March 24, 2023

March is Women’s History Month- A time to celebrate the women of the past and the women of today. Over centuries women have made waves, especially in the workplace, as well as many other societal and political areas. 

The women at Caster Concepts and its subsidiaries are driven and professional – among many other great qualities – and have been able to reach their career goals within the company. Caster Concepts has women working in positions all across the board, and a few of them have shared their thoughts regarding their personal experiences as a woman working in their specific fields and the company as a whole. 

Women in Management

Management roles take time, hard work, and growth to obtain in a company: Caster Concepts has women who hold these positions and recognize these qualities that have helped them succeed. 

When asked what drew her to working at Caster Concepts, Stephanie Siefert, Office Manager, stated that one of her values in finding a job was whether the company was family owned or corporate, preferring family owned. As a family owned company, Caster Concepts was her clear choice. “Caster Concepts was an easy choice for me because I was already working for the President of Caster Concepts in a different profession, and I was already aware of what kind of company Caster Concepts was”, notes Stephanie.

With that in mind, she decided to take the role of Office Manager, and in reflection she states, “ I would not know where I would be today if Bill [President of Caster Concepts] had not taken a chance on me 28 years ago. He has challenged me, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and supported me every step of the way”. 

Similarly to Stephanie, Jewell Heath was able to advance her career at Caster Concepts, and feels that her personal growth is the biggest standout in her development to a management position. 

Heath is the Inside Sales Manager at Caster Concepts. Always motivated by good grades and academic success, her career at Caster Concepts started with an internship after college, where she started in shipping and customer service. After three years, she moved onto inside sales, taking over the Inside Sales Manager position in 2020. When asked about challenges presented to her in her career, she spoke about the aspect of handling different types of conversations with customers. Through her career development at Caster Concepts, Jewell feels that she has “grown so much in her confidence and ability to deal with conflict and deliver bad news”. She also mentioned that her training has really helped with this as well: “Our sandler sales training has taught me a process of asking questions and getting the customer to share with me their pain, and then I work to deliver a solution”.

Women with Creativity

In addition to management positions, there are women who use their creative skills to excel at Caster Concepts. 

Lexi Davis, a Graphic Designer for the marketing team, feels that she has been able to grow professionally at Caster Concepts as well. She states, “Compared to when I was first hired at BrickStreet Marketing [Caster Concepts’ marketing office] to having worked here for 2 years now, I’ve done multiple projects, as big as doing my first design on the local billboard in downtown Albion, to trade show banners, websites, stationary, social media ads… the list goes on!”. She also feels that she has support from her coworkers at the office: “ It’s wonderful to have my BrickStreet family to work alongside with to get creative ideas, constructive criticism, and a few good laughs throughout the day. I know I can trust and rely on them for any kind of support whether it’s work or personal related.”

The women of Caster Concepts are diverse in talents, and no two are the same: They all bring something unique to the table and have made their mark at the company. It’s fair to say that Caster Concepts wouldn’t be the same without them. 

Along with these three women, there are many others that make up the female employees of Caster Concepts and its subsidiaries:

• Sarah Brinkman: Accountant – Caster Concepts
• Hillary Clark: Admin Shipping Clerk – Caster Concepts
• April Clawson: Material Handler – Caster Concepts
• Caroline Hurteau: Admin Caster Cares – Caster Concepts
• Alexa Johnson: Customer Service (Sales) – Caster Concepts
• Jaimee Kowalk: Customer Service (Sales) – Caster Concepts
• Alyssa Marchewka: CCI Intern – Caster Concepts
• Melodie Roblee: CCI Inter – Caster Concepts
• Michelle Roblee: Welder Hand CCI – Caster Concepts
• Karen Travis: Engineering Manager – Caster Concepts
• Emily Verbeke: Office Support Admin – Caster Concepts
• Jacqueline Willis: Quality Inspector CCI- Caster Concepts

 

• Jamie Boyd: Purchasing CI Receiving Logistics – Conceptual Innovations
• Autumn Cornell: CI Intern – Conceptual Innovations

 

• Ashley Campbell: Office Support Admin – Mitchell Golf
• Stephanie Dobbins: Vice President MG –  Mitchell Golf

 

• Mara Pilgrim: Brickstreet Intern – Brickstreet Marketing
• Amanda Rodriguez: Social Media Coordinator – Brickstreet Marketing
• Sophie Swanker: Brickstreet Intern – Brickstreet Marketing

 

• Julia Ames: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Elizabeth Clawson: Sandwich Artist – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Mariah Conley: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Maddie Davis: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Kellie Flynn: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Daeinara Gifford: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Emily Hellman: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Lynda Holben: Baker – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Amelia Kotas: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Angel Lucia: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Patricia Miller: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Kendall Oswald: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Madeline Peterson: Baker – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Livia Sprouse: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Elizabeth Williamson: Cashier – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Paige Young: Production Manager – Foundry Bakehouse and Deli

 

• Kei’Asianique Hill – Pure Albion
• Jewel La Noue: Cashier – Pure Albion
• Stevie Lake: Cashier – Pure Albion
• Maddie McKinnon: Cashier – Pure Albion
• Kaitlyn Porter: Cashier – Pure Albion

 

• Erin Markovich: Trainer – Smart Strength & Conditioning

 

• Ruth Bannister – Superior Street Mercantile
• Lillian Brown – Superior Street Mercantile
• Melissa Davis – Superior Street Mercantile
• Alexis McGinley – Superior Street Mercantile
• Lauren Perry – Superior Street Mercantile
• Cassidy Porter: Cashier – Superior Street Mercantile
• Chloe Webber – Superior Street Mercantile
• Shannon Weberling – Superior Street Mercantile

Happy Women’s History Month to all of the fantastic women at Caster Concepts and in the Albion community as a whole.