Category: Article

Great Lakes Boat Building School – Invitation to bid on Demolition Work

The Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) is seeking sealed bids for an asbestos abatement and residential demolition project in Cedarville, Michigan; which will be received by Sidock Group, Inc., 757 S. Wisconsin Ave., Gaylord, Michigan 49735 until 3:00 pm local time, on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Bids are to be emailed only. Bids will be publicly opened at 2:10pm in the same office. Those received after the cut-off time will not be accepted.

The work consists of the following: Asbestos abatement work to be completed by a licensed Michigan Asbestos Abatement Contractor. Disconnection and abandonment of all existing utilities, including sewer, water, phone, electric, and CATV; demolition and removal of a 2,250 SF residential building including foundations and subgrade improvements to native soils. Work also includes a temporary pump control pedestal and importation of clean fill to return the site to surrounding grade.

Please view the following documents for additional information.

Invitation to Bid – Letter (PDF)
Demolition Site Plan (PDF)
Demolition Bid Package (PDF)

Great Lakes Boat Building School Garners Support for Equipment Campaign

Cedarville, MI – Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) recently received a $10,000 donation from the Marine Leadership Alliance in support of their “Enhancing Education with Equipment” (EEE) Campaign. The funding is earmarked for creating an engine test tank area in their new facility that will become the MLA Marine Engine Testing Area.

The Marine Leadership Alliance (MLA) is a forum to promote the exchange and advancement of marine industry issues, ideas and solutions. The Alliance consists of leaders from the following organizations: ASA Electronics, BH Electronics, Dometic Corporation, Faria/Beede Instruments, GEM Products, Glen Raven, Inland Plywood Company, Lenco Marine, Merrimac Marine Insurance, Syntec Industries, Taylor Made Group, Transhield, Inc., Volvo Penta of the Americas and William F. Miller & Associates.

The MLA annual conference brings together thought-leaders and innovators to share insights for a full multidisciplinary experience. This year’s conference was held April 24 to 26, 2023 at The Cloister, in Sea Island, Georgia where GLBBS President Nikki Storey made a presentation about the school and accepted the gift.

“It was an incredible experience to be in the same room and present to so many outstanding leaders in the marine industry about what we have accomplished and what is planned for the future at our school,” said Storey. “We are honored to be the recipient of their foundation’s support and humbled that they believe strongly in our mission of preparing students for rewarding careers in the marine industry. We are sincerely grateful for the MLA’s generosity and hospitality.”

The MLA gift moves the needle to a total of $163,500 (or 19% of the goal) in funding and gift-in-kind support towards the campaign goal of $850,000.  MLA joins Ilmor Engineering of Plymouth, MI and Gage Marine of Lake Geneva in supporting this initiative.

“Each year our Foundation’s leadership convenes to consider supporting a non-profit organization that makes a profound and positive impact on the marine industry,” said Hill Lenderman, President of William F. Miller & Associates and current President of the MLA. “With how Great Lakes Boat Building School is transforming the lives of their students, many are military veterans, by preparing them for rewarding careers and helping address the dire workforce shortage of marine professionals, it didn’t take long to build consensus among our members.”

The premise for the school’s EEE Campaign is the need for new marine equipment and technology required to deliver Mercury University’s Level II Technician certification. Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) would be the second marine trades institution in the country to offer this specialized and much needed training. The other institution is in Florida. Also, due to demand from the industry, GLBBS will offer Ilmor Engineering and Volvo Penta diesel curriculum which requires additional equipment.  Graduates with these certifications will help address the dire workforce shortage in the marine industry.

Later this summer, construction will commence on the 10,000 sq. ft. Marine Technology Center. This cutting edge marine trades educational facility will house the school’s Marine Service Technology Program and the only Marine Electronics Technology training facility in the country, among other outstanding features. To exceed the challenges of delivering the premier marine skilled trades educational experiences for students, this facility must be furnished with the best marine technology and equipment.

For more information on how to support the “Enhancing Education with Equipment Campaign” and available naming opportunities contact Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or (906) 484-1081.   

