As seen in the Tried & True Spring 2020 issue
Creating an efficient and productive workflow is a team effort and at Fratco, one important member plays a key role. Stacie Baccam is an operations manager at Fratco’s Mt. Pleasant, Iowa location and has fulfilled this role since September of 2011. While her job involves overseeing facility operations and making sure everything is running according to plan, Baccam sees her job as much more than that.
“Fratco is a place where I can come to work every day and enjoy what I do,” said Baccam.“I love that about it. It’s a job, but it doesn’t feel like it.”
Prior to working at Fratco, Baccam was working for a much larger company. When the company sold, she had the option to relocate. But as fate would have it, Fratco was moving into town right around that time. In Baccam’s eyes, it was perfect timing.
Once Baccam began working at Fratco, it did not take long for her to see how differently things were run from her previous employer. She was surprised when her coworkers started to feel more like family members than colleagues, and how everyone genuinely seemed to care for one another.
“I absolutely feel connected to my coworkers, always,” said Baccam. “I don’t look at us as individuals, I look at us all one a big team. Our team works together to make things happen and get our customers what they need.”
The connectedness among the Fratco family does not stop at its employees. Baccam notes how the family feel extends to customers, too. She explained when customers come through their doors, they are greeted by name and asked about their lives and their families. At times, people will come in simply to chat and get out of the fields on a rainy day, proving that Fratco goes far beyond serving its customers, making it feel more like a friendship than a business transaction.
Baccam also notes Fratco’s growth-centric mindset, both for the company and its employees. She described the fascination she feels in watching Chris Overmeyer explore new ideas, create new products, expand their reach and redefine ways of doing things. But the company also takes the time to invest in the development of its people.
“I’ve grown in every way since starting at Fratco,” said Baccam. “Fratco has a way to guide you and support you from every angle to help you grow as an individual within the company. Everyone’s there to help each other improve.”
For Baccam, she is proud to be part of a company that excels in the quality of the products manufactured and the customer service extended to old clients and new faces. And for those who wish to join the Fratco family, Baccam offers a word of advice:
“My biggest advice for someone coming into Fratco would be to work hard because hard work is always noticed. They’re always looking for people to move around and move up in the company and they really do reward hard work.”
