BVU, Merrill Manufacturing Unite Through Strategic Partnership
By partnering with Buena Vista University, Merrill Manufacturing offers additional educational benefits to its employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and Merrill Manufacturing have entered a Strategic Partnership to continue strengthening the communities they serve.
This partnership opens opportunities for employees of Merrill Manufacturing, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online/hybrid undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
BVU professors and staff are also available for training programs, workshops, and more should officials with Merrill Manufacturing seek those services and expertise.
“We are proud to partner with Merrill Manufacturing, and we look forward to working together to continue to strengthen our community’s workforce and more through education.”
Laura Todd, BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships
“At Merrill, we are big fans of continuing education,” says Merrill Manufacturing Vice President Matt Anderson. “Being able to offer our employees and their spouses and dependents this innovative opportunity through BVU is a good fit and positions us in a win-win situation.”
Founded in 1949 and relocated to the shores of Storm Lake in 1957, Merrill Manufacturing is a leader in the water well industry. Merrill Manufacturing is a family-owned-and-operated business led by three generations of the Anderson family. As a U.S. manufacturer that distributes globally, Merrill Manufacturing employs more than 50 persons while operating at two locations in Storm Lake.
“We want what is best for our team and our surrounding communities,” says Anderson. “This educational benefit through BVU is just another feather in our cap.”
As long-time members of the community, BVU and Merrill Manufacturing remain committed to serving the people of Storm Lake and surrounding communities. Through this partnership, both entities strive to continue to better equip Iowa’s workforce and its residents.
“As a BVU alum, I felt like I was given the tools to succeed,” says Katie Gunkelman, Human Resources Manager at Merrill Manufacturing and 2001 BVU graduate. “All of my classes, coursework, and professors helped prepare me for the real world.”
“We are proud to partner with Merrill Manufacturing, and we look forward to working together to continue to strengthen our community’s workforce and more through education,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “It will be great to see employees and their family members continue to build their future by increasing their access to a quality, affordable education at BVU.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.