PHOTO COURTESY OF GLBBS
Pictured left to right are Walstrom Marine Service Director David Lesh; Walstrom President Tom Ervin; GLBBS President Nikki Storey; GLBBS Director of Development Tom Coates; Ward Walstrom, Jr.
The Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) “Come Aboard, Launch Careers” campaign to support the school’s $3.8 million expansion project received a considerable push forward, thanks to a $25,000 contribution from Great Lakes dealer and service provider Walstrom Marine.
The leadership team at GLBBS recently announced they will soon finalize an economic development-related grant that will provide $2.7 million in funding, with the remaining $1.1 million to be raised from private funding. With Walstrom Marine’s gift, they are now at 37% of that goal.
“To garner the support of such a highly regarded and respected leader in the Michigan boating industry like Walstrom Marine is something we are extremely proud of at GLBBS,” says Nikki Storey, GLBBS president. “Our relationship began with Walstrom’s Service Director David Lesh serving on our Professional Advisory Board, then they hired two of our graduates last fall, and now to receive this generous gift is almost unbelievable. They have been phenomenal partners and we envision some great endeavors together in the future.”
The school is helping to address the shortage of skilled trades and crafts people in the marine industry, and provides qualified students from its Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program and the Marine Service Technology Program, in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.
“We are very pleased to support the Great Lakes Boat Building facility expansion project in Cedarville,“ says Tom Ervin, president at Walstrom Marine. “The two graduates we hired last fall became extremely productive members of our service team in a short period of time. The marine industry is in dire need of marine professionals like them and GLBBS is part of that solution. It is our pleasure to support the school and I encourage others to join Walstrom in this effort.”
Information about the “Come Aboard, Launch Careers” capital campaign is available by contacting Nikki Storey at nikki.storey@glbbs.edu or Tom Coates at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu, also by calling 906-484-1081. For prospective student enrollment information, visit glbbs.edu.