About Great Lakes Boat Building School

GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to glbbs.wpengine.com/admissions-aid/ or call 906.484.1081.

Information about the “Enhancing Education with Equipment Campaign” is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or by calling 906.484.1081. 

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Presidential Greetings – Hill Lenderman, President of William F. Miller & Associates (left) greets Nikki Storey, President – Great Lakes Boat Building School at the Marine Leadership Alliance Annual Conference at The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia. Henderman is a member of Marine Leadership Alliance which presented a $10,000 donation to Storey in support of the school’s “Enhancing Education with Equipment Campaign.”

Dave Irish Student Sponsorship Award

TO BE CONSIDERED:

Students must be admitted into either the Marine Service Technology program or the Comprehensive Career Boat Building program at Marine Trades Institute by June 9th, have earned a minimum high school or college GPA of 2.5 (transcripts required), must be willing to sign an employment contract for one year of employment with Irish Boat Shop after graduation, and must submit two letters of reference (online through the Sponsorship Core Application or sent directly to Marine Trades Institute by June 9th).

TO APPLY:

Complete both the Sponsorship Core Application form and the Dave Irish Student Sponsorship Application form, and submit two letters of reference by June 9, 2024.

TIMELINE:

The top three students will be notified, and the students will be interviewed by the Selection Committee in August. The winner will receive 1/3 of the $15,000 award each semester, beginning Fall 2024, then Spring 2025 and Summer 2025.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Student will sign a Pre-Employment Agreement with Irish Boat Shop upon acceptance of the Sponsorship Award, and must agree to work for a minimum of one year at Irish Boat Shop in Harbor Springs, MI.
• Student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each semester while attending Marine Trades Institute (attend a minimum of 90% of courses and earn a minimum GPA of 2.0).
• Student must visit Irish Boat Shop before the end of the fall semester to see the facility and meet the staff (Irish Boat Shop will assist with the student’s travel and lodging expenses).
• Spring and Summer semester awards may be cancelled if the student indicates need to cancel pre-employment contract, fails to meet SAP, or is unable to fulfill the work commitment of the award.

EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide full-time, year-round employment
• Provide up to $20 per hour starting wage if graduate is deemed exempted of the Irish Apprenticeship Program, $16 per hour or more starting wage if graduate is deemed eligible for the Irish Apprenticeship Program
• Provide full benefits – health insurance, retirement program, paid vacation and personal time off, employee discounts
• Housing assistance
• Tool Allowance Program
• Uniform – Logo Program
• Continued training and certifications
• Mentoring Program
• SmartDollar Program by Dave Ramsey

A NOTE ABOUT IRISH BOAT SHOP:

Dave Irish and the Irish Boat Shop have provided service for recreational boaters in Harbor Springs since 1961, on Lake Charlevoix since 1971, and in Traverse City since 2018. Their modern, comprehensive facilities in the communities offer a wide range of services, sales, and strength of experience. The business of Irish Boat Shop is to promote recreational boating by delivering quality and value in boats and services while meeting their obligations to their customers, their employees, their communities, and the environment.

From an early age, Dave Irish was in his element in the water. His early jobs included teaching sailing and working on boats in what was then his family’s sideline business. He entered the Air Force in 1958 and left military service in 1960 to return to Harbor Springs and care for his ailing father.

Dave was widely known in the sailing community, and with the help of family and the encouragement of boating friends, he founded the Irish Boat Shop. Over the following 61 years he built it into a successful, thriving business with almost 100 employees staffing their three locations. Dave Irish passed away on November 30, 2020.

Dave liked messing around with boats, and he particulary enjoyed the company of people who owned and played with boats. It is in this spirit that Irish Boat Shop founded this sponsorship award in 2023.

2023 Marine Trades Showcase at Irish Boat Shop

When:

Thursday, April 20, 2023

9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. |  Arrive at Irish Boat Shop – Welcome and Coffee!
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |  Learn about the marine trades, Irish Boat Shop, and GLBBS
12:00 p.m. |  Lunch provided by Irish Boat Shop

Where:

400 E. Bay St., Harbor Springs, MI 49740

Please RSVP by April 7, 2023

Registration has closed for this event.

