Sam moved from Indianapolis with his wife, Lauren, in the winter of 2022 to her hometown of Grand Rapids and joined our team as an ambitious Account Manager. He attended Taylor University where he played football for five years alongside Advantage team member Billy Potter. He is a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan and is still going strong even in Lions Country! Most of his free time is spent at the gym, involved in various church groups, or discovering new coffee shops with his wife. At work, he loves being a problem solver and finding tailored solutions for his customers. While he specializes in the nutraceutical, sports supplement, and produce industry he likes to work on various projects and is always up for a challenge. That’s what makes him an important part of our team!
With a Packaging degree from MSU, Mason is a natural fit here at Advantage Label and brings a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective with him! Mason started his career at Advantage Label as a Field Service Technician and after 3 years moved into the role of Account Manager. Mason has two brothers, and is originally from Suttons Bay, Michigan. He loves traveling and being active outdoors, so when he’s not at work you might find him snowboarding, wakeboarding, mountain biking or golfing. He’s already hit the slopes in Japan – where to next, Mason?
John Cusack joined the team as an Account Manager/Sales representative in 2002. John loves working side-by-side with customers, building long term friendships and observing improved results. John is an avid Michigan State University fan and would some day like to attend a major league baseball game at every park in the MLB.
Steve is an Account Manager at Advantage specializing in the Greenhouse, Nursery, and Produce Industries. Whether that means a Line Boss® label applicator system, creating a new custom label or tag to take care of a current issue, or working through the best way to improve workflow with innovative ideas and products – he enjoys the opportunity to come alongside the customer and come up with solutions together. He essentially becomes an extension of his customer’s companies! In his free time, Steve loves to travel with his wife, & spending time with his three boys
Nate Knoth is one of our Account Managers, bringing a fresh perspective to the labeling world! Born in Grand Rapids, Nate has learned to make the most out of every season Michigan offers, and enjoys surfing lake Michigan year-round. One of his goals in life is to learn how to sail and travel around the Caribbean with his wife and first mate, Tori, recruiting their future children as crew members. When Nate isn’t busy surfing or traveling, you might be able to catch him enjoying a rerun of Seinfeld, reading The Hobbit, or spending time with his large family. Fun fact, Nate is an expert at cracking eggs; he can crack one in each hand leaving no shells in the pan! It’s 8am somewhere, Nate!
Dave Hoover has been with Advantage Label since 2004 and has been an asset to the company out on the production floor, in the production office, and especially in his current role as Account Manager. He grew up in West Michigan, but has traveled extensively. Dave is a problem-solver who loves to offer customers tailored solutions based on their needs. As an avid Detroit sports fan, Dave also enjoys going to various sporting events around the city in his spare time.
TJ wears a lot of hats around Advantage. He is the manager of our sales team while also handling his own sales territory and accounts. His expertise and love of working with people has lent to plenty of innovation in the fields he services, and he works closely with leaders in those industries to continuously improve their products! Time with family and friends is also particularly important to TJ, so when he’s not at work, you’ll probably find him with his wife Melody or one of their four children – Tom Jr., Anthony, Jordan and Elaina – or his grandson, Brayden! They like to keep busy with all sorts of outdoor activities like camping, boating, hunting, fishing, golfing, or just traveling the globe, enjoying destination dining and crossing off one bucket list at a time. Hopefully you got yourself a pretty big bucket, TJ!
Jevan Elenbaas is a key member of our Sales force, offering his expertise and knowledge on a daily basis – all with a smile! When he isn’t in the office, chances are you can find him playing board games with his friends or one of many sports! He loves to play volleyball, softball, golf and basketball. He claims he can dunk, but we’ll believe it when we see it! Jevan and his wife, Emery, have three children – Rosie, Wesley and Charlotte – who he hopes to take on an extended trip to Africa, or revisit Aruba with one day. Hopefully they have a gorgeous golf course wherever you go, Jevan!
Austin Jelsema is a key member of our Sales Support team. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his pet dog, Mozzy. Austin is a jack-of-all-trades here at Advantage and he excels in providing the best service to our customers and loves to help out his fellow employees. He makes Advantage Label a fun place to work and says he feels like he is part of a family when he is here! His favorite sports team is the Golden State Warriors and he’d love to travel the world someday, but in the mean-time, he’ll settle for a nice round of golf or paintball. Austin is a bit of a daredevil! One of the items on his bucket list is to go skydiving!
Molly is a very energetic member of our Customer Service Team. She loves to keep busy, and her positive energy is contagious around the office. When not at work, Molly and her boyfriend Josh stay busy raising two kids, along with their pet chickens and turkeys. Sounds like a lot of running around! In fact, Molly has so much energy that she once biked across the US from Jacksonville FL to Monterey CA as part of a non profit to raise money for affordable housing. Way to go Molly!! We are glad you made it back to Michigan, Molly, and to Advantage Label!
