A short video about my background and thoughts for Franklin Village
Every Wednesday we are hosting live Q&A sessions. Bring us the hard questions and we will share our ideas. Listen to session #1 from Wed Sept 23rd
Every Wednesday we are hosting live Q&A sessions. Bring us the hard questions and we will share our ideas. Listen to session #1 from Wed Sept 23rd
I've lived in Franklin for over 20 years. Raised our family here. I've started (3) successful business in Franklin and I know what is necessary to help build our businesses. I've been a volunteer and donated time, money and labor to Franklin Village. I look forward to serving the community.
Key Actions that I support;
Secondary Issues that need to be addressed:
Residents are drilling a 2nd and 3rd well (at $20k+ each).
Lifelong Michigander:
Born in Detroit and raised in Dearborn.
Husband and Father of 2 (U of M freshman and Seaholm freshman)
Education:
Undergradate degree in Electrical Engineering (U of M)
Masters Degree in Business Administration (Central Michigan)
Entrepreneur:
I've started 7 successful businesses (not including my first business in 2nd grade..).
Most notably Farmhouse Coffee and Ice Cream in downtown Franklin. My wife and I renovated the entire building in 2010. Farmhouse Coffee was a much loved social center of Franklin Village. I loved running Farmhouse and meeting our neighbors. Unfortunately, after we sold it to our long-time manager in 2015, difficulties with the landlord forced the current owner to move out of Franklin. Now the store is vacant and Franklin Village has lost a special place.
What is next? Downtown Franklin needs a coffee shop (and honestly, much more). I'm involved in an active effort with key residents to bring back a coffee shop and more. I have done it personally myself...and I have the skills to do it again. Not another candidate can say the same.
Accomplished leader in Automotive manufacturing
I've run assembly lines, led skilled trade teams, worked with the highest levels of leadership. Designed equipment. Helped negotiate UAW contracts. Visited plants around the world. My teams focus on problem solving and process improvement. Worked with supplier and Ford teams solving some of the most challenging technical and manufacturing problems. Received a patent for a new transmission design. Quite literally, my professional career revolves around solving difficult problems. Running an automotive assembly line is the one of the accountable measures of what you can personally achieve. No hiding. Every hour of production is measured and reviewed. It is a true measure of how you can get your teams to work together and make schedule each shift.
Another aspect of my professional career is mentoring. I have grown to love mentoring people at every level. In the last 20 years, I've helped dozens of Ford employees grow in their career. I've coached, counseled and mentored hourly folks into top levels of Ford salaried leadership. This is a very rewarding part of my job.
I taught countless classes over the last 20 years at every level in the company...from hourly to senior leadership. This experience has allowed a perspective to understand the audience and their needs.
Committed Volunteer:
During the height of the pandemic in March 2020, I volunteered to leave Franklin and head to a 3M plant in South Dakota to help increase N95 mask production. A Ford team of (26) worked around the clock until April to increase production 400,000 N95 masks per day. Over 5 million additional N95 masks were made by the time we left. Check the slideshow below for details.
I personally donated and hand built the Franklin Village ice rink for two winters. (39,000 gallons of water!!! ). Check the slide show below.
https://www.candgnews.com/news/franklin%e2%80%99s-outdoor-ice-rink-cool-place-winter-fun)
I provided funding and donated a trailer to the Franklin Boy Scout troop in honor of my father (and my own Scoutmaster in my youth).
Worked with the Boy Scouts on countless community projects. My favorite was my son's Eagle project to rebuild, paint and restore the Franklin Park Gazebo in Oct 2019.
Scout leader:
I've been a Scout leader since my son was a Tiger Cub Scout. Watched him and his friends earn their Eagle Ranks. (I'm an Eagle Scout myself). First father-son combination at the Franklin Troop.
Avid Sailor:
Sailing and racing is my passion. I've been racing competitively for since 2008. Finished 12 Port Huron Mackinac races, countless local races and racing in the Caribbean and Atlantic every winter. In 2014 I bought my own boat (Bad Habits) and our team has been racing non-stop. One of the best parts of sailing is team building. So many different personalities that need to work together. There is no room for error when racing. The difference between 1st place and last place is a matter of minutes. So a big part of my job as captain, owner and skipper is to make sure that everyone is working together. What does that mean with regard to running for Village Council? A lot actually. First is crystal clear communication with everyone on our collective and individual actions. Secondly, figuring out how different personalities can coexist in a cramped space for many cold, wet days & nights. Third...execution. To win first place in a sailboat race every sail change needs to be perfect, every decision regarding direction needs to be correct. Sailing is unforgiving. There are races that we are within 10 seconds of other boats after 36 hours of sailing. No room for error requires our team to perform and execute perfectly.
Competitor:
I'll admit it...I am competitive. I will do what it takes to win!
Long distance runner (NYC marathon)
Dozens of CrossFit competitions (on the podium several times)
Racing on my sailboat (check out our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_h9fLNliLpSfsM7VdM6T6g)
I appreciate your support!
How you can help:
1. Reach out to a neighbor and share
2. Interested in a lawn sign?
Call Mark at (248)633-3041
A bit of my background and how I got involved:
I've worked at Ford Motor Company for the last 31 years and I lead teams within the plants for process improvements. We
are active in every Ford factory around the globe.
Pandemic shuts down industry in March 2020
Ford Motor Company and 3M have a long relationship. When the pandemic hit hard, Ford asked 3M if there was anything we could do to assist.
3M responded by asking for volunteers to increase production of the N95 masks. We met on Tuesday afternoon and gathered a team of 26 volunteers. We left the next morning at 4 am for a 1000 mile drive to Aberdeen South Dakota. The roads were completely empty. I drove through Chicago and there were no other cars on the highway. Toll booths were unattended.
Aberdeen South Dakota
The factory is actually on US 12. The same US12 which we call Michigan Avenue. Our mission was to increase N95 mask production to a true 24 hour/7 day operation. We worked every single day on the floor with the production teams and leadership. Looking for every possible way to increase production and keep the lines running. No one on the Ford team took a single day off the entire time. Lots of 12+ hour days,
The Results
By the time we left in April, N95 mask production was increased an additional 400,000 units per day and an incremental 5 million masks were made. The plant is still going strong and 3M is expanding further.
Without a doubt, this was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I was able to directly help first responders and our Nation.
The production teams at 3M honored the Ford team when we left with a nice memorial sign on the highway out of town.
Copyright © 2020 Elect Mark Hanke to Franklin Village Council - All Rights Reserved.
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