2025 – Edward Lowe Foundation

November 10, 2025

Noble Plastics

“Removing the mystery from manufacturing” is the mantra at Noble Plastics LLC in Grand Couteau, Louisiana. Founded in March 2001 by Missy and Scott Rogers, the husband-and-wife engineering team has grown Noble Plastics from a fledgling startup into a diverse manufacturer with more than 60 employees and three locations. Specializing in components that are difficult to mold, Noble Plastic’s portfolio ranges from household kitchen devices and veterinary tools to ordnance components for the U.S. military. What’s more, the company has developed several patented technologies, including tendiGo^TM and provides robotic integration services.

Among its long list of awards, Noble Plastics has been named a Louisiana Growth Leader by Louisiana Economic Development and Manufacturer of the Year in 2023 by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Earlier this year Missy was recognized as Business Person of the Year by Junior Achievement of Acadiana.

Programs in Action 0

November 3, 2025

Downtown FabWorks: a rising star in custom fabrication

Based in New Orleans, Downtown Fabworks has been achieving impressive growth since its launch in late 2019 and is building a national reputation…

SIG Case Studies 0 2 min read

October 27, 2025

Barber Packaging: Crystal clear on strategy

“When you’re operating a small business and trying to grow a small business into a market space, many times you feel like you’re out there by yourself,” says Luke Barber.

SIG Case Studies 0 3 min read

October 20, 2025

The magic of aligning vision and values

Putting people before profit was one of my first lessons as an entrepreneur and has continued to be a guiding principle as we scale HandyPro. Our vision is to “create a remarkable experience,” which applies not only to customers but also employees…

E2 Insights 0 2 min read

September 28, 2025

Our ever-evolving BRV

The foundation has seen a great deal of change in its 40-year history, from programming to the property. And when it comes to Big Rock Valley (BRV), our 2,000-acre home in southwest Michigan, I’d say there have been more changes in the last six months than the past five years…

President's Blog 0 3 min read

September 10, 2025

Outlook on Leadership with Courtney Lorenz

Cortney Lorenz started Cultured Kombucha Co. in 2015, introducing the first kombucha microbrewery to Michigan. In the past 10 years, she has taken the Traverse City-based company from startup stage, selling its multiflavored fermented tea at farmer’s markets, to an award-winning second-stage business that now distributes its products to more than 500 restaurants, breweries and stores. Among recent milestones, Cultured Kombucha was named a 2025 Michigan Companies to Watch honoree this spring, and the company is getting reach to launch a new line of canned kombucha.

Video Library - Outlook on Leadership 0 1 sec read

September 8, 2025

Conservation steward update

For the past several years the foundation has offered a seasonal conservation steward program to accelerate growth for future natural resources professionals. Below, Dawson Porter, a student at Michigan State University, discusses his experience from this summer.

Land stewardship 0 2 min read

September 2, 2025

PALLETCO: From middleman to strategic manufacturer

“When I think growth, I no longer think numbers. I think strategy,” says Moe Alakoli, CEO of PALLETCO. “It’s much easier to think in numbers, but it’s not sustainable.”

SIG Case Studies 0 2 min read

August 18, 2025

Phase 5: For entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs

Although our mission of “championing the entrepreneurial spirit” has remained consistent throughout the years, how we execute that mission has changed…

The art of operations 0 3 min read

August 7, 2025

Hearing the unheard: A different type of leadership

We often hear second-stage business owners express frustration over constantly needing to tell employees what to do rather than seeing them take initiative and solve problems without prompting. Granted, having proactive employees is partly due to hiring — getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. Yet I also believe that the ability to listen plays…