At a “Trades Day” event in the spring of his senior year at Boyne City High School, Zach Piechan listened as Montana Moblo from Manthei Construction talked about his job as a lead diesel mechanic.
Piechan knew he had an interest in working on heavy equipment after high school, but he wasn’t sure of which path to take. Hearing Moblo discuss his work at the event, organized by Char-Em ISD Career and Technical Education staff, piqued his interest enough to meet with him one-on-one to learn more.
“I knew I didn’t want to work on smaller vehicles,” said Piechan. “It did not seem as interesting to me as working on larger, heavy equipment.”
Once Piechan graduated in June 2025, he applied for an open position with Manthei, at the encouragement of Josh Todd, a Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) Specialist who helped connect Piechan with Moblo at the spring career fair. JMG specialists are employed by Northwest Michigan Works! in partnership with Char-Em ISD’s career tech team, serving as job coaches for area teens.
Piechan was able to go directly to work in large part due to the many skills he developed in his high school career and technical education (CTE) courses, including one year each of autos and welding – both at nearby East Jordan High School – and four years of woodworking at Boyne City.
“He’s definitely a self-starter. He’s motivated and early to work every day,” said his supervisor, Mark Worley, Manthei’s Diesel Mechanic Manager. “His experience in autos and welding in particular in high school allow him to make quick correlations to the work we do here, saving us training time and giving him confidence.”
Piechan, 18, was recently celebrated by Char-Em ISD at a “Career Tech to Careers” signing event at Manthei Construction in Charlevoix. Career Tech to Careers events were established by Char-Em’s Career and Technical Education Department to recognize high school students who pursue careers after graduation based in part on their enrollment in career tech classes in high school.
Manthei Construction is a large manufacturer of hardscape materials that works with public and private sector developers and contractors throughout Northern Michigan to provide heavy construction infrastructure and site development. As part of the Manthei group, sister companies include Aster Brands, Redi-Rock, Manthei Wood Products, and many others
In this line of work, a vast fleet of vehicles of all sizes is necessary. And so is a fleet of mechanics to repair and maintain it all.
Inside the sprawling repair facility in Charlevoix, a few pieces of heavy equipment sit ready for diagnosing and repair. On this day, the crew was working to resolve a leaking cylinder problem on a 35,000 pound front end loader. Piechan explained that many times, mechanics need to spend time diagnosing an issue before diving into the repair when equipment stops functioning properly.
Both Moblo and Worley stated it is not common to hire a person as young as Piechan, especially someone directly out of high school, due typically to lack of experience. They both credited his teachers for preparing him with real-world skills that benefit the company and contribute to Piechan’s employability.
HR manager Shauna Sutton noted: “Zach is a wonderful individual and a go-getter who is eager to learn.”
His daily shifts start at 7 a.m., with Worley noting Piechan is always on time.
“He will seek the answer himself first to solve problems, instead of coming to me right away and that is because his career tech classes gave him a basic understanding of the principles and theories to make decisions,” said Worley. “If a tool is not available, he’s able to troubleshoot and figure out an alternative solution that works.”
In addition to his hands-on knowledge, Worley noted Piechan has another skill set that is harder to teach. “Zach’s got a foundational value set – he is hardworking and accountable. I think the vocational classes give students the experience of working as part of a team as well. We do both here – there are times you have to work as part of a team, and times when you have to manage on your own.”
Piechan said he greatly enjoyed his career tech classes in high school and encourages other students who enjoy hands-on learning to enroll. “It gives you a chance to see what the real world looks like,” said Piechan.
As part of the ISD’s Career Tech to Careers events, Piechan received a $200 gift card to Tractor Supply from the Mansfield Family Foundation, which has generously supported the ISD’s signing events and career tech initiatives for many years.
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Photo caption”
Pictured with Zach Piechan (seated, second from left) during a recent Career Tech to Careers signing celebration are (seated, from left) Mark Worley, Manthei Construction shop manager; Jim Rummer, Char-Em ISD Career and Technical Education Director; and Shauna Sutton, Manthei HR Manager; (back row standing, from left) Montana Moblo, lead diesel mechanic; Tory Thrush, Career/College Readiness Consultant for Char-Em ISD; Zach’s parents, Gary and Kim Piechan; East Jordan Automotive Technology teacher Matt Wilson; East Jordan Welding Technology teacher David Muladore; Josh Todd, JMG specialist; and Hannah Sanderson, CTE Consultant, Char-Em ISD.