Morbark, Inc.

This past week we had the opportunity to go on a field visit to Morbark Incorporated to learn more about both their company and their association with the Central Michigan Manufacturers Association. We first started with a power point presentation by Mr. Schumaker which had some interesting aspects to it that the average person doesn't get access to but instead it seemed like we got a look into the boardroom and how business is actually conducted. I enjoyed the different parts of business discussed and how he explained to us as I now feel like I know more about the forestry, recycling, and bio-energy markets that Morbark is a part of. An interesting example was the one discussing the opportunities through bio-energy from chicken and turkey litter and how the farmers used to have to pay to have their litter removed and destroyed but with the technology available today they now are able to expand their business and even create renewable resources that they then sell electricity to their neighbors. I just found that so cool that they've changed their business practices based on technology available to both better the environment as well as their business. After the power point we took a tour of the 1 million square foot factory that included all different sorts of machinery and vehicles that traveled the shop floor to make it easier for employees to get around. Schumaker gave us a tour and bits of Morbarks history on the different aspects of the company and how it has changed over the years. Overall I thought it was a great experience that could benefit us later on in life while still being fun and getting us out of the classroom which is always nice every once in a while.