Stacy Atherton Reflects on Her Role as SK Chairwoman and the Value Each Employee Brings to the Company
Posted on Feb 24, 2025
Part of Stacy Atherton’s role as chairwoman of Steel King Industries is to bring ideas and resources to the organization that others might not see or be in a position to take advantage of. But ideas also should come from the company’s employees, she says, in a process that can make the business stronger, thus benefiting everyone.
“I encourage employees at all levels, across each of our locations, to try to get a better understanding of how what they do fits into the bigger picture,” she said while reflecting on her role as chairwoman. “Every single aspect of this company is absolutely integral to our success – manufacturing, accounting, design and engineering, Supply Chain, HR, etc.”
She encourages the staff to ask themselves: “How does what I do fit into the bigger picture?” Because whatever they do, it matters, and they can have valuable input on keeping the company in the forefront of the industry.
“Ask questions,” she urges. “If you see something that doesn’t make sense, ask why it’s done that way. And if you have an idea on how to do something differently, don’t be afraid to bring that up. Great ideas can come from anyone at any level of our business.”
Stacy was named co-chair of the company in January of 2022, sharing the role with her father, Rob White. A year later, Stacy was named chairwoman while Rob became past chairman. She loves what she does for Steel King, but it’s a role she never thought she’d be in when she was considering careers, noting that “very rarely are people’s professional lives a straight line.”
The World Was Calling, But…
Back in her high school days, she thought she’d end up far from her home in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, working at an embassy or consulate abroad with a career in international diplomacy.
“I loved my community, but I knew I wanted to try something different and see what I could do on my own,” she recalls. That led her to Tufts University in Massachusetts, which has one of the top international relations programs in the country, and a world-renowned graduate school.
Halfway through her freshman year, while she loved the subject matter and material, she realized the path was not for her “One, in talking with people in the field, I learned that there was so much red tape and bureaucracy, and two, political science and all the theories we were learning always assumed a negative intent. I could see that, in five to 10 years, I would become very jaded and cynical, and I didn’t want that.”
A New Direction, Closer to Home
Discussions with her mentors led to a change in direction – marketing communications.
“I was fortunate to have mentors who helped me discern what drew me into international relations,” she notes. “For me, it was a chance to build bridges and make real connections. From there, I pivoted into marketing, which also would let me make connections.”
With a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Spanish, she went on to help Fortune 500 companies and other organizations with social media and digital strategies. She then enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, where she earned a master of business administration degree, with an emphasis on marketing and strategy. When she joined Steel King in April of 2018, it was as a marketing strategist.
Now, her life is her family and material handling. “I’m a very big believer that everything happens for a reason, and when you have a broader perspective, you start to see that – how everything lines up the way it should,” she observes.
She’s now so much a part of material handling that when she’s shopping and the store has racking, she’ll show her 5-year-old daughter (she also has a 2-year-old son) where to look for the stamp or sticker that identifies the manufacturer. It’s that passion that she’d like Steel King employees to know about her.
Deep Passion and Pride in the Company
“First and foremost, I’d like people to know of the deep passion and pride that I have in our company and employees,” she said. “We have so many talented people here and this company would not be where it is without them. I am constantly blown away by the amazing employees at every location, and I take so much pride in being able to lead a company of such skilled people who are so dedicated to what we do.”
At some corporations, the title “chairman of the board” might refer to someone who chairs a board that meets several times per year. While Stacy’s title is chairwoman, for her it’s a full-time job. She believes her marketing background helps her.
“A big part of my role is setting the vision and long-term strategy for the company, and also providing stability and continuity from an ownership and leadership standpoint,” she said. “That includes crafting the narrative about Steel King and telling the story of what makes us so special.”
The Need to Maintain the Value
She notes that the racking industry can be perceived as a commoditized market, where there is little difference among providers. That compels the company to consistently explain how Steel King products offer superior value and justify their higher price.
“We offer premium products,” she says, adding that “I believe unequivocally that our products are the best out there – the best designed, the best engineered, the best manufactured and of the highest quality. We have more people with more skills – the staff needed to design and build premium products. That’s a great story to tell.”
But the story needs to be continually told, especially with an increasing number of manufacturers in the sector, including foreign competitors who have set up shop in the U.S. “Buyers need to be made aware that all racking is not equal and know the value of what they’re buying,” she said. That can be challenging when the buyer’s contact is not Steel King directly but, rather, a dealer. That’s where Steel King’s sales team and its Steel King University (SKU) play a key role.
New HQ Offers Space for SKU, R&D
“SKU offers us the rare and valuable opportunity to connect with our dealers one-on-one and educate them on all that Steel King has to offer,” she said. “Not only can we tell them about the breadth of our product portfolio and what makes Steel King stand out in the marketplace, but more importantly, we can show them. Having the chance to walk through our facilities to see how our product is made, and now to see it in real life in our new marketing showcase, is an absolute game-changer in terms of their understanding of our products. Graduates of SKU walk away with a better understanding of what makes Steel King worth the price, which in turn gives them increased confidence to sell to their customers.”
Steel King’s new corporate offices in Stevens Point provide on-site space for SKU, and the headquarters also will soon have space dedicated to research and development (R&D), complete with testing equipment.
“We’re going to put R&D back in the forefront of what we do,” Stacy said. “We are always looking for new opportunities and new products, and this space will help to achieve that. It will be absolutely huge for us to have internal, on-site testing; we’ll probably be unique among rack manufacturers in having that capability.”
This dedication to innovation in the workplace is mirrored in Stacy’s commitment to balancing her professional and personal life. Outside of work, her daughter and son are much of her focus – requiring a lot of attention and energy as any youngsters would. She loves trying new restaurants in the Twin Cities, and attending concerts, sporting events (especially hockey games) and other live events with her husband. Her ability to juggle these responsibilities reflects the same drive and focus she brings to advancing Steel King’s mission.
Stacy’s leadership at Steel King is rooted in her passion for the company and its people. She takes pride in the dedication of the team and focuses on innovation to keep Steel King at the forefront of the industry. From expanding Steel King University to prioritizing in-house R&D, Stacy is ensuring the company’s continued growth. Her commitment to excellence goes beyond creating great products—it’s about telling Steel King’s unique story and demonstrating the true value of its offerings. Under her guidance, Steel King is poised for a bright future driven by its people and products.