The Grand Rapids Business Journal has named Jo-Anne Perkins, Cascade Engineering鈥檚 Vice President, Environmental Systems and Services, and General Manager of Cascade Cart Solutions, as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan. The event honors the region鈥檚 most influential women business owners, leaders, policy-shapers and decision-makers and was held at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids on March 8. The honorees were selected from more than 100 nominations submitted by co-workers, employees, community organizations and area business leaders. Once selected as finalists, the Grand Rapids Business Journal surveyed hundreds of deserving women throughout Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties in order to select the top 50 in the region. 鈥淲e are thrilled for Jo-Anne to receive this well-deserved recognition and honored to have her as a member of our team,鈥� said Mark Miller, President and CEO of Cascade Engineering. 鈥淪ince joining Cascade Engineering over 15 years ago, she has strengthened our executive team, demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and developed impactful programs such as an internal Women鈥檚 Networking Group and The Pink Cart program for breast cancer awareness.鈥�
Perkins was born in Montreal where her father owned a manufacturing company. She began her career in the family business where she learned all aspects of the company and was eventually inspired to found her own company in 1985, KCI Mechanical. At that time, a local hospital was looking for a system to contain bio-medical waste and Perkins realized there was a need for ancillary products for the solid waste industry. In 2000, Cascade Engineering recruited Perkins to be its regional sales manager for the Canadian and northeast U.S. territories. Within five years, she was promoted to general manager, which required her to move to West Michigan at the age of 47. Since joining Cascade Engineering, Perkins has focused her energy on how communities can improve their recycling efforts. In 2009, she developed The Pink Cart initiative in honor of her mother who died of breast cancer at the age of 51. Cascade donates $5 for every pink cart purchased to the American Cancer Society鈥檚 (ACS) breast cancer awareness fund. Since its inception, more than 100,000 pink carts have been purchased and $500,000 has been donated to the ACS. Additionally, Perkins won the Manufacturing Institute鈥檚 STEP Ahead Award in 2015, given to the top 100 women demonstrating excellence and leadership in manufacturing.
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