UNK’s Industrial Distribution Program Roots Belong to Dr. Don Envick

Industrial Distribution is a big deal at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. After all, how many programs can boast a 100% placement rate? As impressive as this is, it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, one would have to go back many decades to understand how today’s UNK students are being uniquely prepared for the leadership roles over 1000 graduates currently enjoy.

It was 1987 when Dr. Don Envick made his way back to his hometown of Kearney, Nebraska. After spending many years in Texas where he started the third ID program in the United States at West Texas State University, he brought his expertise to UNK. Returning home to Kearney where, in his words, “the East peters out” on one side and “the West begins” on the other, Dr. Envick was about to start something that would grow into more than he could have imagined.

His interest in Industrial Distribution began when he was a student at Texas A&M. As he watched recruiters visit the campus, trying to hire engineers to go into sales, he realized there was a need for a specific type of student to fill a role that businesses were desperately looking for. He shares that reaching his goal required “several years of conversations and observations and collaborations with business owners.” During this time, Dr. Envick asked himself, “What do they want? What kind of people are they trying to hire?”

Dr. Envick shares that he “finally learned that they wanted a person with a unique combination of skills and abilities that just didn’t seem to exist out there.” The courses offered at UNK today reflect the six components that he used as the road map to begin what would turn out to be his legacy.

Educating students to use their “people skills, problem-solving skills, sales skills, technical knowledge, business knowledge, product knowledge and application” required a program specifically formatted to address these skills. Dr. Envick says he simply found out what was needed and decided he would “try to make it.” And now, almost four decades later, all courses in UNK’s ID program address this specific skill set thanks to his efforts and expertise.

With over 1000 graduates which he admits “proves it works,” Dr. Envick’s ID program has managed to bridge the gap between what kind of person industries need and teaching students how to gain the necessary skills to become that person. As he tells his incredible story, he simply states, “That’s all I did.” He says that what he did “seemed to make sense,” so he made the decision to not copy other schools. Instead, he found out what companies needed and then made it happen. Thinking back to 1987 when he arrived on a campus that didn’t have an Industrial Distribution program and comparing it to what UNK has today, he admits he never really thought about the magnitude of what he was starting. He says it was the type of endeavor where “you just pray it works.”

To say it worked would be an understatement. The ID program, which is now run by Ben Brachle, Alejandro Cahis, and Mitch Peters, is so successful that people are waiting in line to hire its graduates. When asked about the men who now run what he began so long ago, Dr. Envick shares that he is “really proud of the three guys down there now, what they’re doing.” He is grateful for the way “they’ve taken what (he did)” and are now “going beyond.” He states that “they’re really doing a great job.”

On a recent visit to UNK’s campus, Dr. Envick was able to see Discovery Hall for the first time and explore the new labs and equipment which he defines as “state of the art.” He also had the opportunity to see the third generation of UNK professors at work when visiting his daughter, Dr. Brooke Envick, who serves as CBT Associate Dean and Professor of Management.

These days, Dr. Envick is surrounded by fond memories of days gone by. From warm memories of growing up in Kearney to his years at UNK, he also remembers a time when going to dances at the 1773 Ballroom was a wonderful way to pass the time. Students in the ID program don’t spend their evenings ballroom dancing the way he used to, but they will spend their professional lives successfully navigating their chosen field thanks to the hard work and expertise of Dr. Don Envick.

Related Pages: INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION DEGREE PROGRAM