Great Lakes Boat Building School Welcomes Irish Boat Shop as First Network Member

Cedarville, Michigan – In Great Lakes Boat Building School’s continued pursuit of its mission to prepare students for rewarding careers in the marine industry, a first-of-its-kind program in the nation has been developed by its leadership.  The marine trades institution located in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan welcomes Irish Boat Shop, headquartered in Harbor Springs, Michigan as its inaugural member of the newly created GLBBS Marine Dealers Education Network (MDEN).

The MDEN is designed to provide an opportunity for marine dealers to positively influence the industry of the future by impacting the education and development of future marine industry professionals. In addition, a MDEN membership is a conduit to interact with GLBBS students and build a network for attracting well-trained and prepared graduates.  Great Lakes Boat Building School has created this program to help address the dire workforce shortage in the Great Lakes region marine industry and beyond.

Irish Boat Shop was established in Harbor Springs by Dave Irish in 1961, another location was added on Lake Charlevoix in 1971 followed by Traverse City in 2018. Their modern, comprehensive facilities in these communities offer a wide range of services, sales and the strength of the Irish Boat Shop experience.

In Harbor Springs and Charlevoix, new and used boat sales, chandlery, dockage, storage and complete service are integrated to make boating a fun and hassle-free experience for their customers. In Traverse City, Irish offers new and used boat sales, chandlery and mobile service for convenience. 

The Irish Boat Shop’s mission is to promote recreational boating by delivering quality and value in boats and services while meeting the obligations of their customers, employees, communities and the environment.

“We are extremely excited to partner in this unique way with Irish Boat Shop, such a respected and well-known Northern Michigan boat dealer,” said Nikki Storey, President, Great Lakes Boat Building School. “This is a classic win-win scenario as we seek to continue placing our students in rewarding careers and Irish Boat Shop offers our graduates outstanding opportunities for growth and development in their organization.”

By Irish Boat Shop enrolling as a member of the GLBBS Marine Dealers Education Network they will be able to hold an exclusive recruitment day at the school, host a student at their facilities and organize a “Marine Trades Showcase” event to create awareness regarding employment opportunities with their organization to area high schools and community members. This unique partnership entails collaborations in marketing and student recruitment that will advance the missions of both organizations.

“Our biggest challenge as a marine dealer is finding qualified, well-trained and career-ready employees,” said Micheal Esposito, President, Irish Boat Shop. “We have been involved with Great Lakes Boat Building School and hired graduates that are developing careers with us now. Joining this network and sponsoring a future student was a natural next step for us to attract more talented people and enhance our relationship with the school.”

The Irish Boat Shop Student Sponsorship will benefit one student each year from either the Comprehensive Career Boat Building or Marine Service Technology program at GLBBS. Irish will fund $15,000 towards a student’s tuition with the student agreeing to work at Irish following graduation. Student sponsorships have been an excellent way to assist students in attaining their post-secondary education goals and resulting in rewarding careers in the marine industry.

The combination of a GLBBS Marine Dealership Network membership with a student sponsorship will create an effective career pathway for graduates while assisting Irish Boat Shop in enhancing their talented team.

GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to www.admissions@glbbs.org or call 906.484.1081. 

Information about the “GLBBS Marine Dealer Education Network” is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or by calling 906.484.1081.  

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Irish Boat Shop and Great Lakes Boat Building Ink Unique Agreement – Irish Boat Shop, headquartered in Harbor Springs, MI is the first member of Great Lakes Boat Building School’s Marine Dealer’s Education Network (MDEN). The network is the first-of-its-kind partnership designed for dealers to positively impact the education and future development of future marine industry professionals. The school’s students gain awareness of rewarding career opportunities and receive mentoring, in this case from Irish Boat Shop leadership. (left to right) Laura Kohler, Human Resource Manager and Michael Esposito, President – Irish Boat Shop, join Great Lakes Boat Building School President Nikki Storey in the showroom following executing the agreement.