Justin Puglisi is a loyal member of our Customer Service team. He embodies a servant’s heart, always eager to lend a helping hand. This mindset was instilled in him at a young age and has guided him throughout his life. During high school, Justin was part of the wrestling team, where he received a piece of advice from his coach that continues to inspire him: “Live the way you want someone to remember you for living.” This wisdom drives Justin to continuously strive for improvement, both personally and professionally, ensuring that his legacy is one to be admired. At work, Justin is motivated by problem solving and customer satisfaction. We are happy to have you on our team, Justin!
Susan Reece is a dependable member of our Customer Service team who believes that dependability is crucial in both work and home life, as it can significantly impact any relationship. Susan married her husband, Jay, in July 2024. Together, they have a lively household with three kids, a dog, and two cats, along with three adult stepdaughters. Susan enjoys going to concerts, camping, beach outings, and sand dune rides. She loves watching her kids and nephews play sports. As a self-taught cake decorator, Susan might have to let us sample some of her creations! She takes pride in providing the best customer service and knowing she is making a positive difference.
Cody is a people-oriented CAS team member who works in our Service department and highly regards his relationships with others. He comes from a large family consisting of 15 aunts and uncles, two brothers, two sisters, a cat named Mint and his girlfriend, Erin. His favorite part of working at Advantage is helping facilitate the needs of our customers when it comes to providing service and supplying parts. Each part and how it individually fits into the bigger machines our team services remind him of how everyone has a role to play in the greater machine of life. Fun fact about Cody is that he can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 30 seconds! Wow! That’s pretty impressive! Thanks for sharing your skills with us at Advantage, Cody.
Kat started at Advantage Label as one of our summer interns and quickly became an important part of our team. She graduated from Intern to Customer Account Specialist, and now manages the entire Customer Service Team! She makes it her goal to overjoy the customer, which she does daily. In her free time Kat enjoys reading, watching reality TV, and spending time outdoors. Having already visited 12 national parks in the US, her happy place is anywhere in the mountains. She hopes to visit as many national parks as possible with her husband, John, and sons, Baylor & Quinn!
Kenzie is a wonderful member of our Customer Service team. She believes in self-improvement and dependency and wants the people around her to feel supported. At work, she strives to maintain and strengthen customer relations. What a testament to her work ethic! Outside of work, Kenzie loves hanging out with her boyfriend, Nick, doing fun activities: seeing movies, making dinner, or golfing. She also loves traveling and has seen many cultures around the world. She has a super tight knit family in the area and absolutely adores living near them. Fun fact about Kenzie, her and her sister share a birthday on Halloween, two years apart! We are so happy to have you on the team, Kenzie!
Brad Knoth has led the company since co-founding it on September 1, 1996. Brad enjoys helping customers, coworkers and vendors over come challenges with creativity and excellence. He looks forward to watching the company grow and remains dedicated to developing his colleagues. While not in the office, you’ll probably find Brad spending time with his wife Kimberly and his growing family: Jake, Nate and his wife Tori, Max, Sam and Will. You may even spot him on a nearby lake enjoying any type of water sport, especially kitesurfing. Other hobbies include playing in the snow, photography, aviation, cars, road trips, and scuba diving. Brad is not one to shy away from any type of adventure. After all, he’s been with us for all of these years!
Kim is our Operations Manager who joined the company in 2001. Kim’s favorite part of her job is helping the people she works with – answering questions and coming together to find solutions. Kim believes that when you are proud of the work you do each day, you strive to be excellent at it. While not at work, Kim enjoys spending time with her family outdoors. In the summer months, you may find her boating on the waters of Lake Michigan and in the winter she enjoys snowmobiling with family and friends. One of Kim’s favorite snowmobile rides was over the ice bridge from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island.
Pam is our Administrative Assistant from Grand Rapids, who joined our team in 2010. She and her husband Rob have two sons and their dog, Tilly! Pam is a ray of sunshine at the office and customers will feel her warmth through the phone when they talk to her. Her favorite part of the job is exceeding customers expectations to make their day! While not working, Pam enjoys photography, gardening and kayaking. One day she would like to take her family to England to visit the place where her grandmother grew up.
Larry Poll is the Finance Manager at Advantage, where he excels at tasks ranging from account reconciliations to preparing financial statements. Known for his dependability, Larry brings a focused and dedicated approach both at work and at home. He has been happily married to his wife, Stacey, for eighteen years. They have two sons, Thomas and Henry, both of whom are avid baseball players. The family enjoys attending their games and practices. They also share their home with three rescued stray cats. In his free time, Larry enjoys cooking and woodworking. He and Stacy dream of traveling to Italy once they send their sons off to college. A fun fact about Larry is that he was the captain of an APA billiards team that made it the national APA tournament in Las Vegas two years in a row.
