UMP’s 75th Anniversary: Looking Back, Moving Forward

75th Anniversary Lunch – May 27, 2021

After the UMP story with CEO Scott Seaholm, which chronicles the 75 year journey of UMP, we decided to pause for a little recap of the celebrations that are coming back – post pandemic.

Festivities at each location included food trucks, ice cream trucks, Corn Hole Tournament, entertainment (we had a tableside magician in Cleveland), a DJ spinning tunes, plus T-shirts, giveaways and prizes. One giveaway to note was a handsome bottle opener, designed and stamped right here at UMP!

I had the pleasure of being at the Cleveland facility, located in Wickliffe, OH, for their event. Everyone was wearing their gray UMP T-shirts, complete with the anniversary logo and a map of how far reaching this company truly is! While enjoying some great BBQ under the big tent, I met some of the people at UMP, saw some impressive magic tricks being performed at each table, watched employees playing cornhole and eating ice cream. Such a nice break from their typical work day.

UMP Employees are truly committed!

One of the employees I spoke with was Francine Tiedman, VP of Administration and someone who knows every face in that facility. I then discovered that she has been with UMP for 35 years! It got me thinking about how many others had longevity with the company. Following up with Christina Balint, UMP’s Corporate HR Manager, I asked how many long term anniversaries there were. I was astonished with the list she provided:

In the article on the 75th history of UMP, Scott Seaholm emphasized making the company a great place to work. He also wanted to encourage longevity and retain staff in an Industry often viewed as somewhat transient. The list above is a testament that it appears to be working.  

Congratulations to all those celebrating so many years of dedication and service. You are all truly instrumental in the success of UMP – past, present and future. You are the foundation on which future staff, innovations, and technology will stand – ready to take this company to the next level, while ensuring its legacy remains intact.

“We are Family”…seriously.

One other recurring theme is that employees are taken into the UMP family. No matter what position they hold, every employee is an integral part of the heart of UMP. What was unexpected was the long list of actual families that work together here. Again, Christina provided a list of 12 families, totalling 29 employees that speaks volumes all on its own:

Families employed by UMP

• The Seaholm Family (Scott, Debbie and daughters Kristin and Kim)
• The Rossman Family (Ted, Cindy, and sons Matt and Kevin)
• The Vihtelic Family (Michael and Jen)
• The Reynolds Family (Rodney and daughter Amber)
• The Dorsey Family (Dan and Janet)
• The Clawsons (Mike and Pattie)
• The Conrads (Russell and daughter Brittany and son Zachary Yorko)
• Bob Hearn and son Ryan Hearn
• Sheila Riera and daughter Kayla
• Doug Martin and his brother Stephen
• Tony Despenes and his brother Michael
• Jim Harsa and son Rob Harsa

Nothing says “great place to work” like recruiting family members to come work with you. Now, remember that this company is not huge by any means, yet they have an impressive amount of employees that come to work there, stay and make an impact, then talk to others about joining the UMP family. 

Know someone who might fit into the UMP family?  See our career opportunities listed HERE. 

Some of the UMP positions available include:

Tool & Die Makers – Pharr, TX
Punch Press Setup Operators-Pharr, TX
Wire EDM Programmer/Operator – Wickliffe, OH 
Punch Press Setup Operators – Pemberville, OH
Phosphate Line Operator – Wickliffe, OH
Assemblers/Machine Operators – Eastlake, OH
Fourslide Machine Operators – Wickliffe, OH
Engineering Intern – Wickliffe, OH
Punch Press Operator – Wickliffe, OH
Tool Room Apprentice – Wickliffe, OH

Additional Events in 2021

We are continuing the celebration well into fall. (After all, we didn’t get to start it on time now, did we?) Here are a few events planned:

July 16 UMP’s First Annual Car Cruise  4p-7p

July 31 Night at the Races – Painesville Speedway

August 28 Company Picnic – Cleveland Metropark Zoo – Lantern Festival

It has been our pleasure to serve our customers these past 75 years, and it will be our distinct pleasure to create solutions for you in the many years to come. Thank you all for being a part of the family!