Denso manager offers insights into company's inner workings
April 6, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- A Western Michigan University alumnus will be back on campus this month to give insider insights into the workings of Denso Manufacturing Michigan Inc.
Joel Markuicki, a manager at DMMI, will present "A Global Transformation: The Dynamics of Denso Manufacturing Michigan Inc." at 4 p.m. Monday, April 14, in Room 1120 of Schneider Hall. An informal reception will follow his presentation, which is part of WMU's Japanese Business Speaker Series. Markuicki's talk is free and open to the public.
Markuicki is a manager at Denso's facility in Battle Creek, Mich. He joined the company in 1989 as an entry-level engineer. Over the past 14 years, he has worked on a variety of projects, including the design of six/seven robotic assembly cells. He now specializes in procurement, focusing on Denso's increasing reliance on U.S.-based local vendors. Markuicki earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees at WMU in 1988 and 1992, respectively.
DMMI is a subsidiary of Denso Corp., one of the world's leading automotive parts suppliers. Denso provides advanced automotive technology, systems and components to all the major automakers. An $18.1 billion corporation, it operates in 30 countries and has 87,000 employees. DMMI was established in 1984 and currently employs some 2,000 people in Battle Creek. That facility's annual sales total more than $900 million and its main products include radiators, heaters, blowers and air conditioners.
The Japanese Business Speaker Series is one of seven key elements of Focus Japan, a WMU project funded by a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Led by Dr. F. William McCarty, professor of finance and commercial law in the Haworth College of Business, and Dr. Hideko Abe, associate professor of Asian and Middle Eastern languages, Focus Japan aims to strengthen the University's study of Japan's language, culture and business environment.
Media contact: Jessica English, 269 387-8400, jessica.english@wmich.edu