Each year, the DENSO Veterans Network at DMMI runs a t-shirt fundraiser to raise money for the Talon’s Out Honor Flight. The mission of the Honor Flight is to give transportation to America’s veterans so they can see memorials dedicated to those who have served and made sacrifices for our country.

Despite the global pandemic, 400 t-shirts were sold with profits of $2,500 being donated directly to Talon’s Out.

THANK YOU to everyone involved; without your support we would not have been able to support the event this year. And thank you, to Brenda Carter and Alicia Dupperon who were dedicated to safely selling t-shirts for the cause.

The DENSO Veterans Network (DVN) resource group at DMMI formed in 2018 and began supporting this Talon’s Out event last year. If you are interested in joining DVN, contact Cindy Dawson (x8303) or Jack Carlsen (x8490).

National Manufacturing Day is observed every October to emphasize the importance of manufacturing in our national economy. Here at DENSO, we extended the celebration throughout the whole month of October, and asked others to join us!

Students from Tennessee, Michigan, and North Carolina were invited to virtual panels hosted by DENSO associates from DMMI, DMTN, and DMNC. Panel discussions covered a variety of topics within the industry, including the ones listed below and the DMMI associates supporting them:

• Safety, Health, and Environment in Manufacturing with Jody Smith and Steve Graham
  • Discussing how to provide support when hazards are present and how to minimize them, as well as safety outside the plant including sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint.

• Back to Manufacturing with Rich Stanley and Ed Fellows
  • A candid discussion with two associates who left DENSO but decided to come back – why did they return to manufacturing?

• Industrial Engineering with Lee Washburn and Sara Rodriguez
  • DENSO associates dive into the ins and outs of industrial engineering and what being an engineer is like.

• Unusual Career Pathways with Nicole Brown and Rachelle Counts
  • This panel features five DENSO associates who share the story of their unique growth path and how they got to where they are today.

• Skilled Trades with Tim Cortright and Kim Schuh
  • Human Resources and Skilled Trades panelists discuss different experiences and pathways within Skilled Trades, and why students should consider it for their career.

• Continuing Education with Laura McGuire
  • The associates on this panel discuss the opportunities of continuing training and education while working at DENSO.

• Veterans and Careers with Jack Carlsen and Cindy Dawson
  • Panelists discuss what they learned during their military experience and how it has influenced their career path.

• PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) with Jim Perry
  • Discussing what PLC’s are, how they are used, and the training needed if you are interested in working with them in your career

Thank you to all our volunteers who helped make Manufacturing Month a great success!

If you’re interested, check out the DENSO North America YouTube channel to watch recordings of each panel discussion:  www.youtube.com/c/DENSOinNorthAmerica/videos

DENSO is letting our example shine by turning up the lights and turning down our energy usage! In December, DENSO Manufacturing Michigan, Inc. (DMMI) received a $377,737 rebate from Consumers Energy through their Business Energy Efficiency Program.

DMMI is one of the top 10 highest energy users for Consumers Energy in the State of Michigan due to the requirements of our compressed air systems and industrial brazing furnaces. This means we must continuously look for ways to save energy to reduce our environmental impact and save money. In recent years, multiple lighting and energy saving projects have been implemented in the parking lot and boiler areas. This latest rebate was for full plant lighting replacement and advanced controls such as those used for controlling light activation on motion sensors in the scrap dock area.

Induction lights throughout the plant  were replaced with LED lights featuring wireless control capabilities. The plant is now much, much brighter, with LED lights that can produce more than three times brighter light while using less energy. In addition, the Facilities department maintains a computerized system that controls the lights within an overall Facilities Management System.

The cost and environmental impact is tremendous—280 tons of CO2 emissions per year are saved from the project, and the amount of energy saved is equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 144 homes.

The monetary return from the project exceeded our expectations by over $90,000. The rebate will allow the Facilities department to help offset utility expenses from 2019 fiscal year.

Associates can play a key role in making improvements by looking for energy waste in their own areas. If you see an area for improvement or have an idea, please speak up!

