University of Montana Employer Partnerships: TC Glass Case Study
Case study video
Overview
The University of Montana needed to challenge a growing perception: that universities can't adapt fast enough to keep up with rapid change. As the pace of technological innovation accelerates and the half-life of technical skills shrinks, UM wanted to show they are more than a four-year credential factory. They wanted to position themselves as a long-term resource for alumni and employers navigating uncertainty and workforce development challenges.
Our challenge: anchor institutional workforce development communication in a real human example. And do it without reducing TC Glass, a third-generation Montana business, to a case study prop in UM's institutional narrative.
Our challenge: anchor institutional workforce development communication in a real human example. And do it without reducing TC Glass, a third-generation Montana business, to a case study prop in UM's institutional narrative.
The Opportunity
TC Glass had grown from a 6-person family operation to a 120-employee commercial glazing contractor under the leadership of UM alumni Tye Habel. That growth created communication gaps between superintendents, project managers, and office personnel. Tye had tried many resources, including out-of-state consultants, to varying degrees of success. Then he realized the resource he really needed was in his back yard: the University of Montana.
Michael Braun, Director of University of Montana Employer Partnerships (UMEP), saw this as the perfect proof point for their positioning. They brought us in to tell the story.
Michael Braun, Director of University of Montana Employer Partnerships (UMEP), saw this as the perfect proof point for their positioning. They brought us in to tell the story.
Our Approach
We structured the narrative around a problem-solution-impact framework, but let the interviews drive the pacing:
1. Establish the problem
UM President Seth Bodnar frames the broader challenge (skills decay, institutional stagnation, the need for universities to evolve).
2. Introduce the proof
Tye's success story and growing pains.
Show the solution in action: Jason Triche, professor of MIS, (and the project management instructor), explains the customized training approach.
Show the solution in action: Jason Triche, professor of MIS, (and the project management instructor), explains the customized training approach.
3. Land the impact
Tye reflects on coming full circle with his alma mater, culminating in a personal moment where he installs a window in his old dorm room.
4. Call to action
Seth invites other organizations with workforce development needs to reach out to the University of Montana.
We filmed across two locations. In Missoula: institutional interviews with UM leadership and campus b-roll. In Great Falls: TC Glass's headquarters, the live training session, and active operations work. The b-roll gave us editorial flexibility to bridge perspectives, maintain pacing, and keep the story grounded in real work.
In post-production, we worked with Mike Braun and Paul Gladen to refine the structure so that UM's institutional goals and Tye's personal story reinforced each other rather than competing for attention.
In post-production, we worked with Mike Braun and Paul Gladen to refine the structure so that UM's institutional goals and Tye's personal story reinforced each other rather than competing for attention.
The Result
A 4-minute piece that positions the University of Montana as the economic partner for developing existing workforces within organizations. The video supports UM's employer partnership program (UMEP) and is currently distributed on their website and social channels.
The story works because it doesn't feel like marketing. It feels like documentation (a real business solving a real problem with a resource they'd overlooked).
The story works because it doesn't feel like marketing. It feels like documentation (a real business solving a real problem with a resource they'd overlooked).
Special Thanks
Thanks to Mike Braun, Tye Habel, Paul Gladen, Accelerate Montana, and the University of Montana for working effectively and collaboratively with us to bring this project to life.
