There are many benefits to staying with the same company over a long period of time. Hear what some of C.A. Lawton’s most experienced employees had to say.
Randy Thyrion is the onboarding and training manager at the De Pere, WI location and has worked with us for the past 38 years. He is now 57 years old, but he got his start here at a very young age thanks to his older brother Bob, who was working as a supervisor at C.A. Lawton at the time. “I didn’t plan all of this when I was young, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” says Randy. He now lives a very stable and happy life with a wife, three kids, and nine grandkids. He enjoys being outdoors and spending time with his family at their cabin up north. “Coming from a family who didn’t have a lot of money, I wanted to give my kids a better life than I had,” Randy explains.
Randy states that “The people and the opportunities are the best part of the foundry.” He goes on to explain that there is a lot of room for advancement and that people don’t need years of experience to advance to leadership roles, as long as they work hard. He also appreciates the fact that there is an open-door policy for all employees because it makes communicating with one another easy. He adds that “Even though we are purchasing other foundries, it still feels like family. That aspect of it hasn’t changed.”
He was a training supervisor for three years before he was promoted to training manager. He has really enjoyed his new managerial role because he gets to teach newcomers about the importance of safety. “It’s all about the safety. Who’s in charge of safety? You are. Each one of us is” he says. Randy wants to ensure that every employee feels well-prepared to go out on the floor and wants to stress the importance of looking out for one another.
Randy urges those who are interested in working at a foundry but may not have a lot of experience to look into possible opportunities at C.A. Lawton, or one of our sister foundries. “People can make a decision whether they want a job or a career, and I chose to have a career,” says Randy.
Dawn Bek has worked at C.A. Lawton for 40 years starting as a secretary working at our original foundry, located in downtown De Pere, WI. She then went into sales for about 20 years and has been a customer advocate ever since. Her education involves attending a community college, where she earned a degree in bookkeeping and accounting. She is married and has two sons. She enjoys reading, watching movies, playing board games, going to rummage sales, and traveling.
Dawn likes being able to help others through her job. “With the changes and things evolving, all you have to be is upfront and honest with the customer so that they aren’t misguided,” she says. She appreciates the relationships she has formed with people at the foundry and likes how family-oriented it is. “Even after all these years it still has a family atmosphere, and the leadership team really shows that they care about the people,” she states.
Dawn sees a lot of benefits to sticking with the same company, adding that “The pasture always looks greener on the other side of the fence when really all you have to do is water your own grass.” She also mentions how she likes that she has been here for so long because it feels familiar to her, and she knows what to expect. “It’s kind of my home. I feel very comfortable,” she says.
C.A. Lawton has core values that are recognized and appreciated by its employees and is a great place to work for someone who is looking for a career. What values do you care about the most?