Suppliers
"A couple of guys who started with nothing."
"I grew up in a migrant family. We followed the harvest from Texas to Florida to Michigan. I didn't even speak English until second grade," says Noel Cuellar, president, Primera Plastics, Inc.
His family settled in West Michigan, and Noel got a job in a local plant that | | 
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produces automotive parts. He soon became one of its best technicians and plastic injection molders. When he learned that his company was looking for a local minority supplier for plastic parts, Noel put together a business plan.
With two machines in a pole barn, Noel and his co-founder, Ethan Barde, took turns running 12-hour shifts and then delivering the parts when the other partner came on duty.
In 1997, Ethan and Noel were introduced to Herman Miller through its Supplier Diversity Program. They wanted to expand their business, and they wanted to stick with "a winning team."
"We saw the excitement at Herman Miller," says Noel. "We saw the way people loved coming into work and that they understood they were part of the company's success."
Herman Miller entered into a mentoring process with Primera. "Herman Miller gave us the tools to develop our systems. We got training in areas like logistics and lean manufacturing and electronic data entry," says Noel.
Two years ago, Primera moved to a new 70,000-square-foot facility with
state-of-the-art technology and 27 presses.
The company is a Tier I supplier for Herman Miller and is the largest Hispanic-owned company in West Michigan with an employee population that is 80 percent minority.
"We were a couple of guys who started with nothing. Primera is a blessing that was given to us," says Noel.
Recruitment and Retention, Development and Engagement
Chayva Chau, Reading Mentor
with Herman Miller since 1999
I had just moved from California, and I was looking for a volunteer activity. I heard about this program through Herman Miller's Good Works announcements. I love reading, and I love children, so I thought this would be a good opportunity.
I think kids need more role models. | | 
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The future begins with our children. The society we create depends on how we raise our children. Working with them is where we have the most influence for changing the community we live in.
Sally Gruppen, Deputy Mayor, City of Zeeland
with Herman Miller since 1969
I ran for city council 14 years ago because I felt so strongly that we needed a new library and community center. I was the first woman elected
to the council. Four years later we broke ground for a $4 million community center that's the cornerstone of our downtown. | | 
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I'm someone who loves to serve. I learned to serve at Herman Miller because I grew up with the principles of the De Pree family. I love our city, and I want it to move into the future in a way that respects our past. I want to have neighborhoods and community schools and churches on the corner. I don't want these things to disappear.
Marvin Barber, Runner
with Herman Miller since 2005
In the late 1980s I began getting up at about five in the morning and doing a brisk run. I discovered how invigorating it is. That regimen became a part of my life.
I run in the clear of the morning just at dawn when things are peaceful and serene. I can free my mind and | | 
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prepare for the day. It gives me structure and balance. It focuses my thoughts and my energy. I can think things through rather than waking up in a rush.
Running is effortless for me.
Education and Awareness
"I wanted to say 'hi!'"
"I think everyone has something unique and wonderful about them," says Bette Melton, Herman Miller Human Resources technology analyst. "We should treasure that."
Bette noticed that a growing number of people from other cultures were working at Herman Miller, and she wanted to get to know them. "I wanted
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to walk down the hall and be able to say 'Hi! How are you?' in Cambodian or Vietnamese or Spanish."
With support from Herman Miller's Inclusiveness and Diversity Team she developed a plan for eight-week classes in Spanish and English. Her idea was then handed over to the Learning Solutions Team for implementation.
"We wanted to tailor these classes to Herman Miller's culture and need," says Tracy Fouchea, program manager. "There are many ways to learn a language. These classes specifically concern the language of the workplace."
Manny Ramirez, building services, volunteered to help out with the Spanish-speaking class. Herman Miller hired the teachers and provided the space and materials.
In spring 2005, the pilot class began. Classes in English and Spanish run separately for the first hour. Then the classes come together for 30 minutes of intensive one-on-one practice between the English and Spanish speakers.
That's where the barriers fall.
"I saw managers learning Spanish from people on their lines. It tore down the boundaries between leadership and production," says Manny.
One Hispanic woman said she was amazed to see how hard we were working to learn her language," says Bette. "She felt respected; she felt that the company cared about her.
"I'm grateful and incredibly humbled by the way an idea has been embraced by a company that sees the value in every person," says Bette.
Dealers
"Something for my children."
In the last century, Mindy Casas Wellshear's grandfather and his family migrated from Spain to Cuba and finally to the United States. While her own migration has a more limited geography--from Chicago where she was born to Dallas where she now lives--Mindy's more significant journey | | 
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was her decision in 1997 to become the owner of Intelligent Interiors, a Herman Miller dealership.
"I have four children," she says. "I wanted more flexibility, and I wanted
something more for them--something to pass on."
Intelligent Interiors targets the needs of the small- to mid-sized business and offers fast, streamlined solutions, mostly from the Herman Miller portfolio. Mindy also recognized an opportunity to serve larger customers who were looking for a minority vendor, and she often partners with another Herman Miller dealership to do so.
"We're proud of being a certified woman- and minority-owned business that can deliver outstanding product and service," she says. In 2004, Intelligent Interiors was recognized as one of the top 500 woman-owned businesses in the nation by DiversityBusiness.com.
Intelligent Interiors has weathered the challenges of the entrepreneurial startup and continues to grow despite occasional sleepless nights on the part of its owner. With seven employees, "the business has exceeded my expectations," says Mindy. "I have faith that I will be blessed. That's just how I was raised. So far, things have worked out.
"The bottom line is that we have to deliver good product and good service. In partnership with Herman Miller, we can do that."
Community
"We want to build productive lives."
Six years ago Wayne and Ruth Coleman started the Church of the Burning Bush in Holland, Michigan. As pastor, Wayne noticed that families with few skills and resources were moving into the community in search of jobs and better lives. | | 
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The Colemans met with local churches, and with their backing they founded Core City, an organization that offers, among other services, an intensive job-training program called STRIDE. "We want to increase the skill level of the people in this community who are impoverished," says Wayne. "We want to help these people build productive lives.
"The only way to break the cycle of poverty is to give people economic opportunity. If we don't, they will find other ways to get money. Why not create taxpayers rather than tax burdens?"
Herman Miller agrees. So, besides helping to fund Core City's STRIDE program, Herman Miller has invited STRIDE clients to its GreenHouse facility for lunch and hands-on job training. Following a plant tour, employee volunteers from Herman Miller conduct mock interviews with each client and give presentations on resumes, applications, and job skills.
The effect on clients is "miraculous," says Ruth. "They are so impressed that Herman Miller would take the time for them. You should see the enthusiasm."
Most of those clients also found jobs.
"Herman Miller's involvement gives hope to low-income people," says Wayne. "It benefits a community when a company like Herman Miller reaches out. It helps keep our communities safe, healthy, and vibrant."
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