Leeco's sales associates team

Leeco Steel’s success comes from its people, and two groups of people who are critical to our success are the sales associate and project management teams.

From entering and tracking orders to assisting our sales team with customer requests, the sales associate and project management teams play a vital role in powering the sales team, ensuring the department runs efficiently.

Sales associates and project managers both serve as the main point-of-contact in all aspects of a customer’s order, interacting with the warehouse, purchasing, billing and quality teams to get customers the steel plate materials they need.

“Each team member is extremely knowledgeable about Leeco’s products and customers, and they work hard to help support our sales representatives,” said Ruth Turner, Manager, Sales Associates. “The team does a lot of important behind-the-scenes work that really helps our sales department succeed, which is extremely important to each of us.”

Building the Sales Associate Team

As Leeco’s sales team grew in the 1990s, the company needed additional support in communicating with customers and processing orders. This led to the creation of the sales associate role.

In 2004, when Ruth started at Leeco, there were only four sales associates. However, as Leeco’s customer base grew, the sales team needed additional support to continue providing excellent customer service during a period of rapid business growth.

“As we hired more sales associates, I took on the responsibility of training and helping define the sales associate role,” said Ruth. “We, as a department, are constantly creating new ways to be more effective and efficient.”

Ruth’s leadership role within the department eventually led to her promotion to Manager, Sales Associates.

Between 2005 and 2010, Leeco’s Chicago-area headquarters added three additional sales associates to support the growing sales team: Donna Gencius, Julie Carling and Sue McKibbin. Each of their positions changed over time to match the company’s growth.

Donna, for example, joined Leeco as a processing coordinator in 2005, but later moved to work as a sales associate for Leeco’s wind and energy division before working with Leeco’s Midwest sales team.

“The ability to help customers get their material and information about their orders in a timely fashion motivates me to do the best job I can for Leeco,” said Donna. “Accounts have changed over time, but the sales associate team has always helped each other out and supported each other.”

Julie joined Leeco in 2010 as a temporary employee entering wind certs and was later hired as a permanent sales associate, first helping with wind, and later moving to help Leeco’s Midwest sales team.

“My role has become more detail-oriented over time as processes and procedures were set to make the position more efficient,” said Julie. “I really like the interaction I have with other sales associates and salespeople and working with the plants.”

Sue McKibbin also saw her role change due to company growth. She joined Leeco as a sales associate in 2007 and, within a year, was moved to the wind division. In 2014, she was promoted to Project Manager – Energy Division.

“I’ve seen many market fluctuations in my role, but one thing that remains consistent is a supportive team,” said Sue. “The sales associates all do a great job! I can, and have, called any one of them with a request for help. Everyone is willing to jump in when needed.”

Supporting Sales Offices Across North America

The growth of Leeco’s business also meant a wider geographic reach across North America. As new sales offices opened and regional sales teams grew, additional support was needed to ensure order accuracy and efficiency. Enter Jennifer Shepard, Deana Wilmoth, Karla Castelli, Megan Tokoph and Shaena Roberts.

Not only do these sales associates assist with orders, but they also play key roles in keeping the regional offices functioning, whether it be sales administrative duties or working with human resources on holiday events and wellness programs.

Deana, for example, finds that working as a sales associate at Leeco’s Pittsburgh-area distribution center – which she joined in 2010 – allows her to do a variety of tasks.

“I enjoy supporting sales and operations,” said Deana. “The diversity of tasks and the fast-paced work environment has increased my knowledge base of the company and of the steel industry.”

As these sales offices grew, so did their sales associates’ roles. Jennifer, who joined Leeco’s Oshkosh, WI sales office team in 2007, began supporting more accounts as her region’s reach grew.

“I’ve become very involved with contract accounts over the years,” said Jennifer. “Now, I’m the sales associate for our Canadian customers.”

Shaena, a Fort Worth-based sales associate who started at Leeco in 2013, noticed a similar shift in her role.

“With complex orders, we often have to take a deeper dive and spend more time breaking the puzzle apart and putting it back together,” said Shaena. “We make sure to carefully comb through everything and wrap it back up in a nice package to reduce errors.”

Even as the sales associate team grows across North America, continuing to focus on collaboration and communication keeps processes running smoothly.

Megan, who joined Leeco’s Oshkosh, WI sales office in 2011, found that open communication within the team helps them be successful, even across different locations.

“As we’ve grown as a company, we’ve become busier,” said Megan. “It has helped tremendously to implement a centralized order queue so we can all help each other out when we have time.”

The Rise of Project Managers

In 2014, Sue McKibbin was promoted to Project Manager in the Energy Division, which was experiencing rapid growth. Orders for energy customers were highly complex and required greater sales associate assistance. Sue found the complex orders to be challenging and rewarding, and stepped-up to the challenge of managing these types of orders exclusively.