Since joining DENSO, Andrea Caratti, from Northern Italy, has been able to cross off many major cities in the United States from his travel bucket list; Chicago, Washington DC, and New York City to name a few. After recently accepting a new role, Caratti is venturing further into the U.S. as Plant Manager of DENSO Manufacturing Michigan Iowa (DMIA).

Caratti started his career with DENSO six years ago at DENSO Thermal Systems S.p.A. (DNTS) in Italy. DNTS is a part of DENSO TEC, the Thermal Europe Center. As the Logistics Manager, he enjoyed getting to work with many of DENSO’s customers within the Off Road Special Applications Business Unit (ORSA). This group makes parts for bigger, off-highway customers, like John Deere. In his new role at DMIA, he will continue working with these customers.

Caratti came to DENSO with a master’s degree in automotive engineering and work experience at Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Caratti said he is looking forward to the new challenge.

“I’m very thankful for it, and know that we will all do a great job together,” Caratti said.

One element Caratti said he’s not looking forward to is winter. His favorite hobby, outdoor cycling, will have to wait until spring returns to Iowa.

Caratti has enjoyed seeing new perspectives of the company, and said he looks forward to continuing to interact with other DENSO plants.

Congratulations on your new role at DENSO!

DENSO was recognized as a Silver Level Veteran Friendly Employer by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) on Wednesday, October 25 at our Battle Creek, Michigan location.

Of the 338 employers and organizations involved in the Veteran-Friendly Employer program, only 8 percent have achieved the Silver-Level honor!

“We recognize the sacrifices military veterans have made for our country, and we’re honored to serve them in return by helping them build fulfilling careers,” said Kevin Carson, president of DENSO’s Battle Creek facility, and a U.S. Navy veteran. “The experience and skills veterans bring to DENSO’s workforce are invaluable, as their unique backgrounds and talents give us the fresh perspective needed to grow. We are thrilled to achieve Silver-Level status as a Veteran-Friendly Employer and will always seek new ways to further attract and support those who have served our country.”

To qualify as a Silver Level Veteran Friendly Employer, DENSO in Battle Creek (DMMI) implemented onboarding, community outreach and other support programs for veterans and active duty military employees.

DENSO’s thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek has nearly 200 military-veteran employees and continuously seeks to integrate and support veterans in its workforce. If you are a veteran, or interested in supporting our veterans, contact Jack Carlsen or Cindy Dawson, co-chairs of the DENSO Veterans Network, to get involved.

More than 2,000 people took advantage of a picture-perfect day to enjoy DENSO Family Fun Day at Gull Meadow Farms.

Associates from DENSO’s thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek were welcomed to bring their children or grandchildren to the farm to enjoy lunch and some of the farm activities including wagon rides, corn maze, petting zoo and the super-popular apple cannon.  Cider, donuts, hot dogs and more were available under the DENSO tent.

Special thanks to the social activities committee for coordinating the event and cooking us all hot dogs all day long!

Our thermal manufacturing associates in Battle Creek came out in force to support the United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo during our 2019 pledge campaign.

In addition to turning in more than $120,000 in pledge forms, associates also participated in a Day of Caring event to support the Food Bank of Southwest Michigan, an ice cream social, disc golf tournament and prize raffle.

Thank you to everyone for their generosity and spirit to benefit our friends and neighbors who need the support the United Way and their partner agencies.

Associates line up for the Ice Cream Social, featuring several flavors and toppings dished up by the DENSO management team.

More than 500 associates enjoyed ice cream during the annual event, adding an additional $1,000 to annual United Way campaign donations.

Associates put their assembly expertise to work by assembling weekend food bags for children in need.

The Food Bank of Southwest Michigan provided the food, which associates set up for assembly during lunch and break times. This allowed dozens of associates to participate during their work day.

The highest honor a Ph.D. candidate can receive at Western Michigan University is the All-University Excellence Award. Nagdev Amruthnath, Data Scientist III in the Internet of Things (IoT) department at DENSO’s thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek, received this award when he graduated with his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering this spring.

The University does not make this decision lightly, Nagdev said. After being unanimously nominated by his department, Nagdev began a month-long process, sharing everything from his resume to research papers and publications for consideration.

