PRESS RELEASE: FVOP Keeps Pace With Growing Demand, Adds 7 Staff

F&V Operations and Resource Management, Inc. (FVOP) of Grand Rapids announced today the hiring of seven new employees, including a project manager for its expanding southern Michigan operations.

Most of the additions were needed to keep up with the staffing of new projects and a growing client demand in southern Michigan, according to Craig Shumaker, PE, Vice President of FVOP.  In the past year, FVOP staffing has expanded to over 70 employees.

“Water and wastewater operations is an essential and growing field and a vital one during this COVID-19 crisis,” Shumaker said. “We’ve been fortunate to still find great people withexperience that are real go-getters and unsung heroes with what they do every day.”

FVOP provides operations assistance, management and training throughout Michigan and Indiana for municipal, industrial and environmental systems.

The goal of FVOP, which started in 2011, is to provide a partnership with their clients in operating their facilities safely and efficiently. FVOP supports its staff through training and on-going certifications to enhance their professional development.

Bill Dustin joins FVOP as a project manager in southwest Michigan operations. He has nearly a decade of experience as a village Public Works superintendent where he oversaw wastewater, water, streets and parks departments

New FVOP team members also include operations specialists Bob Keller, Ryan McMahon, John Burton, Matt Burdow and Frank Thomas, and intern, Tage Heyn.

Keller, an Air Force veteran, joins the FVOP team with nearly two decades of wastewater and water experience. The part-timer will assist operations in West Michigan.

McMahon, who has decade of water distribution experience and two years’ experience in wastewater, and Burton, who has 18 years’ experience in wastewater and water operations, maintenance and laboratory services, will assist operations in southeast Michigan.

Matt Burdow joins northeast Michigan operations after years of experience as a state hazard materials storage inspector. Frank Thomas, who will assist operations in northeast Indiana, has two decades of experience as a wastewater and water operator and has street superintendent experience.

Heyn, a Michigan State University environmental engineering student, will assist operations in southeast Michigan where he will learn the day-to-day operations of a wastewater treatment plant.

“We’ve grown about 30 percent in the last year and we’re still growing,” Shumaker added. “We’ve been continually filling positions due to our tremendous growth. We’ve added a lot of experienced, highly-skilled operators and we’re looking for more.”