Courtesy Photo Above, NEMROC CEO Dave Szydlowski, on left, receives the NCSE Management Excellence award from Jamal Malone, NCSE representative, North Central region of SourceAmerica.

Dave Szydlowski, CEO of NEMROC, was recently resented the NCSE Management Excellence award during the SourceAmerica National Training Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

SourceAmerica is a national organization that represents community rehabilitation programs across the country. SourceAmerica’s mission, vision and values are “the driving reason we come to work each day, and why we commit ourselves so fully and passionately to every task we undertake,” a press release stated. “The people at the heart of our mission — people with disabilities — are our sons, our daughters, our friends, our neighbors, and our coworkers, and we know that their unique abilities and inspiring can-do spirit enhance the lives of all those around them. They are why we do what we do, and why we will never stop fighting for a world where every person with a disability has employment opportunities and choices.”

During the acceptance of the award, Szydlowski said, “This was certainly earned by all of the employees of NEMROC, and I will proudly take it back to them. NEMROC’s success has truly been a team effort. I have received great support from the Board of Directors, my management team, and the dedication of the hardworking employees in the manufacturing and service sectors of our business. Building a team of successful employees in a nonprofit organization is no different than building a successful team of leaders in any business. You have to depend on people, and you have to let them become leaders themselves.”

Szydlowski continued, “I would like to recognize NEMROC’s employees, especially persons served with disabilities. They are the real heroes of NEMROC’s success. When someone hears the word disability they typically form an opinion, or an immediate barrier for employment goes up. At NEMROC we work on the capabilities, and it’s amazing how the barriers come down. For me, I depend on my employees to tell me what they need in order to be successful at their job. From there, it’s my job to provide them with those tools. Helping people with disabilities to meet their goals of gainful employment is, and has been, NEMROC’s vision for over 50 years.”

He added that the Alpena area is “a very supportive community,” and that “NEMROC appreciates the local employers who have believed in our employees and their capabilities.”

NEMROC is a 501 (c) (3) private nonprofit which began as an organization supporting facility based programing, job training, and employment in 1968. Today NEMROC operates an industrial sawmill, large lumber drying facilities, a finish wood product line, vinyl floor mat manufacturing operations, and a custodial business. NEMROC has evolved into an economic driver for the community and a major employer for persons with disabilities, serving approximately 100 individuals.

NEMROC wood and vinyl products are produced locally and sold primarily throughout the Midwest, locally within Alpena, throughout Michigan, and recent sales and marketing efforts are reaching customers across the country and overseas. The main office and manufacturing facilities are on Bolton Street in Alpena, and a second location supports a lumber drying processing plant on Progress Street in Hillman.