ABOUT US > Meet the Team

Since 1971, Jim Schwinefus has done much to help grow this company into what you see today. Many of Jim's strengths and skills can be attributed to his 20 years of service in the National Guard. His guard and officer training demonstrated what discipline and hard work can accomplish, and he has accomplished a lot in his 40+ years here at Empire. Jim has helped oversee many expansions, and advances in printing technology throughout his tenure here. In the 1980's, Jim's practical experience was augmented by management seminars at Michigan Technological University, where he learned to construct and implement master production schedules. In 2009, his education took a giant leap when he became Green Belt Certified in Value Stream Management. He has also become a strong supporter of Lean Manufacturing. "You have to think all of the time about better ways to manufacture, always looking to eliminate inefficiency in the workflow. " ~Jim Schwinefus.

Through high school and college, Autum worked at Empire part-time and learning the production side of things. Autum began working full-time for Empire after earning her Bachelor's degree in Business and Management from Winona State, in Minnesota. In 2008, she was appointed Assistant Vice President and became a member of the Marketing Committee. As part of Lean Manufacturing implementation at Empire, she received her Green Belt certification and was recently certified as a TWI trainer.

Kathy's career at Empire began in 1973, working in the office for the President and Vice President of Empire. Her close contact with in-house sales made Kathy realize what she really wanted to do in life--sell! Jim Brush was planning on expanding the sales office and he gave her an opportunity to prove herself. After a few years, and several Dale Carnegie seminars, Kathy was promoted to Vice President of Sales in 1985. She helped Empire add sales representatives and aided in Empire's growth to a 20 million dollar company (in 1973, Empire's sales were a little shy of one million). Thirty-eight years later, Kathy is still finding ways to provide better customer service. In 2010, she completed her Green Belt certification, which focused on capturing the, “Voice of the Customer.” Kathy attributes her success to her fellow employees. "I love working with the positive energy that runs through this company. No matter what is asked of these people, they will do anything to please the customer. They care about the customer and their workmanship."

John brought all of his practical knowledge and work experience from the Ettrick Live Stock Market and Northern Engraving to Empire Screen Printing. His hands-on experience and work ethic were an asset to Empire from the beginning. Working his way up through the ranks, John gained a practical body of knowledge, which earned him the position of Operations Coordinator. John excels in this position because he enjoys the responsibility and challenges of educating himself, as well as his fellow employees and Empire's customers, about new technology and how it affects the printing industry. As a result of John's continued willingness to learn, he became Green Belt Certified in January 2010, undergoing a six-month training program, in which he learned how to implement a “Pull System” for screen printing. After 25 years at Empire, John proves you never stop learning how to better do your job.