About

WHO ARE WE?

Learn more about the leaders of the West Michigan Lakeshore SOLIDWORKS User Group.

Matt Ruster – Group Co-Leader

Matt is the General Manager at Broadview Product Development Corp.  He has been with Broadview for over 20 years, previously serving as a Product Development Engineer and Director of Engineering.  He has BSME degree from Western Michigan University.  Matt has been using SolidWorks for all kinds of different product development for about 15 years.  He is married with 3 children.  Matt enjoys many hobbies including sports, hunting, fishing, hiking and being very involved with the activities his kids are interested in.

Jesse Reda – Group Co-Leader

Jesse is an Application Engineer for Smooth Logics, a premier ERP solution provider.  Prior to joining Smooth Logics, Jesse was an Engineering Manager and SOLIDWORKS Admin managing the engineering department infrastructure, software, data, and processes for a large machinery manufacturing company.  In addition to his contributions to the engineering department Jesse also managed the companies Technical Writing team responsible for all their technical documentation.  Jesse is a Certified SOLIDWORKS Expert, SOLIDWORKS Champion, and joins the WMLSWUG team with nearly a decade of design experience.

Jason Apol – Group Co-Leader (Electrical)

Jason has been part of the West Michigan electrical controls community since 1992. He currently the President and Principal Engineer at Logicraft Industrial Systems. Specialized electrical controls systems are daily fare. An assortment PLC’s, drives, and touchscreens are always nearby. Custom machinery, hydraulic presses, robot integration, and more bottle handling conveyor systems than he likes to admit. AutoCAD r9 was the tool of choice in ’92. Currently learning the ins and outs of SOLIDWORKS Electrical. Jason is married, with 5 children. He can occasionally be found flying a Cessna, on a snowmobile, or under water on a reef.

Randy Johnson – Group Advisor

Randy is a Senior Design Engineer at Fogg and manages the R&D group. He has been with Fogg since 1999 and has embraced the transition from AutoCAD to SOLIDWORKS® which took place in 2002-2003. In addition, he is listed as inventor on seven patents! Randy enjoys flying remote-controlled gliders, shooting, and boating when not at work.

Jared Huffman – Group Advisor

Jared is an R&D Engineer at Fogg Filler Company and has been using SOLIDWORKS for well over 10 years. He is one of Fogg’s CAD administrators and also teaches SOLIDWORKS as an Adjunct Professor at Grand Rapids Community College. He holds both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Philosophy from Calvin University. He and his wife Olivia have two young children, and they are very active in their church.

Andrew Schutte – Group Co-Leader

Andrew is an integral part of the Smooth Logic’s sales and consulting team, regularly interacting with customers around the country. Specializing in COUNTERPART ERP implementation, he also works with various customers advising them in their SOLIDWORKS and PDM integrations for optimal results. He has a proven history in reducing costs, improving efficiency and assisting various organizations from a holistic consulting perspective. When not working, he enjoys home improvement projects with his wife and three children, tackling various CAD projects as a consultant, working around the farm, house, vehicles and various other projects.

OUR MISSION:

The purpose of the West Michigan Lakeshore SOLIDWORKS User Group (WMLSWUG) is to promote the free exchange of information related to the use of SOLIDWORKS and related products among the membership of the user group. It provides a forum in which the membership can assist each other in furthering their knowledge about and advancing their abilities in the use of SOLIDWORKS.

USER PARTICIPATION:

Our intention is to provide an open forum that is guided by the users involved for their own education and advancement revolving around the use of SOLIDWORKS in the professional environment. This can take the form of presenting topics, submitting information to WMLSUG for discussion or participating in the user group meetings. WMLSUG encourages any and all user participation from SOLIDWORKS users in the area as well as other user groups in helping shape and grow the WMLSUG User Group to fit the needs of the community.

It’s worth noting again, your involvement in this (and other) SOLIDWORKS User Groups is FREE!