UNOH Alum Tracy Schnitzler Helps Strengthen Workforce Pipeline

Posted on Friday, July 17, 2026

UNOH Alumnus Tracy Schnitzler '89, VP of Service Operations, M&K Truck Centers

Written by contributing columnist Melanie Barnas-Simmons, VP of Alumni Affairs and Institutional Advancement

When Tracy Schnitzler talks about the future of the trucking industry, he doesn’t talk about trucks first.

He talks about people.

As Vice President of Service for M&K Truck Centers in Byron Center, MI, Schnitzler helps oversee service operations for one of the largest heavy-duty truck dealer groups in the world. The company operates more than 40 locations across the Midwest and Northeast, is the largest Volvo dealer in the United States, and top five worldwide.

And like many companies in the transportation industry, M&K faces a challenge that continues to grow: finding enough skilled technicians and service professionals to meet demand. “We could probably hire 70 to 75 technicians today if we could find them,” Schnitzler said. That’s one reason M&K is strengthening its relationship with the University of Northwestern Ohio.

After recently donating an automated transmission and a truck chassis to UNOH’s diesel technology program, M&K and university leaders began discussing new ways to work together to help educate, train, and recruit the next generation of transportation professionals.

For Schnitzler, the partnership is personal. More than three decades ago, he arrived in Lima as a student determined to build a career working with trucks.

Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Battle Creek, Michigan, he was surrounded by tractors, trucks, and heavy equipment. His father owned a construction company, but Schnitzler found himself drawn to diesel engines. Attending what was then Northwestern Technical College, Schnitzler worked full-time during the day and on weekends at a grain elevator while attending classes at night. After earning his associate degree in Automotive & Diesel Technology, Schnitzler began building his career throughout northwest Ohio, working steadily to develop his skills.

In December 2002, he joined M&K Truck Centers as a technician. Over the next two decades, he advanced through a series of leadership roles, becoming night foreman, service manager, service director, and ultimately Vice President of Service in 2025.

His growth mirrored the growth of the company itself. “When I started there, we had two locations,” Schnitzler said. “Now we’re at 38.” Today, he travels throughout M&K’s growing footprint, supporting service operations across multiple states and helping guide the company’s continued expansion.

Despite the demands of his role, Schnitzler has never forgotten the impact UNOH had on his career. “I had a lot of teachers that were very influential to me,” Schnitzler said. “Ray Tinnell was probably one of the most influential teachers that I had.” Those relationships left a lasting impression. “They weren’t just teachers,” he said. “They were more than that to us. We got to be more friends than just teachers.”

Today, Schnitzler sees that same impact reflected in the UNOH graduates who work throughout M&K’s organization. “I’ve worked with a lot of other colleges, but it’s always been this school that seems like we get the best techs out of there,” he said. “I’ve got a ton of techs that work for me that have come from UNOH.” Many of those graduates have also gone on to become leaders within the company.

As M&K continues to grow, the company is looking beyond simply hiring technicians. Opportunities exist throughout the organization in service, parts, sales, administration, and management. Schnitzler says the technical foundation students receive at UNOH often helps them succeed in a variety of career paths.

That shared commitment to workforce development is driving M&K’s renewed engagement with the university. In addition to recent equipment donations, M&K currently has two branded classrooms on campus and is exploring additional opportunities to support students and programs. “We’d like to get a good pipeline,” Schnitzler said. “We keep growing, and the demand and need for technicians for us is huge.”

For UNOH, partnerships like M&K’s help ensure students have access to current equipment, industry expertise, and direct pathways to employment. For M&K, the relationship helps build the skilled workforce needed to support a rapidly growing business.

And for Schnitzler, it’s an opportunity to give back to the institution that helped launch his own career. More than 35 years after his graduation, he is helping create opportunities for the next generation of students to follow a similar path—one that can lead from the shop floor to leadership positions across the transportation industry.

Category: Applied Technologies, Campus & Community

Keywords: Alumni, M&K Truck Centers, Workforce Development