August 2022 Volume 4

OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

Women of Scot Forge: Through the Lens of Women in the Forging Industry, What Weight Does Culture Have in Their Choice of Joining and Staying in the Industry? By Laura Diedrich

The Scot Forge origins date back to 1893 when four brothers came from the Shetland Islands, Scotland to America. They sought to forge a better future for their families and found that opportunity in the steel industry. The Scot Forge employee-owners of today continue that mission to serve others and leave the company better than they found it. Frompushing the envelope of what can be forged to entering new markets, Scot Forge is truly a leader in the forging industry. We asked several women who work at Scot Forge about their careers, why they chose to work at Scot Forge, what company values resonate with them and how they give back to developing the next generation of owners. Their answers revealed a primary theme: the importance of company culture. They have seen firsthand that people who work hard thrive in a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility. And, when it’s done together, we all succeed. Stephanie Baidinger – Sales Account Manager

of maintaining a customer relationship remains the same – keep your customer informed and follow through on your promises. Building and maintaining these relationships with customers and fellow owners is a skill Stephanie tries to pass on to the next generation. The Scot Forge culture was built around caring for each other and each other’s well-being. She tries to show new owners that your work ethic says a ton about who you are and projects your company image to the outside world. You don’t have to know everything, but you have to be willing to try and you have to learn from your mistakes. Balancing that with fun is what it’s all about. Kelly Crosby – HR Business Partner

In her 15-year career with Scot Forge, Kelly has been responsible for aligning business objectives with employees and leadership in our Clinton, WI plant. A large part of her role is also forming partnerships with the community, local high schools and colleges. Kelly has a passion for helping people and was motivated to join Scot Forge after learning about the company culture. Meeting the compassionate leaders and engaged employees highlighted

Stephanie has been an employee owner at Scot Forge for 22 years. She knew someone who worked at Scot Forge and encouraged her to apply. At the time, she was looking to spread her wings and get further from the town she grew up in; however, she applied and got the job…five miles away from her hometown. According to Stephanie though, “It was the best thing that happened to me. I found my career and lifelong friends.” She loves that she has worked with so many of our long-term accounts, some for nearly 20 years. Today

the company values and culture. The culture of teamwork, integrity, respect, compassion for one another and leaving the company better for the next generation has kept Kelly at the company. Through extensive community partnership, Kelly is setting up future generations of employee-owners for success. Kelly said, “It is not the business that feeds the success of the organization, the people who work hard and generate new ideas do. Having trained employees ready to take on new challenges adds to the future stability of our company. Preparing our next generation will allow our employee ownership to flourish and withstand market changes.”

that seems rare, but she feels it is one of the reasons Scot Forge is valued by so many customers. Stephanie has witnessed the supplier customer relationship and interaction change so much over her career. How relationships are built has changed, but the importance

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2022 48