“This is just a stepping stone for the things I want to achieve and contribute to science and betterment of the society,” Nagdev said.

Nagdev started working at DENSO as a summer intern in 2014 while he pursued his masters and then doctorate degrees at WMU. He spent more than three years in Total Industrial Engineering (TIE) before being hired as DENSO’s first data scientist in Battle Creek.

“When I started at DENSO, I had no idea if I was going to stay here long-term,” Nagdev said. “But everything fell into place. I was looking for a new job in data science and big data outside of DENSO when I learned they were looking for someone to fill a role that lined up with my research and passion.”

As an intern, Nagdev observed how often machines would need to stop for repairs, slowing down production, increasing associate overtime and causing the production line to miss their performance goals. This is when he decided to focus his research on preventative maintenance, recognizing the potential to help associates and increase profitability.

Combining his real-world experience and doctoral research was very successful; Nagdev has published 10 papers and will be receiving a patent. A lot of his research ideas were inspired by the projects and people he works with at DENSO.

“Everything, every day is challenging, especially in my role,” Nagdev said. “I get a lot of opportunity to explore new things and people are open to new suggestions and projects and I want to help them.”

Nagdev said his next educational goal is to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration. But first, Nagdev is celebrating a major milestone outside the classroom, being newly married this summer.

“I always say nothing is impossible as long as you are willing to put time and resources towards it. That’s what I tell people when starting a new project, nothing is impossible.”

Congratulations Nagdev!

The next CoA (common, compact, collaborative) HVAC line started production at DENSO’s manufacturing facility in Battle Creek on July 22. Although it is the second CoA line, associates throughout the region made sure it is a project filled with firsts.

“The goal for this project was localization, and it was a huge development opportunity,” said Mike Curbey, HVAC Engineering Manager. “This is the first CoA line in the world to be built 100% locally.”

CoA2 is also the first HVAC line with IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity and the first line at DENSO in Battle Creek with a collaborative robot.

Senior Engineering Technician Eric Paulson said that the team at DENSO in Battle Creek worked closely with machine builders at DENSO in Maryville, Tennessee on the localization effort.

“One of our biggest challenges was helping the machine builders understand our needs exactly,” Eric said. “We were starting with something originally designed in Japan and asking the DENSO Tennessee team to build it to the specifications of our local needs in Michigan. We just had to figure all of that out.”

The new line will produce HVACs for three Subaru models produced in the United States. Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) has already recognized the line as a world-class process.

Congratulations to everyone that made the HVAC Auto Line 2 a reality over the last two years. This is a big step towards DENSO’s future!

Thanks to the Social Activities Committee for offering everyone a cool refreshing treat! And thanks to the DENSO Spirit Team for getting everyone to share what teamwork means to us!

Don’t forget to like your favorite photos on DENSO’s Facebook Page!

Bradley Farman loves to learn. In addition to living in three countries and learning three languages, he decided to apply for a summer internship at DENSO.

A mechanical engineering student at Montana State University, Bradley wanted to find an internship in the automotive industry. A family connection led him to apply for an engineering internship at DENSO’s thermal facility in Battle Creek, Michigan. After interviewing for the position, the offer to work in the Condenser Engineering department brought him from Montana to Michigan to help kaizen condenser processes.

“The most valuable thing I’ve learned here is how to take a project with a big scope and break it down into bite sized, more manageable parts,” Bradley said.

Bradley is the intern who traveled the farthest to spend the summer at DENSO, but travel is nothing new to Bradley, who has lived in more than eight cities and three countries in his life. He also enjoys learning new languages. He is currently learning French, having English, Spanish, and Japanese under his belt already.

Thanks for sharing your talents with us this summer, Bradley!

When MacKenna Eddy used her passion for art to stand up for something she believes in, the reward was larger than life.

MacKenna, daughter of Condenser Engineering Technician Thomas Eddy, is the winner of the 2019 Kalamazoo County Substance Abuse Task Force Youth Billboard Design Competition. The contest is held annually during high school prom season to bring awareness to the problems of underage drinking.

