Paul Froehlich has become a master of efficiency.
From creating a new business process for his employer, Rockline Industries, to juggling his coursework at Lakeland University with work and family, Froehlich excels at finding balance.
As he’s working toward his Lakeland master of business administration (MBA) degree, Froehlich has found in LU’s Cooperative Education program a way to hone his skills while performing his everyday work.
He serves as a supply planning and scheduling manager at Rockline, a Sheboygan, Wis.-based global leader in the manufacturing of personal wipes, baby wipes, household cleaning products, coffee filters and baking cups.
One of his work goals has been developing a more efficient system of working with outsourcing suppliers to accommodate recent growth the company has enjoyed.
His Lakeland academic advisor, Ryan Opahle, introduced him to the Co-Op program and the ability to earn academic credit toward his MBA by designing, conducting and assessing a professional work-related project.
“I do projects all the time, so I told him if there is a way I can do my regular work and earn academic credit, sign me up,” Froehlich said. “I appreciated it fitting into my daily activity. I doubled up my reward by accomplishing my work goals and getting credit and education for what I was doing.”
He employed skills from several of his MBA courses, including fundamental project management, production & operations management and accounting. He also enjoyed the reflection conversations with his instructor, Lorinda Lewis, Ph.D., Lakeland’s vice president for Cooperative Education & workforce strategy and the dean of LU’s College of Business & Science.
“She pushed me to see how we can use this process in the future and see new options,” Froehlich said. “She gave me a lot of good insight. It was cool to talk to her. I could tell she has worked on multiple projects in her career.”
Born and raised in Sheboygan, Froehlich worked in the service industry and earned an associate degree at UW-Sheboygan after graduating from South High School in 1998. In 2003, he landed an entry level job as a line tender at Rockline, which offered 100 percent tuition reimbursement for college courses provided he maintained certain grades and the classes matched his work role. He has enjoyed a series of promotions to various leadership positions, including wet wipe asset manager prior to his current role.
Fueling those promotions has been his commitment to learning. Froehlich completed a bachelor’s degree in industrial management in 2016 from UW-Stout, and he has numerous professional certifications from various schools including Lakeshore College, the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council and the Wisconsin School of Business.
Froehlich explored Lakeland after hearing from a co-worker who was taking classes at LU and enjoying the flexibility.
“I see how my seats have changed here and continuing my education has assisted me with that growth,” said Froehlich, who needs 12 more credits to complete his Lakeland MBA. “I’m not done with the seat I am in; I want to excel and keep moving.”
Lakeland’s convenient online course platforms allow Froehlich to fit school into his work schedule and life with his wife and two sons. His wife has also gone back to school, and the two are a great support system for one another.
“We made it a point that is school gets into family time we would scale back and look at what we wanted to do,” Froehlich said. “Lakeland has been great. If something in my day-to-day life comes up, I can submit an assignment early or the next day. There is some flexibility for people who have full-time jobs and a family at home.
“It’s nice to have a bit of breathing room. Lakeland has been very accommodating.”
