Indianapolis, IN - Butler University recently secured Fineline Printing Group as a corporate partner for their Fall 2010 Freshman Business Experience, a course requirement for Butler business students. Fineline was chosen as an industry leader in quality, marketing, and sales within the Indianapolis business community.

Management Instructor, Stephanie Fernhaber says, “Through its partnership with Butler University’s Freshman Business Class, Fineline offered students insight into how a business really operates. It was a way to put the academic terminology into a real business context. Students came away from the company tour with an increased awareness of all the people and processes necessary to make a business operate.”

In addition to a physical tour of the 56,000 square foot Fineline facility, employees Phil Mikesell, Account Manager, and Jason Hoffman, Director of Quality and Continuous Improvement, presented in their areas of expertise.

Mikesell, who spoke on sales and marketing, remarks, “What a great integration of classroom and real business experience. It was refreshing to see and hear the vision of these students with their business ideas and thought-provoking insight to move them forward on their projects.”

Hoffman comments about his presentation’s focus on what it is like to build and manage a new business. “I was honored to have the opportunity to share an out-of-classroom perspective to the world of management. It was fun and interesting to share time with the Butler freshmen as they work to determine the direction of their careers. Many students will likely join an already established organization, so we also discussed what it’s like to be a new hire.”

This is not the first time Fineline and Butler have worked together. Fineline hired the Butler Business Accelerator in 2009 to identify marketing and business development opportunities. As well, other Fineline managers have been guest speakers at student events.

Freshman Business Experience

Since 2002, the Freshman Business Experience is a required semester-long course for all freshman business majors and is open to those students who are still undecided. Throughout the course, students are asked to participate in a series of interactive group activities and an on-site visit to the corporate sponsor’s facility. From there, they develop business ideas and a business plans with the goal that they walk away with real-world experience.