Josh Scheel ’10 returns annually to speak to students in Professor Tyler Laird-Magee’s business classes.
It’s his way of giving back and saying thank you to a professor who had a major role in helping him launch his business career. He’s eager to share what he’s learned and offer advice to students who will one day enter the work force.
Scheel is vice president of sales and marketing at Scenic Fruit, a third-generation company in Gresham that sells its products nationally and internationally. Although he had worked seasonally for Scenic Fruit since high school, it wasn’t until he was assigned a class project by Laird-Magee that he stepped back and looked at the company as a whole. It was then he realized it was perfectly aligned with his core values and beliefs and offered a huge opportunity for growth and promotion.
Laird-Magee’s class project required Scheel to explore a variety of businesses and companies where he thought he might be interested in working. He interviewed company leaders and CEOs, including Scenic Fruit, about their mission, core values, growth potential and future goals. He soon realized that the company was a great fit for him on a permanent level and with Laird-Magee’s guidance, that a career in sales offered great potential.
“She really helped me understand that there are many different avenues in sales, something I had never considered,” he said. “This has been a great fit for me. This is a product I can stand behind, it has nutritional benefits, it’s good for kids, it’s good for everyone.”
Scheel has made his mark on the company, rising in the ranks to vice president in just four years. Because of his years as a seasonal employee, he knows the business from the ground up.
“When I worked seasonally, I didn’t see an opportunity,” he said. “The class made me step back and look at the company in its entirety. It’s family-owned, they care about their employees and it’s poised for growth. All those factors played into my decision to accept a full-time job.”
Scheel’s connection with Laird-Magee was also beneficial for Brogan Pierce ’13. He was a member of Laird-Magee’s promotions management class that tackled a project for Scheel at Scenic Fruit. The class analyzed promotional aspects, including social media and advertising potential on a specific product line, then delivered a final report and recommendation to company officials. As a result of the project, Pierce was hired as an intern and is now a sales associate.
For Scheel and Scenic Fruit, the students brought in a fresh perspective on a specific product line and offered recommendations of how to better promote the product. On Pierce’s side, he received hands-on experience in the business world, while making a real impact on a product.
“As students, they get business practice with different products, and it helps them see that what they are learning really does apply in the real world,” Scheel said.
The connections they forged at Linfield, along with the liberal arts education they received, have been crucial in their professional success.
“The liberal arts give you the framework for many different things,” Pierce said. “I studied business, but I also took classes in film, communication, history and other areas. You get experience writing, talking with people, studying in groups and studying alone. Getting that experience in so many different things was a key part of my success.”
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