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THE PATHS
WE FORGE
A series to honor those who live and breathe the Wolverine spirit of independence, fearlessness, and grit.
At Wolverine, we exist to support the people who forge their own path; those who stop at nothing to build the future they want. We seek to fulfill this purpose not only through the products we make, but also through the causes we serve and the stories we tell.
From entrepreneurs who risk it all in pursuit of their passion to students who defy societal expectations to learn a skilled trade; from artisans who devote their lives to the mastery of a craft to outdoor explorers who endure unforgiving elements in the name of adventure. Across industries, there are people carving their own way in the world and making tracks as they do. The Paths We Forge is our ode to them.
The Koets Family
20 FEET OF JOY BENEATH AN 8-FOOT CEILING
On the count of three, the Koets family shoves a giant blue spruce through a doorframe half its size. A huge Christmas tree the size of the entire ranch house’s living room is a tradition dating back decades. It’s a ton of work, but for the Koets family, it’s all worth it for the immense joy it brings.
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Aaron Henry
Another 1000 Miles
Entering the shop, the rich smell of leather and shoe polish permeates the air and morning sunlight pours in through the front windows. The machinery is heavy and old, some of it dating back a century. Standing at the outsole stitching machine, Aaron Henry breathes new life into a pair of well-worn Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots, getting them ready for their next thousand miles.
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Angela VanWiemeersch
Working Hard at Great Heights
Hundreds of feet in the air, Angela VanWiemeersch nears the top of the radio tower she’s been climbing. When she reaches the top, though, that’s when the real work begins.
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Kristina Hansen
GIN MADE THE OLD WAY
For distillery owner, Kristina Hansen, the process of making top-shelf gin is hands-on and low-tech, letting her create the best product possible, start to finish.
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Dazmonique Carr
Deeply rooted
On a one-acre plot of land in a Detroit neighborhood that has seen better days, Dazmonique Carr walks the rows of newly planted crops, inspecting for plants sprouting. This is one of her favorite parts of the job, witnessing plants as they first sprout out of the ground, watching new growth.
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Chuck Johnson
Painting the sky with fire
Thunderous booms echo through the night sky before going silent. Immediately following the grand finale, there's a brief moment for Chuck Johnson, owner of Vortex Fireworks Artists. That's his favorite part of the job.
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Steve & Brandon Zinninger
Home is Where You Park It
A gorgeous polished aluminum camp trailer sits atop a rugged Utah vista. It’s a family’s dream camp setup but not too long ago was a beat-up old trailer on the verge of being put out to pasture. Father/son team, Steve and Brandon Zinninger and their business, Camper Reparadise, have been making peoples’ camp trailer and Sprinter van dreams come true for a decade now, fueled by strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.
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Trade Industry Panelists
A PANEL OF PATHS
Wolverine and SkillsUSA, an organization dedicated to ensuring America has a skilled workforce, assembled a panel of industry professionals to break down misconceptions about opportunities in the trades and raise awareness for the incredible opportunity that exists in skilled trades professions.
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Saray Hernandez
Have torch, will travel
Aboard some of the U.S. Navy’s largest ships, Saray Hernandez puts
on her headphones, cranks the tunes, and makes sparks fly. As a
contract welder, each day brings with it a new challenge of keeping
these vessels seaworthy. She describes her crew as a bunch of little
ants hard at work building stuff. But as one of the few women in her
field, Saray is one ant that
stands out.
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Maria Klemperer-Johnson
BUILDING CONFIDENCE BY
BUILDING A COMMUNITY
Maria Klemperer-Johnson is a Jill of all trades. A computer programmer in a past life, she longed for something more; a deeper connection and a sense of community. She found that community by building it herself.
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Jeremy Stokes
HAPPY PEOPLE IN A GREAT WOOD TOWN
In a world where simple, low-cost, mass-produced pieces are what make up the bulk of new construction, Jeremy Stokes and his small crew of artisans veer hard in the other direction. They choose to stay true to the craftsmanship of woodworking, keeping the same techniques and vintage equipment many others have forgotten.
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Dave Niewenhuis
THE JOB OF A MENTOR
Dave Niewenhuis has spent the last 7 years working as an instructor at YouthBuild, an organization that teaches young people the skills they need to build successful careers in the trades and also to become leaders in their community. But to Dave, his role as a mentor goes well beyond teaching employable skills.
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Jessie Lewis
ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES
With a blowtorch and a crucible Jessie Lewis melts down old silver in order to give it new life. From her studio in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, Jessie and her brand—Ruby and Revolver—have become known around the country and the world for beautifully raw jewelry combining reclaimed precious metals with uniquely gorgeous stones and rugged looks that lets the metal's character shine through.
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Blake Corum
WAKE UP EARLY AND PUT IN THE WORK
Blake Corum's journey to becoming a star running back at an elite
college football school begins in a one-stoplight town in rural
Virginia. Exposed to the hard work of his family, he learned at a
young age that achieving success takes dedication, hustle,
and sacrifice.
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Jason Robson
THERE'S BEAUTY IN THE BLADE
As Jason Robson polishes each knife that leaves his shop to a gorgeous sheen, he imagines the patina each particular blade will eventually take on. Unlike some artisan bladesmiths, Jason makes his knives to be used and abused.
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Mikel Evans
ART THAT RIDES THE WATER
In a long rectangle of foam, Mikel Evans sees beauty and the potential for great happiness. But first, he must carve it to shape. Though the process of building surfboards is anything but clean, each of Mikel's custom boards turns out as a flawless piece of functional art.
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Whitney Whitehouse
IN THE MOMENT
For Whitney Whitehouse, the path to becoming a successful traveling photographer has been full of risk and perseverance. The things she most loves about her work are that every day is different, and so are the places she travels.
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Chase Winovich
THE TENACITY OF A WOLVERINE
Professional football player Chase Winovich has never been the
biggest guy on the team, but grit and an unmatched work ethic have
helped him excel to the top of his sport. He credits these traits to
his blue-collar roots and the sacrifices his
ancestors made.
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Nathan Miller
CRAFTSMANSHIP ON TWO WHEELS
As owner of the bike shop, Ridgway Wrench in Ridgway, Colorado, Nathan Miller's built his life around the bicycle. He loves finding the balance between time spent riding bikes and time spent honing his craft of working on them.
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Markus Damwerth
TEACHING WHAT'S BEEN FORGOTTEN
Markus Damwerth finds inspiration in wood. The material itself is what Markus, a lifelong carpenter and current professor of architectural carpentry, loves most about his trade.
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Morgen Baldwin
SHE BUILDS BRIDGES
Morgen Baldwin drives her pickup truck down the fresh black pavement of Utah's Bangerter Highway, glancing from time to time out her window at the snow-capped mountains towering along the horizon. She takes great pride in driving this road, because she built it.
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Caleb Donhowe
A RENAISSANCE COFFEE MAN
From latte art to woodworking, Caleb Donhowe brings an all-in approach to every pursuit in his life. With that comes trial and error, risk and reward, and sometimes failure.
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Matt Jackson
HARNESSING LIGHTNING
A third-generation neon signmaker and glassblower, Matt Jackson's been drawn to the radiance of neon since boyhood. 35 years ago, he began fiddling around with glass blowing and neon in his dad's shop, and it still hasn't lost its allure.
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Chase Bardole
FREEDOM CHASER
Bartender-turned-liquor rep, Chase Bardole's life is a perfect cocktail of pavement-pounding ambition, craft, and an endless thirst for freedom.
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