Rod has been with the company since 2002 as a Technical Service & Support Representative. He’s the guy who can answer just about every printing or packaging question. Rod believes the company delivers a quality product with quality people who look to build loyal customers. While not solving problems at work, Rod enjoys spending time with his Blue Healer, Annie and with his extensive family – he has 14 brothers and sisters! He loves to golf and is a Spartan fan. Go Green!
Dennis Bruin is one of our heavily relied upon, Technical Service and Support team members. He was born in Long Beach, California and raised in Cedar Springs, Michigan. Dennis graduated from ITT with an Associates Degree in Network Administration. After 9 years serving as a DJ and Karaoke Host, Dennis decided to capitalize on his technical skills and join the Advantage Label team. Dennis’ goal is to inherit all the knowledge and training to accommodate the needs of his customers, helping them to feel the value in the company. He’s proud to offer innovative, quality products and service excellence. One day, he would love to travel out of the country, skydive, ride in a hot air balloon and go ocean fishing. We think he could accomplish all of these things on his honeymoon!
When it comes to solving problems, Mitch is a natural! He loves using his creativity to solve problems, provide the solution, and leave the customer happy. It’s no wonder you are one of our amazing Field Service Technicians! When not providing customers with amazing service, Mitch can be found with his wife Savana and dog Maui. Fun fact about Mitch: he loves making and playing music with his best friends. They are really good! He also likes action sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, and rock climbing. I am not sure how you find the time to fit that into your busy schedule, but we are thankful that you also share your time with our customers and our team!
Rick Miller is part of our Technical Service and Support Team. He lives in Ohio and services our customers in Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
He says his favorite parts of the job are getting to meet a variety of terrific people and providing them with great customer service.
When not taking care of customer’s needs, he can be found with his wife Claudia, their daughter Sophie, and Mini Double Doodle-Billie.
Rick said that the best piece of advice he has been given is the “90/10 Rule: Talk 10% of the time and listen 90% of the time”. He has definitely taken that to heart as he is excellent at listening to the customers needs, and then providing great service!
Zoie Gossett, one of the gifted Graphic Artists, consistently takes on new challenges with enthusiasm, believing that each day brings fresh opportunities for creativity, a quality that shines through in her work. A night owl by nature, Zoie fills her late hours with a variety of hobbies, including crochet, reading, painting, and running. In October of 2023, she achieved a major milestone by completing her first marathon. Recently, she bought her first condo, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Lots of firsts! Zoie’s favorite piece of advice is to find something to be grateful for every day, a sentiment we share as we’re grateful to have her on our team!
Parker Roeda joined the Advantage team in the summer of 2025, the same summer she got engaged! Much like her personal life, she is open to new experiences and opportunities in her career, especially ones that allow for creative growth. Parker is an experienced Graphic Artist with a strong eye for detail and a reputation for reliability. Her hometown is in Northwest Indiana, but she is now proudly a Lions fan — after years of living in Michigan, it finally felt right. (Timing is everything.) We are overjoyed you chose to stick around and join us here at Advantage!
Nick Hastwell is a highly valued Graphic Artist in our Art Department. He has a unique ability to blend creative knowledge with a positive mindset, allowing him to develop innovative solutions that consistently meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. When Nick is not working at the office, he can usually be found working on house projects where he lives with his wife, Becky, and two cats, Izzy and Nora. He is also a fan of the SuperMega show podcast. A fitting and fun fact about Nick is that he shares a birthday with the legendary painter Bob Ross—what are the chances? We often wonder how many other artists were born on that day! We’re incredibly pleased to have you on our team, Nick!
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Aaron Casnave works in our Shipping Department. His specializes in ensuring each and every package leaves the building on time and he also keeps things neat and tidy in the warehouse. He prides himself on providing excellent service and enjoys working with such a great team of employees. On his days off you’ll find him spending quality time with his family and playing basketball or football. Aaron loyally cheers on his favorite team, The Baltimore Ravens.
As our Production Operations Manager, Ray spends most of his time making sure our floor is running as smooth as efficiently as possible – his goal is to see to it that our customers have a positive experience every time they place an order, and we appreciate everything he does behind the scenes to make that happen! Ray is married to his wife Dorothy and has 5 grown children. While not at work, he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, and loves to spend a weekend away at his cabin in Alpena. A fun fact about Ray: he used to play bass guitar in a country cover band. While playing in the band, he had the privilege of being the opening act for Blake Shelton, and Billy Currington.
From Onsted, Michigan, John joined our team in 2001. He currently supervises Pre-press and Quality. He loves his fellow employees and the family atmosphere he observes in the office every day. John has worked up through the ranks, with roles that included estimating, scheduling and production. In his free time, John enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his wife, two sons and their two dogs. His bucket list includes hunting elk in Colorado!
