A new partnership between Northern Michigan University and Miron Construction Co. will establish scholarships for NMU’s Construction Management students and a career exploration event for high school students in the Green Bay and Fox Cities region of Wisconsin.
“We are grateful to the Miron team for its generous support of student and alumni success through the NMU Construction Management Program,” said David Nyberg, executive director of Business Engagement and Economic Development at NMU. “This new investment demonstrates what’s possible when industry and Northern work together to advance shared priorities.”
Nyberg said this new partnership will help further an already growing program, citing 65 percent growth in enrollment over the past five years, and added that Construction Management “has a reputation for providing excellent student experiences and rewarding career pathways with partners like Miron.”
“Recent data also tell us that demand for regional jobs in construction have strong alignment,” he said. “We are excited to see how Miron’s investment will continue to build opportunities for future NMU students and alumni.”
The new Miron Construction Scholarship will support three full-time junior or senior students majoring in Construction Management over the next three academic years.
Miron is also funding support for an annual career exploration event for high school students in the Green Bay and Fox Cities region of Wisconsin. The event will be modeled after current outreach programming, which provides hands-on experiences for students to learn about careers in construction management and skilled trades.
Todd Sabourin, senior vice president out of Miron’s Marquette office, said the choice to create this specific partnership with NMU “was quite easy,” with NMU grads able to “hit the ground running quicker than students from other schools.”
“Their schooling is based more on real-world applications and less on theory,” Sabourin said. “They still have plenty to learn, as every new graduate does, but they arrive ready to ask thoughtful questions, take on responsibility and connect what they learned in school with what is happening in the field. That practical foundation is valuable to us.”
He also said working with the university to create the scholarship and career event was simple, with input from both Miron and NMU helping to grow a partnership that ultimately benefits both organizations and specifically, NMU students.
“Dave Nyberg and the Construction Management faculty have been great throughout the whole process,” Sabourin said. “The process has been very collaborative. Faculty listened carefully and brought forward creative ideas for how NMU and Miron can increase their impact for students.
“That willingness to work together is one of the reasons this partnership has continued to grow,” he added. “Both organizations have focused on creating something that will be valuable to students, rather than simply attaching our names to a scholarship.”
Headquartered in Neenah, Wisc., Miron Construction has been operating as a family-owned company since 1918, growing to include 1,700 employees and opening offices across the midwest, including Marquette.
Miron’s relationship with NMU dates back many years and Sabourin said it’s been rewarding to watch the Construction Management program grow, which has also helped fuel Miron’s growth in Marquette.
“Mike [Andary] and his team, they’ve done an amazing job not only growing the program but making it a top-notch program in the country,” Sabourin said. “We’ve witnessed it. Around 15 years ago we had maybe one or two NMU grads in the entire company from a project management perspective. Now we’ve probably got 15.”
With that growth, Sabourin said reinvesting in the partnership “felt like a natural next step in a relationship that has already made a real difference for our company and for students.”
“Miron has been fortunate to hire some incredible individuals through Northern’s Construction Management program,” he added. “We feel giving back to the program that has supported our growth and brought us future leaders of the company was important.”
One of those “incredible individuals” is Project Manager Trevor Poupore ’16 BS. Poupore has been with Miron for eight years, first working out of Wisconsin before moving back to Marquette as part of Miron’s expansion.
Poupore said he was drawn to Miron because of the company’s values, and its dedication to building relationships, as well as structures, adding NMU’s Construction Management program holds similar values.
“It wasn't just the nuts and bolts of construction that I took from the program, those are the basic things,” Poupore said. “Something more that I took out of that program, that I use every day at Miron, is how to treat people. That was a huge part of why I enjoyed my time in the Construction Management program. We enjoyed the company of the professors teaching us. It was a very family-feel environment and that’s very much how Miron is as well.”
An added bonus for Poupore was the ability to come back to his wife’s hometown of Marquette, where the couple had hoped to make their permanent home.
Tristan Pauna ’25 BS, also a Miron project manager, saw his student internship with Miron directly transition into full-time employment.
Pauna didn’t attend college immediately after graduating high school, opting instead to join the workforce, which is how he found himself as part of a subcontracted team installing steel framing and drywall on several Miron projects. During that time he met Eyn Nye ’23 BS, ’25 MBA, a Miron project management intern and Northern student at the time.
“Eyn and I became good friends over our time spent on numerous projects and I was intrigued by Miron’s process,” Pauna said. “That ultimately led to my decision to pursue the Construction Management program and internship opportunities that Miron had available.”
His decision to pursue a degree with Northern led him to a full-time position at Miron as a project manager, following three years as a Miron intern.
Sabourin said this connection between NMU and Miron is integral to retaining top talent in the U.P., and he hopes these types of connections flourish as a result of both the career event and the newly established scholarship.
“Over time, we also hope the partnership encourages more students to explore the industry, complete internships, build relationships in the Upper Peninsula and see that they can have a rewarding career without leaving the region,” Sabourin said.
Miron’s U.P. connections date back to the 1980s, building bunkers and hangers for the bomber squadron at K.I. Sawyer Airforce Base and working with Louisiana Pacific’s Sagola facility. More recently, Miron was involved in on-campus projects, handling construction of John X Jamrich Hall and renovations of the Jacobetti Complex.
“The buildings we construct are one part of our legacy, but the people we support, mentor and help prepare for the future are just as important,” Sabourin said.
Poupore agreed, adding this new partnership will be instrumental in helping attract and retain local talent, creating more stories like his own.
“I couldn't have gotten luckier and couldn’t be more blessed that I get to move back to the town that I always wanted to come back to and also be with the employer that I feel at home with,” Poupore said.
The NMU Foundation will open applications for the Miron Construction Scholarship and other donor-funded scholarships for the 2027-28 academic year in January.
Visit nmu.edu/foundation for more information on the NMU Foundation and the many ways to support student success.