22 MiMfg Magazine July 2020
INDUSTRY
Member
Spotlight
Jeremiah Thompson
Factory Manager for Michigan
and Indiana Facilities
Nestlé Waters North America
Member since October 2002 • Employs 250 Michigan workers • Learn more at icemountainwater.com
Water remains our world’s
most important natural resource.
Yet, our world is changing and
our needs have evolved. We’re more
aware of nutrition, physical fitness
and wellness; in 2016 sales of
bottled water surpassed carbonated
soft drinks for the first time ever
(according to a Beverage Marketing
Corporation report released in
2017). We’re also more “on the
go” than ever before. Reliable
access to water is essential and it
still has to taste great.
That’s the centerpiece of Nestlé
Waters’ mission — delivering
quality bottled water that is both
refreshing and healthy.
“Under trusted brands like Ice
Mountain, Pure Life and Poland
Spring, we make water available
across every type — natural spring
water, purified water, distilled water,
mineral water and sparkling water,”
said Jeremiah Thompson, Factory
Manager for Nestlé Waters’
Michigan and Indiana facilities.
“There’s a lot of complexity to
what we do and I think we have a
responsibility to provide great
daily options for people when
and where they need it.”
While demand for Nestlé
brands continues to trend upward,
people aren’t just demanding
water, they’re demanding water
with a taste they recognize.
“Our brands are available
nationwide and abroad, yet, we
have noticed that people have
particular preferences based on
where they grew up. They crave
something familiar,” explained
Thompson. “For example,
Michigan consumers tend to
be drawn to the taste of Ice
Mountain while someone in
the northeast might favor the
flavor and taste of Poland Spring.
There’s a real science to getting
it right region-by-region.”
Nestlé’s Stanwood facility,
now encompassing more than
850,000 square feet, provides
Michigan with a high-quality,
state-of-the-art production system
for bottled water ranging from 8-
ounce bottles to 2.5-gallon jugs.
“People are choosing healthy
hydration. It can be bottled, filtered
or straight from the tap, but water
is making a comeback,” said
Thompson. “We want to make
Thompson and his team know that quality hydration
options should be available to everyone; no matter where
they go. Through their hard work, those options exist in
everything from 8-ounce bottles to 2.5-gallon jugs.
sure there’s a quality option
available to everyone; no matter
where they go.”
Thompson and his team don’t
use the word “quality” lightly
either. From the source to the
customer, they perform thousands
of quality checks to ensure the
highest standard possible. Their
passion and care is also on display
through the people who do the
work every day.
“We’re always looking out for
one another — we can’t succeed
without everyone being on board,”
said Thompson. “I think for any
manufacturer it’s that way, and
our employees believe in providing
the highest quality, most delicious
and most reliable product to
consumers. This commitment
becomes a way of thinking that gets
into the whole company culture.”
Over the next five to 10 years,
that culture will continue to thrive
as Thompson’s team has plans for
further investment into projects
to highlight the need for greater
recycling efforts, reductions to
overall plastic usage, packaging
innovation, more community
involvement and strengthening
their voice in efforts to protect
Michigan’s water, land and other
natural resources.
“When you get to know
Nestlé’s values, you quickly
discover how much we care,”
Thompson stated. “At the end
of the day, whether you make a
product people drink or not, it
needs to be about the people.
Be upfront and honest with
them. Open your doors to the
community and build up those
relationships so that they get to
know you. Trust is everything
in manufacturing.” 6