Detroit Metropolitan Area, Michigan, United States, March 2026 — Industrial Plant Services (IPS) has appointed Lauren Vihtelic as Director of Human Resources. In this role, she will lead the company’s HR function, supporting workforce strategy, compliance, talent priorities, and employee programs as IPS continues to deliver automation maintenance, installation, integration, and technical support services across manufacturing environments.
Lauren brings deep, long-term HR leadership experience spanning corporate HR, compliance, employee relations, payroll and benefits administration, and workers’ compensation leadership—built over an extensive career supporting diverse client and operational environments.
Before joining Industrial Plant Services, Lauren spent more than 18 years with Trion Solutions, Inc., most recently serving as Director of Corporate Human Resources and Compliance. In this capacity, she aligned HR strategy with business objectives, supported HR compliance through policies and training initiatives, oversaw compensation, benefits and employee relations programs, streamlined recruitment processes to strengthen talent acquisition and retention, and ensured compliance by reviewing and updating employment policies.
Earlier at Trion Solutions, Inc., she served as Director of Workers Compensation, where she helped build the function, implemented WC policies in collaboration with executive leadership and clients, led reporting and cost analysis, verified claim submissions for compliance, and managed escalations.
Before that, she worked as Client HR Director, partnering with executive leadership to define strategic HR objectives for multiple clients, researching tailored compensation and performance programs, advising on HR queries, and ensuring compliance across employment and safety requirements.
Her earlier roles at Trion included Human Resources Manager, where she supported client HR operations, managed unemployment and leave-related compliance requirements, developed handbooks and policies, and conducted investigations to resolve HR issues.
Prior to the formation of Trion, Lauren worked with E-Connect Inc. as a Human Resources, Payroll and Benefits Specialist, supporting onboarding, payroll processing, compliance verification, employment verifications, garnishment processing, COBRA administration, and benefit payable consolidation. (E-Connect Inc and TotalHR later merged to form Trion Solutions, Inc.)
Earlier in her career, she served as Human Resources and Benefits Manager at Assured Source, where she handled benefit administration, payroll adjustments coordination, COBRA processes, benefit termination processing, and monthly invoice reconciliation across benefits and workers’ compensation.
She also worked with EPITEC, INC. as an Employee Relations Representative, supporting employee documentation and compliance processes, immigration paperwork, employee-client relationship management, performance review feedback cycles, and tuition reimbursement administration.
Lauren began her earlier professional journey in customer-facing roles, including time as Sales Associate/Head Cashier at EXPRESS.
About Industrial Plant Services
Industrial Plant Services (IPS), founded in 2008, is a service-based company staffed with an experienced team of industry experts. IPS supports a wide range of automation-driven solutions across manufacturing environments, backed by decades of education and plant-floor experience.
IPS provides automation maintenance, installation, integration, and technical support strategies, emphasizing hands-on experience and continuous training for its skilled personnel and industry partners.
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