Get to know your IPF crews: Set Up
Left to right: Olga Pathfinder, Jevon Williams, Jim Peaney, Kristin Swartz, Robert Gum, Mark Rokita, Jim Edgecomb, Ian Bumpus, Tom Cousins, Ben Graham, Josh Radon, Kurt Wagner
Anthony Yuhasz
October 23, 2019
Imagine an MSU without men’s basketball, football, wrestling or commencement.
“What’s that, President Obama, sir…you want to come to campus for a campaign visit? I’m sorry, we won’t be able to accommodate you.”
That’s what the university would be like without the IPF Set Up crew.
It is not an exaggeration to say that few things would be able to happen on this campus without the members of this team.
The list of things they are responsible for is mind boggling. From entire building moves to setting up chairs and stages for commencements and funerals; from helping install museum art exhibits to tarping athletic fields; from piano moves to delivery and set up of bleachers; these folks do it all.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s providing a table for a building’s cupcake sale, or a visit from the President of the United States; these folks are involved behind the scenes,” said Jim Peaney, Materials and Logistics planner/inspector/analyst supervisor.
He added, “I’ve had to bring these folks in at all hours for some really unique jobs; a couple of years ago, they had to come in at 2 a.m. to install the new Sparty statue at the Union; two-thousand pounds, and they had to carry him up two flights of stairs.”
They are even responsible for delivering and retrieving the Spartan Football Team and Marching Band luggage during travel.
“It was New Year’s Day, and we had to be at the airport at 2 a.m.,” said Set Up worker Tom Cousins. “It was pretty wild being able to drive up on the tarmac right up to the plane.”
Their work is oftentimes backbreaking; it’s no wonder that these folks look like they could take on a small army.
“We deliver water softener salt to several buildings on campus,” said Set Up worker, Robert Gum. “Cowles House is one of the most challenging, as it has a Michigan basement, and we have to crouch over while delivering those 40-pound bags of salt.”
“These folks move grand pianos around like you’d move your suitcase,” Peaney added.
Their physical strength is only exceeded by their efficiency and the care they give to every job, big or small.
“One summer, two years ago, Fee Hall elevators were down, and they had to carry the willed-donor bodies up several flights of stairs to the Anatomy Lab, one per day or more,” Peaney said. “The care and respect they showed is one example of what gives us the outstanding reputation we have around campus; we are oftentimes specifically selected for jobs based on peoples’ past experience with us.”
When asked what they love most about their jobs, they all echoed the same sentiment; they enjoy working for the people at MSU, who are overwhelmingly gracious and thankful. That, and the seemingly endless variety of jobs they get to perform.
Set Up worker, Mark Rokita spoke from the heart, “today, we were hanging pictures for faculty members, including their Ph.D. degrees; when they say you’ve done a perfect job with something that represents years of hard work on their part, that’s really gratifying.”
He continued, “the next time you find yourself back in their building, they remember you and the great work you did; it’s rewarding building relationships with so many people from across campus.”
This merry band of miracle workers also spend time with each other outside of work, golfing or going to sports bars to watch the games.
“Josh has even been trying to get us to go kayaking together, but so far, nobody’s bitten,” Rokita laughed.
Jeff Groll, Material and Logistics manager, proudly summed it up, “these folks are outstanding; we were able to keep all of our temporary workers on in permanent positions, they’re that good.” He added, “this is currently the best Set Up crew we’ve ever had in my 30 years at MSU.”
