Meet… Cassie Petty! Cassie is the Vice President of Human Resources & Quality Assurance for the Standard Electric Family of Companies. She works out of our Milwaukee, WI location. See what makes Cassie an All-Star!
What was your first position at the company? When did you start?
I started in October 1983 as part of the data entry team.
What other positions have you held and in what order?
In 1986, I believe my title was Electronic Data Processing Manager; I was responsible for our information systems. In the early 1990s, I became the HR Manager and was responsible for establishing HR best practices. In 1997, the company achieved its first ISO certification. In 1998, my title was Vice President, Human Resources and Quality Assurance, and I was responsible for overall HR and Quality operations. From 2016 to 2023, I also had responsibility for overall warehouse operations.
How have you been able to learn and grow in your role?
Opportunity. When I started with the company, I was right out of high school and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. We didn’t have an official Electrify Your Career program back then, but there was a culture of opportunity. I am grateful for the opportunities Adolph Stern, our former president, provided me to become a leader. I’m grateful for the benefits in place here that helped me with my education. Since Larry Stern became president, I’ve worked closely with him, and he helped me see that HR would be a good fit for me. Larry also gave me the opportunity to lead our company to achieve our quality certification. Being able to work with the warehouse team for those years was the icing on the cake.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I feel rewarded when I have been able to do something that impacts others in a positive way.
What led you to choose to work for Standard Electric? Why have you stayed?
My sister worked in Accounts Payable and told me about the data entry job. Funny story—when I called to find out if I was hired or not, the hiring manager told me she had chosen someone else. I was really disappointed, but a couple of hours later the manager called me back and said she had gotten my name mixed up with someone else’s and actually wanted to offer me the job. I’ve stayed at Standard Electric because of how exciting it has been to watch the company grow. There were about 50 people, maybe less, working in Milwaukee at the time I started. There were no other locations. Seeing the company grow to what it is today and being part of that growth has been very exciting. After almost 41 years, I’m still excited to be here. How many people can say that?
What have you learned in your time in the industry?
Who knew how exciting the electrical distribution industry could be? There are so many opportunities out there for people interested in joining an industry that has a frontline impact on our communities, homes, and everyday lives.
What advice would you give to anyone entering the workforce now?
Always do the best job you can. If you want to get on a different career path, don’t limit your knowledge or involvement to just your job or department. Every day you work is an on-the-job interview for your next position. Take every opportunity to learn more about other departments and the company’s operations. Get involved, participate, speak up, and ask questions.
If you could go back to give your younger self advice, what would it be?
My father gave me the best advice. He said, "If you never ask, the answer will always be no." You are the one that has to look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day. Make sure you can look yourself in the eye. I would tell my younger self to listen to my dad sooner. It took me a while to gather my courage and confidence to speak up for myself.
What has been the greatest change from when you started to now?
Technology, lol. Yes, there were computers back then, but they were much different from today. The buyers would handwrite their purchase orders on a piece of paper and put it in a cubby, and someone on my team would take the order and enter it into the computer. The same was true for sales orders. We had these huge disks that we used to back up data. Another big change is the culture. While Adolph Stern was president, he set the tone of our culture by calling all of us his associates. Under Larry’s leadership, that foundation has grown into what it is today—an environment where everyone’s contributions are valued and rewarded.
If you have one, what’s the funniest (PG) work story you have?
It’s hard to pick one story to share after 40 years, let alone one that is “PG.” I can say that I am blessed to be working with a team that makes me laugh every single day.
Standard Electric Supply Co. is a family-owned distributor, built on delivering outstanding service. For over 100 years, Standard Electric has been the best at what they do; delivering top-quality products, outstanding service, and providing value-added services to customers across the Midwest. Visit standardelectricsupply.com to see how Standard Electric can become the solution to your needs.
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