Mike Lemza

Mike grew up in the small town of Port Henry along Lake Champlain. He attended Clarkson University with an ROTC scholarship where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering along with being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves. He began his career at International Paper's Ticonderoga Mill as a project engineer. Within 2 years, he was promoted to maintenance team leader of the woodyard, pulp mill, and recaust maintenance departments consisting of approximately 30 union employees. After 3 years, Mike and his recently-retired future father-in-law went into business together when they bought a small wood products manufacturing plant. After a couple years, they built a new production plant in a nearby town. In 2010 Mike and his wife Colleen, now co-owners of the business, secured a USDA grant to help them build a wood pelleting plant. Mike designed, helped construct, and operated this new facility until selling the business in 2015. Mike continued to work for the new owner until 2018 helping with the transition. Mike started at Miner in 2019 and brought with him 25 years of production-based manufacturing, maintenance and construction experience.