The Winona State University College of Business hosted the Performance Food Groups (PFG) Networking Day on Feb. 5th, 2025. This event is one of many that the College of Business puts on as a way of making sure that students are connected to what they can do in their future careers. During the event, the company was able to do what they would like, for PFG’s Networking Day they came to talk with students in Business classes and provided a lunch-in for students to learn about PFG’s opportunities with different aspects of jobs that are available in their company.
PFG is a leading company in the food service and delivery industry where they are able to provide services for several different types of food providers, such as chains restaurants, independent restaurants, convenient stores and much more. PFG offers important resources to Winona State College of Business students by sharing their connections and networking abilities at this event. The PFG site highlights their ability to be a powerhouse in the food industry because they “maintain active working relationships with the top industry associations and government agencies, which allows us to stay on the forefront of industry best practices and new technologies.”
Liz Schwanke, the College of Business Advising Coordinator, discusses how she has worked to bring events, like the PFG Networking Day, to College of Business students and the general Winona State students. Schwanke has been focused on making sure that students are aware of the various opportunities that they have with their business degree by working with big name companies both in and outside the Winona area, such as Altra Federal Credit Union, Fastenal, Federated Insurance, and Kwik Trip.
“We needed to get people in here saying ‘Yeah I work in business; this is what I do.’” Schwanke said.
After hearing many students say they would go into “business” once they graduated, Shwanke found that it was important for students to know what they could with their degree by having access and an understanding of the different types of jobs that are in the field of business.
“This is what you can do. You have more than just opening the door to ‘business person.’ You could be a stock market broker, a CPA, a social media marketer, you could do all of this different stuff with your business degree.” Schwanke said.
Human Resources Management major and second-year students Adam Heimdahl discussed how College of Business events have been helpful to connect him to his major and to deepen his knowledge of his future career.
“The College of Business offers great opportunities, such as networking nights, career fairs, and guest speakers, which have helped me connect with professionals and explore career paths.” Heimdahl said. “Hands-on learning opportunities, like internships, also bridge the gap between academics and the real world.”
The College of Business is constantly hosting events for students to get connected with their future careers. To learn more about different companies and resources that are available to students in February, the College of Business is having an “Evening with an Entrepreneur” with Cory Tomesh on the 18th, a “Lunch & Learn” with Altra Federal Credit Union on the 19th and a Company takeover day with Cytotheryx on the 27th.