As the winner out of over 50 submissions, MacKenna had the opportunity to share her voice in a big way. Her poster design was made into a full sized billboard displayed around Kalamazoo County. She also received movie tickets, and had the opportunity to record a local public service announcement.

Tom said MacKenna waited to tell him and his wife about the contest until she found out she won, so they were both surprised and thrilled when they heard the news.

“It was an exciting day when we found out she won!” Tom said. “It was one of those proud parent moments, seeing her taking a stand against something like underage drinking.”

This fall, MacKenna will be a senior at Climax High School. In her spare time, Tom says she can be found painting, fulfilling her passion for art. She also loves being outdoors, and their summers are full of trips to the lake to go fishing.

Congratulations MacKenna!

It was only a small piece of plastic that brushed Jacob Klepper’s work boot, but he knew it was a big deal.

Jacob has been building and packing engine cooling modules at DENSO Manufacturing Michigan for over a year now, so he recognized the piece could have been broken off of a finished part headed for a customer. He immediately stopped the line and called his Team Leader, Stan Thuazathang.

Stan arranged for Jacob to conduct a sort of finished parts in the warehouse, determined to find the source of the broken unit. An hour and a half later, Jacob discovered the broken radiator and removed it to be repaired.

“I knew the prong was a customer use point, so we could have received a quality defect claim,” Jacob said. “That would have cost DENSO a lot of time and money if it had gotten to the customer’s assembly line, so I’m glad I was able to find it.”

Stan said this is not the first defect that Jacob has found, and appreciates his hard work and dedication to protecting DENSO’s customers.

“Jacob is a really great worker,” Stan said. “His attention to detail is excellent, and I know we can count on him to speak up when he sees something wrong. That’s really important for all of our associates, so Jacob is setting a great example.”

DENSO in Battle Creek is lucky to have 10 college interns working throughout the facility this summer. One of them is Hannah Pearl, a University of Michigan (U of M) student. She is spending the summer in the Total Industrial Engineering (TIE) department, focusing on implementing autonomous mobile robots into the radiator and ECM final assembly areas.

Hannah has several years of DENSO experience. Last summer, she interned with Production Control TIE and helped launch a yard management system. Before college, Hannah was involved with DENSO through a high school internship program in heater core and evaporator engineering while she attended the Battle Creek Math & Science Center.

“The people at DENSO are my favorite part,” Hannah said. “It’s awesome when you walk down the hall and everyone is friendly and will talk to you.”

At school Hannah is a campus tour leader and volunteers her time with Young Life, a youth group for middle schoolers. She enjoys traveling, and has a goal to be out of the country at least once a year. So far, a service trip to Mexico has been her favorite because she loved bringing hope into people’s lives.

This fall, Hannah will begin her junior year at U of M, continuing her studies in Industrial and Operations Engineering.

Thanks for being a part of the DENSO team, Hannah!

Jeremy Shirey – Estimated completion: July 2019

Jeremy enjoyed being part of a team and resolving a variety of challenging tasks in his Machine Finishing rotation. He is thankful for all the talented individuals who have helped him throughout the program, and believes DENSO is fortunate to have so many skilled journeymen!

When he’s not at DENSO Jeremy loves spending as much time as he can with his wife and their new puppy.

Andrew Fry – Completed April 2019

Andy is thankful for everyone who helped him grow his skill set, as well as his wife who supported him and accommodated to his changing schedule during the program. His favorite part of the Apprenticeship Program was Machine Finishing.

When he’s not working, Andy spends as much time as he can on the lake with his family.

In 1997, the DMMI Scholarship Fund was started to assist children of DMMI associates with the rising costs of higher education. Winners are chosen by a BCCF (Battle Creek Community Foundation) panel based on activities and work experience.  This year, $1,500 scholarships were awarded to three children of DENSO associates who are going on to earn advanced degrees. The 2019 recipients are Co Nguyen, Olivia Scheel and Flora Sung.

