Southwest Michigan First

Catalyst Awards

The Catalyst Awards are awarded annually by Southwest Michigan First to honor companies in the Kalamazoo Region as Catalysts for Economic Success that have created jobs and wealth in the community. In 2008, we honored 27 companies and two organizations that have created almost 6,000 jobs and nearly $2 billion in wealth in Southwest Michigan.

The companies and their contributions were announced at the ceremony held on December 10, 2008, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. Southwest Michigan First Chairman, William D. Johnston, and Southwest Michigan First Chief Executive Officer, Ron Kitchens, presented the awards to each recipient.

The Catalyst by Judith Konesni The honorees are each presented with 'The Catalyst,’ a beautiful hand-blown glass sculpture created exclusively for this event by local artist Judith Konesni of Tidal Wave Glass.

2008 Catalyst Award recipients include:

Accretive Health
AT&T
Bridge Organics Co.
Business Intelligence Associates
City of Kalamazoo
Co-Dee Stamping Inc.
DesignWare, an American Greetings Company
Dimplex Thermal Solutions
Eaton Corporation
Fabri-Kal Corporation
Graphic Packaging International Inc.
Great Lakes Aviation Holdings Inc.
HECO, Inc.
Metabolic Solutions Development Co.
IndyMac Bank
J. Sterling Industries Ltd.
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Micronics, Inc.
Monteris Medical, Inc.
MPI Research
NephRx Corporation
OtoMedicine, Inc.
Parker Aerospace - Hydraulic Systems Division
Pfizer Animal Health
Rapid Repair
Schupan & Sons, Inc.
Summit Polymers, Inc.
Tolera Therapeutics, Inc.

2008 Catalyst Award recipients (center) are pictured with William D. Johnston (left), Chairman of Southwest Michigan First, and Ron Kitchens (right), Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Michigan First.

Karen Sebastian of Accretive Health	Terry Mulvihill of AT&T	Ed Hessler of Bridge Organics Co.
Brian Schreader of Business Intelligence Associates	Jerri Barnett-Moore of City of Kalamazoo	Clint Neil of Co-Dee Stamping Inc.
Bob Kusinski of DesignWare, an American Greetings Company	Curt Hutchins of Eaton Corporation	John Kittredge of Fabri-Kal Corporation
Ron Kelly of Graphic Packaging International Inc.	Tod Anderson of Great Lakes Aviation Holdings Inc.	Mark Hatfield of HECO, Inc.
David Van Slingerland of J. Sterling Industries Ltd.	Jason Harloff of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation	Jerry Colca of Metabolic Solutions Development Co.
Jim Epolito of Michigan Economic Development Corporation	Dr. Fred Battrell of Micronics, Inc.	William McGinnis of NephRx Corporation
Clark Bennett of OtoMedicine, Inc.	Paul Chase of Parker Aerospace - Hydraulic Systems Division	Cathy Knupps of Pfizer Animal Health
Aaron Vronko of Rapid Repair	Mark Schupan of Schupan & Sons, Inc.	Greg Goodman of Summit Polymers, Inc.
Jim Herrmann of Tolera Therapeutics, Inc.