Great Northern Corporation received the University Partner Award in recognition of its longstanding and transformative partnership with UW-Stout, particularly in providing program funding and equipment that directly enhances the learning experiences of packaging students.
“Great Northern supports UW-Stout’s packaging program because we believe in investing in the future of our industry,” said Zach Schmidtknecht (’99), general manager of Great Northern’s Chippewa Falls location.
“UW-Stout’s hands-on approach aligns with our values of innovation, collaboration and continuous learning. The university consistently produces graduates who are not only technically skilled but also ready to contribute meaningfully from day one. Supporting the program is a natural extension of our commitment to building a stronger, more sustainable packaging industry,” he said.
One of the most impactful elements of the partnership is the Great Northern Corporation Collaboration Experience course, a cross-disciplinary class where packaging and graphic design and interactive media students work in teams to design packaging for a Great Northern client, providing an experience that mirrors the challenges and opportunities they will encounter in the workplace. They also receive mentorship from Great Northern employees, who serve as advisors for their projects throughout the semester.
Great Northern provided $100,000 to fund the sponsored collaborative course. Schmidtknecht collaborated with team members Kris Johnson (’94) and Sarah Murawski (’00), and UW-Stout faculty Robert Meisner and Nagesh Shinde to develop the course.
Schmidtknecht thinks UW-Stout and Great Northern’s partnership helps bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations.
“Through the collaborative course, we aim to foster cross-disciplinary teamwork, creative problem-solving and client-focused thinking. We want students to leave the course with a deeper understanding of how packaging and design intersect and how collaboration across disciplines leads to stronger, more innovative solutions,” Schmidtknecht said.
Schmidtknecht and the Great Northern team enjoy the energy and fresh perspective that UW-Stout students and faculty bring to the table. “Their curiosity and creativity challenge us to think differently and stay ahead of industry trends. In return, we benefit from a pipeline of talented, well-prepared graduates who are eager to make an impact. The partnership also reinforces our belief in ‘A Shared Future,’ one where education and industry grow together,” Schmidtknecht said.
Great Northern also offers high-impact internships and cooperative education experiences, providing students with hands-on, career-building opportunities.
“We want our interns to feel like valued members of the team from day one. Our goal is to expose them to a variety of roles and departments so they can discover where their strengths and interests align. We aim to provide mentorship, hands-on experience and opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects. Ultimately, we hope they leave with a clearer sense of their career path, and ideally, return to Great Northern as full-time team members,” Schmidtknecht said.
Great Northern exemplifies what it means to be an engaged and visionary partner in higher education. It is an integral part of UW-Stout’s learning community and a trusted partner in advancing the mission of Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.
Schmidtknecht said Great Northern is honored to receive the University Partner Award and proud of the relationship it’s built with UW-Stout over the past four decades. “This partnership is more than a recruitment pipeline – it’s a shared commitment to excellence, innovation and community. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and helping shape the next generation of packaging and design professionals,” he said.
About Great Northern
Great Northern, which manufactures packaging and retail displays, is headquartered in Appleton and has operations in five states. It employs more than 1,700 people nationwide, including more than 40 UW-Stout alumni.
“Many alumni hold leadership roles or have grown their careers with us over time, which speaks to the strength of the university’s programs and the alignment of our values,” Schmidtknecht said.
Great Northern exists to serve its customers and the communities in which it works by delivering innovative, sustainable packaging solutions through its three business units: packaging, instore and laminations.
For more than 60 years, Great Northern has led the way in recyclable packaging, protective components, and retail display solutions that help customers succeed while minimizing environmental impact. Its commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles is deeply rooted in the company’s culture and reflected in everything it does, making a difference in communities and for the environment, its customers and its team members.
UW-Stout is one of only a few schools in the U.S., and the only school in the Universities of Wisconsin, which offers a B.S. in packaging program. The graphic design and interactive media program is part of the School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest.