Co Nguyen

Daughter of Cuong Nguyen, Production 2 Advanced Associate

In the fall, Co will be attending Grand Valley State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Biomedicine. After graduating she aspires to create machines for medical patients with missing limbs, which will help them perform and function more efficiently. Co participated in a variety of extracurricular activities in high school, such as Marching Band, Tennis, National Honors Society and Spanish Club.

Olivia Scheel

Daughter of Paul Scheel, Production Control Director

Olivia enjoys helping others and is pursuing her passion for Speech Pathology at Western Michigan University. In the future, she wants to work with children, whether it’s at a local elementary school or a hospital overseas. Outside of school she enjoys being active by running, playing soccer and kayaking. Oliva has always admired her father’s work ethic and good attitude, and appreciates her mother’s dedication in homeschooling her and her siblings.

Flora Sung

Daughter of Maria Tawl, Production 1 Associate III

Flora will be a junior in the fall, transferring from Kellogg’s Community College to Western Michigan University. She is pursuing a Biology degree, and plans to go to Medical school afterwards to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. Flora loves having fun with the people she is close with, from playing sports with her friends to cooking traditional food with her family. Her mom is one of her biggest role models because of her kindness she extends to others.

Congratulations to our 2019 DENSO scholarship winners, we wish you the best of luck in pursuing your higher education!

Richard Saylor – Completed February 2019

Richard appreciates the numerous people in each department that helped him learn important skills so he can succeed in his job. His favorite part was being rotated through the different areas allowing him to gain a variety of experience.

Something not everyone knows about Richard is that he started working on cars when he was only 13 years old!

In 2018, 28 associates reached the 25-years of service milestone. Roughly 45 people gathered to celebrate these honorees at the Quarter Century Club Dinner on Thursday, January 24. Thank you for choosing to make your career at DENSO. Congratulations!

Every day at DENSO, someone is making a prototype for an automotive part. Now up in the North Office, the Internet of Things (IoT) Team is prototyping something drastically different—a modern office environment.

The IoT office space is filled with big blue couches, circular desks, bright bold colors and a whiteboard that spans the entire office. This prototype is based on one central concept—collaboration.

“We want to create an environment that encourages discussion and openness,” said Teresa Hansen, IoT Section Leader.  “This helps encourage learning between senior staff and new staff.

Most DENSO office areas are a sea of grey or beige, so the IoT office stands out. But modern office environments are now commonly designed with color and collaboration in mind.

“I like the color scheme and all the little nooks where you can meet up,” IoT Programmer Nam Le said. “We couldn’t separate ourselves for focused time if we needed the seclusion before. Now the whole room is very flexible.”

As the war for talent gets more and more intense, job seekers are coming to expect modern, collaborative office environments. But even longtime associates like Advanced Software Developer Joe Delbridge love the IoT prototype office.

“It’s the first time in my 21 years that I have seen an office change this drastic… and it’s a great change.”

The door to the IoT office space is locked for security reasons, but Teresa said that this doesn’t mean associates aren’t welcome. In fact, anyone can stop by to take a look around, or bring their laptop along to try out one of the collaboration spaces.

“We want people to see this and want to be a part of it. We want this to show that we’re changing the game at DENSO.”

Contact Teresa or a member of the IoT team with questions or to set up a time.

In support of the United Way Diaper Drive, we held our own diaper and feminine product collection at DENSO Manufacturing Michigan and designated our donation to Charitable Union.

Our team donated:

• Diapers: 1449
• Feminine Products: 1560
• Baby wipes/powder/vasoline: 1901

Thanks to everyone that donated!

The Battle Creek community gathered to celebrate Chin National Day together this winter with sponsorship support from DENSO. The Community Cultural Center in Springfield was bursting at the seams for the annual event attended by more than 400 Battle Creek area Burmese.

Chin National Day was established almost 70 years ago to commemorate the day the Burmese threw out their feudal system, adopted democracy, and separated themselves from Great Britain. The holiday is a chance to preserve and maintain the rich culture, tradition, language, and literature of the Chin ethnic group.

This year’s event featured traditional music, dancing, food, storytelling, and fashion. The DENSO Burmese Resource Group and DMMI Business Partnering Manager Paul Gallagher represented DMMI and were recognized for the company’s event sponsorship and community support.