Michael SUTH

7 JUN 1943 - 15 NOV 2021

• BIRTH: 7 JUN 1943, South Bend, IN
• DEATH: 15 NOV 2021, South Bend, IN

INDEX

[N22943] Michael E Suth
June 7, 1943 - November 15, 2021

South Bend - Michael E. Suth, 78, passed away Monday, November 15, 2021. Mike was born June 7, 1943 in South Bend to the late Emery and Irene Kil Suth. Left to cherish the memory of Mike is his loving wife, Donna (Claire) Suth, their children, Tamara (Tom) Crowe, Gregory (Julie) Suth, Kelly Willhoite, Robert (Ranae) Suth, Patrick Suth, Jimmy (Brittany) Suth; 17 Grandchildren and sisters, Maureen Suth, Janeen Conboy and Phyllis Lentych. Mike was a parishioner of St. Jude parish. He coached for St. Jude and Marian High School baseball and basketball for many years. Mike was a member of the Notre Dame Quarterback Club and South Bend Country Club. Mike won a 2014 Indiana Small Businessman of the year award. He was the CEO of Hoosier Spring Company INC. and grew the business to support 120 employees and their families. He enjoyed Notre Dame Football, golf, and sports in general. Most of all he loved his family and grandchildren. Mike had a very generous heart; he had an easier time giving than receiving. Visitation for Mike will be 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Monday, November 22, 2021 in ST. JOSEPH FUNERAL HOME, 824 S. Mayflower Rd. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 in St. Jude Catholic Church. Memorial Contributions may be made to St. Jude Catholic Church, 19704 Johnson Road, South Bend, Indiana 46614. Condolences for the family may be made at www.sjfh.net

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Suth receives SBA award
Hoosier Springs CEO honored for putting employees, values first
JIM MEENAN South Bend Tribune jmeenan@sbtinfo.com Apr 23, 2014

SOUTH BEND -- Mike Suth, CEO of Hoosier Spring Co., does quite a job of combining old-school ways with new-school ways to grow his business. On Tuesday, Suth, who is nearly 72 and semiretired, received the Small Business Person of the Year award from the Indiana District of the Small Business Administration. Hoosier Spring Co., located at 4604 S. Burnett Drive, in South Bend, was started as a maker of hand-wound springs by Mike's father, Emery, in his garage in 1954, when Bendix quit making the parts Emery worked on. After his dad's death, Mike found the company at a crossroads in 1990 and opted to expand its base from mainly the automotive industry to one that today also manufactures compression springs for the nuclear industries, among others. Hoosier Spring also has nearly 90 employees and has seen its sales double in the past 10 years to nearly $13 million while eliminating its bank debt. But through it all, the company has remained loyal to Emery's values. Greg Suth, company president, agrees his dad, who is ill and now has trouble speaking, is both an innovator and communicator. "He really was," Greg said of Mike. "With the illness he has now, he even texts me: 'Hey, make sure you get out of your seat and walk around and talk to people and understand what their problems and issues are.'" That's a long-held belief of his father, Greg said. "He was always out on the floor, chewing the fat as he would say, with the employees, getting to know the employees and making them feel welcome," Greg said. "He had a knack for motivating people. He was really an outstanding speaker." He believed in keeping the employees informed, but also letting them know they mattered. Greg believes his dad was honored for his company's focus on its customers and employees. The latter focus has included quietly helping workers over the years with their children's education. "We just consider everybody here as part of the family," Greg said. The company has catered Polish-style dinners five times per year, celebrates Dyngus Day with a day off, has a Christmas party, bonuses and Thanksgiving gift cards in addition to the usual 401(k) and vacation benefits. "It all started with my grandfather (Emery) and some of the kinds of things he wanted to do," Greg said. That included paying a wage where families would have the option, at least, of having the mother stay home and raise the family. "We've just kind of carried that on," Greg said. But it's also new school with its flex time and tele-commuting opportunities, which allow for quality family time to be part of the work day when necessary.These days, Greg's brothers, Rob and Pat, are also part of the operation. There are several employees who have worked there for more than 37 years, Greg noted. "It's just one of those places people kind of hate to retire (from)," he said.