Fast-forward to 2021, with the Energy Division continuing to grow, Leeco added Tracy Schmidt to the Project Management team. Tracy had prior experience in sales support roles and swiftly took on the task. She cites communication as being key to her success.

“The communication between the sales associates, the project managers and the sales reps has always been so fluid and supportive,” said Tracy. “I am proud to be a part of a such a dynamic and forward-thinking team.”

Similarly, Christine Agnew, a sales associate based in Houston since 2014, saw her role evolve alongside Leeco’s enhanced plate processing capabilities. As Leeco began offering processed plate parts, more dedicated sales support was necessary to ensure quality and on-time delivery. With the transition to processing hardware parts, Christine took time to grow and develop her skills and was promoted to Project Manager for processed parts in 2024.

“We’ve gone from just selling plate to cutting and drilling plate parts for our customers,” said Christine. “This has changed the way we enter orders and interact with sales and operations.”

As Leeco expands its processing capabilities, the sales associate and project manager teams across the country play a vital role, acting as a liaison between the sales team, operations team and customers.

Recruiting New Team Members

With company growth comes the need for new team members, and the sales associate team is no exception. Over the past couple of years, seven new sales associates have joined the team: Kerry Frieberg, Tara Schleis, Nina Moriarty, Kathleen Myers, Hannah Hake, Danielle O'Neil and Brittany Lyons.

Recruiting the right talent is important to Leeco’s success. Competitive pay and benefits are some of the things the company offers to attract hardworking, ambitious individuals. However, Leeco’s collaborative, employee-focused culture is what drew newer team members to Leeco.

Kerry Freiburg, who joined the Lisle, IL team as a sales associate in 2021, was also drawn to the team’s culture.

“I like the team atmosphere,” said Kerry. “The people I work with are supportive and helpful!”

Tara, who joined the Oshkosh, WI team as a sales associate in 2022, was seeking a role with more balance.

“I was looking for a better work-life balance, and Leeco gave me that,” said Tara. “I enjoy the culture of not just my department, but of the entire Leeco team.”

Nina, who joined the Lisle, IL team as a sales associate in 2022, was drawn to Leeco’s collaborative culture.

“I heard about Leeco’s amazing culture and found that what I heard was right!” said Nina. “Everyone is so inviting, and I seriously look forward to my job every day. I love that every person is willing to give a helping hand.”

Kathleen, who joined Leeco’s Fort Worth, TX team in 2022, saw working at Leeco as an opportunity to join a growing company.

“I saw this as an opportunity to contribute to an exciting, fast-moving company,” said Kathleen. “The Fort Worth team has been extremely supportive, kind and inviting from day-one. I am very excited to be part of the team.”

Hannah, who joined Leeco’s Chattanooga, TN team in 2023, was drawn to all the learning and development opportunities that Leeco has to offer.

“I am excited to grow and develop my skills with all the amazing learning opportunities Leeco has to offer,” said Hannah. “I am eager to take full advantage of all the resources available to me.”

Danielle, who joined Leeco’s Fort Worth, TX team in 2023, was seeking a role in a reputable company, who also has a strong leadership position in their industry.

“I believe being part of Leeco will not only enhance my career, but also provide me with the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the industry,” said Danielle.

Brittany, who also joined Leeco’s Fort Worth, TX team in 2023, was drawn to Leeco’s mission and values, as they mirror some of her own values.

“Leeco’s values align perfectly with my own personal beliefs,” said Brittany. “I am excited to be part of a company that shares my commitment to these core principles.”

Involvement in Industry Organizations

Many sales associates come to Leeco with little to no knowledge of the steel industry, and some choose to join or volunteer for steel industry organizations to increase this knowledge and network with others in the industry.

One such organization is the Association of Women in the Metals Industry (AWMI), which focuses on developing and supporting women in the metals industry.

Donna has been an active member of the Chicago chapter for several years, previously serving on the chapter’s board of directors as secretary, volunteer coordinator and marketing coordinator. She also received the chapter’s Volunteer of the Year award in 2022.

Deana currently serves as member-at-large on the Pittsburgh chapter’s board of directors, where she assists with special projects.

Sales associates are also involved in the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI), a metals trade association. Donna often volunteers at the Chicago chapter’s major fundraising events, including an annual golf outing.

“We appreciate Donna and Deana being part of industry organizations to get Leeco’s name out in the market,” said Ruth. “These organizations are also a great way for them to develop as professionals.”

Powering Sales

No matter the tenure or size of the sales team, each and every one of Leeco’s sales associates and project managers is crucial to the success of the company and its day-to-day operations. Without the behind-the-scenes work that both teams do to support sales, operations and customers, Leeco would not be where it is today.