The DWM leadership team held a brainstorming session over lunch late last year. Their Latham based company is already a leading international provider for some of the world's best brands for construction and renovation. But, could they improve profits and vendor relationships by selling licensing rights to preferred technicians in densely populated areas? That was the question on the table. They figured the answer would come through extensive research, data mining, and analysis. They assembled an all-star team to tackle the project... made up entirely of Siena interns.
Allison King is DWM's director of marketing and technology. She's managed Siena interns for more than five years and says the level of professionalism and education Siena students have brought to DWM is unsurpassed.
"Their eagerness to learn, succeed, and apply classroom experience to the real world with a fresh perspective is what sets the Siena interns apart."
For this new project, she only interviewed Siena candidates, and then she assembled her three-person dream team.
The intern dream team - consisting of Jenna Farro '22, Jonathan Villalona '21, G'22, and Daniel Strangis '22 - got to work in early January. They started with market research and quickly concluded the licensing model wouldn't be a good fit. Instead, they developed a hybrid model that borrows from licensing and franchise agreements.
Next, they sorted through internal data on contractors, work orders, and locations. They narrowed the data to four trades in five states, and fixated on larger cities with the most work orders. They were able to calculate the amount of work that preferred technicians lose annually to jobs given to other contractors. Ultimately, the Siena interns concluded that if preferred technicians pay a premium (benefitting DWM), their return on investment will compensate for the fee, and so much more. They presented their findings to Allison and her team.
"It was a phenomenal experience working with Jenna, Jonathan, and Daniel on this project. Their final presentation was top-notch, providing a clear business plan for this new program."
"I had such a great experience interning at DWM during this winter break. I was able to improve technical skills such as analyzing data and conducting market research while also getting to work on soft skills like presenting and collaborating. This experience has enhanced my understanding of working in the analytics and research worlds and has made it clear to me that I would like to do more work like this in the future!"
Jenna Farro '22
"DWM was a great internship that really allowed me to take what I have learned in the classroom and apply it to real problems within the workplace. They have a wonderful work environment, and I highly recommend their internship, especially for those who have not yet made the transition from the classroom to the workplace."
Jonathan Villalona '20 G'21
