Student Spotlight: Being part of the solution

NOTE: This article is the latest in a series in association with Rhinelander Partners in Education.

Shawn Denis, junior at Rhinelander High School, follows in his family footsteps at Northstar Steel Fabrication Inc., working with his dad, as a fourth-generation worker in the steel industry.

Northstar Steel started in 1981 with Shawn’s great-grandfather and continues today with Shawn, his dad, Rob, and other family members who continue to bring excellence and experience into the metal fabrication industry. 

Northstar Steel makes a variety of custom designed work produced and distributed around the globe in large industries — including logging, agriculture, forestry, construction, aerospace, mining. 

Years of on the job experience in metal fabrication is the expertise of the employees at Northstar. The Rhinelander location occupies 23 acres and 200,000 square feet of space where the equipment is housed to handle the fabrication process from start to finish or work on individual components to a unique project that needs a custom part. 

Northstar has a global presence in the field, but their skills are also put to the test and on display locally. The YMCA of the Northwoods had a large addition put on the facility which was completed in the last year in fall of 2023 by KSW Construction. In the process, KSW had Northstar create several projects to make the addition possible. 

Shawn Denis shared more about his learning experience while working on the YMCA project. 

“We had to design a large cover for the (sub-pump), which had to be changed a few times in order to fit the exact qualifications, which I found fun to problem solve,” he said. 

Shawn dives right into conversation about programs he uses like CAD software, which he had the experience learning to work with in school and then apply the use of the software in the work environment. 

“I use the program which allows you to design different components of a machine individually and make calculated changes in order to make sure that the machines shape or cut the metal just right,” he explained. “I use the software to burn a profile or pattern on the steel that the plasma cutter follows.” The work is precise and bares a lot of responsibility in order to ensure the design is going to work for the client.

“Sometimes you have to figure it out yourself and problem solve and [my dad] has me go look it up and find out the information I need. Designing can be hard if you have to go back and fix something, but that is what makes it challenging and different every day.”

Rob Denis, Shawn’s father, echoes Shawn’s comments about problem solving. 

“Ya know, some things you just don’t learn in school,” he said. “(Kids) just need to be reminded once in a while that they have the tools they need to solve problems and that someone won’t always be there to just give them the answer.

“The school district has been such a great help with getting students in these apprenticeships. Ms. (Lexi) Allen does great work matching kids up with the right location,” Rob states. “In fact we still have some employees in the building that are still working here after they started as an apprentice years ago. The fact that we have these people gaining more experience each day still in the building allows us to make the best products for clients we can.”

Shawn, a member of the RHS boys’ swim team that won the WIAA Division 2 state championship in 2023 and finished as state runners-up this year, will be set up in a great direction as he continues his path. 

“I know that I can still do swimming, which is what I love, when I go to college,” he said. “I plan to study business administration in order to learn the more detailed parts of marketing and management in order to grow (Northstar).” 

It is clear that the value of getting out of the classroom brings opportunities and direction that help Shawn and other students before and after him to start exploring careers and forging a path that may eventually turn into a plan and their future. 

The Denises continue to grow their business globally and locally and find excitement and pride in the services they provide. 

“It is great to see him in the field and interacting with other people and personalities in order to communicate effectively. It is nice to see him interacting with clients and co-workers gaining that experience working with people,” Rob Denis said. 

The apple certainly does not fall far from the tree with these work values and ethics. Shawn leaves us with a comment that remains true in order for any of the successes to start: 

“It’s important to get a job that you enjoy vs. the job that pays the most,” he said.