “You don’t need to have direct reports to have leadership skills – you can lead yourself to success.” There are tens of thousands of books, programs, classes, articles, speeches, and videos that discuss leadership. It’s an important topic and the skills that encompass leadership have been a point of discussion for many, many years. In order for the North to defeat the South in the Civil War, or the Chicago Bulls winning the 1998 NBA championship they needed to have good leadership skills to drive results. Here at Shape we have a […]

Southern hospitality is alive and well, just ask Shape CEO Gary Verplank and President Bob Currier. Both were on-hand for Friday’s dedication ceremony in Athens, Alabama to recognize Shape’s newest manufacturing facility. Representatives with the City of Athens, Tennessee Valley Authority, Limestone County Commission, Alabama Department of Commerce, Limestone County Economic Development Association and JESCO Construction were also in attendance. “We’re proud of what’s happening here,” said Athens Mayor, Ronnie Marks, to a crowd of nearly 50 during the dedication ceremony at the Shape construction site. A common theme among the number of city, county and state officials who spoke was the collaboration that goes into bringing a company like […]