Stepping Up

When Zach Lorenz first enrolled at Elgin Community College (ECC), he thought his future was in engineering. Nearly a decade later, he returned to ECC with a different perspective as the owner of a Geneva-based calibration business seeking ways to grow. 

Lorenz became the owner of Lorenz Calibration in October 2024, following his father’s death. Now, the young business owner is navigating everything from hiring his first employee to expanding the company’s services, and he sees ECC as a potential partner.

The company specializes in calibrating and resurfacing surface plates, which are granite blocks used for precision measurement in manufacturing and other industries, he explained. 

Lorenz’s ECC journey began in 2016, but he eventually took a break from college to determine what he wanted to pursue. During that time, he began working as an apprentice at the company.

“I started learning the business, and I saw the opportunity of owning what I labor for and being able to grow it,” Lorenz said. 

He quickly clarified that he did not simply inherit the business; he is actively making payments into the business trust as he takes responsibility for its future. 

While working to build relationships with local businesses and manufacturers, Lorenz reconnected with ECC. A meeting led to an invitation to tour ECC’s new Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC), which opened for classes in August.

“A program like this makes it easier for businesses to tap into experienced individuals in the community, and to work with the program itself to improve it,“ he said. 

For Lorenz, the connection between education and industry isn’t theoretical. He is preparing to hire an employee and has been navigating the legal and logistical requirements of becoming an employer. Taylor connected him with resources that could help with the hiring process.

Lorenz envisions an even deeper relationship with ECC as his business grows, including paying for classes for future employees to learn and develop additional skills. He is also exploring a potential merger with another calibration business that specializes in electrical and temperature calibration, which could expand his company’s capabilities. 

Despite the demands of business ownership, Lorenz hasn't abandoned the goal that first brought him to ECC. He remains open to completing his associate degree and hopes to find time to take his last class.

Almost ten years after first walking onto ECC's campus as a student trying to determine his future, Lorenz is returning with a different perspective: as a local business owner considering his company's next generation — and how ECC might help him build it.