This Internship opportunity is for Summer 2027.
WHO WE ARE:
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan since 1955, Lumbermen’s operates in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Minnesota. A leading distributor and manufacturer, we are driven by our mission to enrich lives by intentionally caring for all who experience us. We are employee owned and relationship powered.
POSITION SUMMARY
Our Summer Industrial Engineering Internship offers a hands-on opportunity to work alongside our door production team and gain valuable experience in manufacturing, process improvement, and lean operations. This will be a paid internship.
As an Industrial Engineering Intern, you will work closely with our operations and production teams to evaluate existing processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and help implement solutions that increase efficiency, productivity, and quality. You will gain practical experience applying industrial engineering concepts in a real-world manufacturing environment while contributing to projects that make a meaningful impact on our operations. Specific opportunities this position offers include:
- Measure production cycle times, perform line balancing, and evaluate workstation ergonomics to identify opportunities for improved productivity and efficiency.
- Identify areas of waste within production processes and develop recommendations for waste elimination and operational improvements.
- Support production layout initiatives
- Assist with documenting and maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs) to support consistent and efficient production processes.
- Develop process standards and establish standard hours for individual manufacturing operations.
- Design, evaluate, and update work cell layouts to improve workflow, space utilization, and material flow.
- Participate in Kaizen events, 5S initiatives, and root-cause problem-solving projects to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities.
- Collaborate with production supervisors and team members to understand current processes, identify challenges, and implement improvement opportunities.
- Collect and analyze production data to measure process performance and evaluate the effectiveness of improvement initiatives.
- Present project findings, recommendations, and process improvement results to the operations team.
SKILLS TO ATTAIN
- Effective communication skills and how to present to an audience
- How to facilitate successful outcomes through effective problem solving
- How to build and maintain strong relationships
- How to work effectively in a collaborative team environment
- How to manage multiple tasks/projects simultaneously
- How to develop 5S and lean manufacturing skills
- How to look at challenges and develop creative and viable solutions
REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
- Pursuing a degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
- Strong analytical and communication skills.
REQUIRED SKILLS
- Desire and willingness to learn
- Strong communication skills
- Strong internal motivation
- Openness to feedback
- Problem solving skills
- Relationship management skills
- Ability to model and drive safe working practices
- Leads by example, demonstrating a positive attitude and outlook
Lumbermen’s is proud to be a drug and alcohol-free workplace. In addition, Lumbermen’s will not discriminate against any employee or candidate because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. We participate in E-Verify.
Skills Required
- Pursuing a degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Relationship management skills
- Ability to model and drive safe working practices
- Desire and willingness to learn
- Strong internal motivation
- Openness to feedback
- Ability to demonstrate a positive attitude and outlook
What We Do
Lumbermen’s is an employee-owned manufacturer and distributor of building materials headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1955, it serves authorized lumber dealers, home centers, and industrial manufacturers across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Minnesota. Its offerings for building-industry customers include building materials, doors, commercial components, kitchen and bath products, and value-added services such as laminating, cutting, shaping, edge-banding, and door pre-finishing.
