EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BLUEWATER TECHNOLOGIES, WIXOM
EMPLOYEES: 165
REVENUE: NA
COLLEGE: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
If performance is the best method of learning, it’s reasonable to speculate there should be few professionals on the scene who have learned more than Chanel Schoeneberger.
Shortly after completing her studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Schoeneberger accepted an opportunity to join Wixom-based Bluewater Technologies.
Now in the role of executive officer, she says she learned, position by position, the full operations of the entire company.
“I’ve worked in every division of the company with the exception of our warehouse,” Schoeneberger says. “I’ve worked inside sales, I’ve been an account manager, I’ve been an account executive, I’ve been on the production side, I’ve worked operations. I was, at one point, the culture spokeswoman, and all I did was focus on culture and charitable events.”
That expansive experience gave her a perspective on the company’s complete picture, and even made it possible for her to have worked closely with just about every one of its 165 employees.
One of her favorite roles involves driving the company culture, which she does in concert with a team comprised of members of every division.
In turn, family plays a role at Bluewater.
Schoeneberger’s husband, Scott, serves as managing director of the company, and the pair are part of an executive team that also includes CEO Jim Tracy, along with a COO and CFO.
Bluewater’s focus is experiential technology, which Schoeneberger explains as producing any event or experience that a client might want, which can be a combination of technology and physical space. Schoeneberger emphasizes that the technology side is definitely Bluewater’s primary focus.
The company’s clients include Wells Fargo, Michigan State University, Adidas, Little Caesars, Ford Motor Co., and Carhartt.
Another division of the company is Glenlore Trails, an immersive night walk in which a forest comes to life “in a dazzling display of sound, light, and wonder.” Operating in Commerce Township each year from September through December, Glenlore Trails was born of necessity in 2020 when COVID-19 dealt a blow to Bluewater’s revenue.
“Half our business was immediately shut down, and I really had to figure out a way to navigate and pivot, and find another source of revenue,” Schoeneberger says. “I just thought, Well, we have all this equipment, what can we do with it? My husband and I found space and created a new side business, which has continued to grow year over year.”
Glenlore Trails became a passion project, but it’s also a very serious endeavor that has attracted musicians, entertainers, and local artists.
Schoeneberger, an active member of the Wixom Chamber of Commerce, runs all aspects of Glenlore Trails, including sales and operations.
While Glenlore is currently located on the property of the Multi Lakes Conservation Association in Commerce Township, Schoeneberger says it’s seeking a new permanent location.
“We have a lot more competition now, and being a temporary installation, we’re essentially building a house and tearing it down every year,” she says.
— Dan Calabrese
