MUSKEGON – In December of 1915, a group of six manufacturers gathered to develop a reliable, cost effective way to provide management information, service and assistance to employers – to provide answers. One hundred years later, the organization’s tagline still says it best, “The Answers are Right Here.”

“Our vision is to fulfill our tagline,” says Lisa Sabourin, President, Employers Association of West Michigan (EA). “Our role is to decipher and vet information so that we can help employers apply solutions that best fit their goals and culture, and to provide key employer services and information in support of talent and workforce development.”

EA began with historic Muskegon manufacturing companies, including Morton Manufacturing, Muskegon Motor Specialties, EBW, Lift-Tech, L3 Communications, and CWC Textron; today the group’s membership includes over 150 employers in a variety of sectors – manufacturing, service, banking, retail, public sector, health care, and service organizations.  EA has a unique viewpoint for a membership group, in that they don’t seek to speak for their members as a unit. Instead, their strength is to recognize that each organization has its own individual culture and goals, and to support members with the resources needed to achieve those goals. In order to do so, EA provides organizations with the information and data they need, the training they require and the direct help they request. To help members keep pace with changing complexities and implement best practices, EA provides Hotline Access, so the answers are only a phone call or an email away. Other tools that are available to members through EA include email newsletters and alerts, sample policies and programs, survey data. With over 75 programs annually, they provide training and development for human resources, safety, leadership, sales/marketing/service, communication and soft skills.  EA also hosts some of the largest, most dynamic and inclusive HR and Safety discussion groups in West Michigan.

To celebrate the power of association and the spirit of collaboration of its members for 100 years, EA is planning events and activities throughout the year. Kicking things off will be a dinner on February 23rd at the Trillium. Support of the Muskegon Promise, an event at the Muskegon Heritage Museum, promote high school co-op programs and a special Future Forward event in the fall are things to look forward to from EA this year.

For more information about Employers Association of West Michigan, visit their website at www.eawm.net or call Lisa Sabourin at (231) 759-0916.

Employers Association of West Michigan is a voluntary, private, membership organization of enterprises located along the western shore of Michigan. Member companies, large and small, diverse in purpose, from manufacturing, service, banking, health care, education, retail and public sector organizations, have relied on the Association’s services for 100 years.