Lea Hall
A woman with a plan. Found big opportunity in her small town. Believes (her) mother knows best.
When Lea Hall (then Lea Hamilton) graduated from high school, she was sure she wasn’t sticking around her small town of Kenton, OH for very long. But, she took a chance on a job at McCullough Industries and has since built that job into a career.
Three and a half years ago, Lea joined the Company in the Sales Department, handling pricing, accounting and sales calls. When Olympic Steel acquired McCullough Industries in January 2019, Lea was promoted to Safety Coordinator, then later to Office Manager/Safety Coordinator.
“I’m proud to earn these promotions,” says Lea. “Being the first person to hold a Safety title is a big responsibility. I love that I get to make a difference every day for all of our employees.”
Olympic Steel’s acquisition of McCullough Industries and the addition of Joe Casey as the division’s General Manager have provided additional opportunities for growth – for the Company and for the employees. “Joe helped me see that I could grow my small-town office job into a career,” explains Lea. “Olympic Steel provided the structure, organization and an opportunity to grow personally and professionally.”
Lea loves her job and enjoys being with her coworkers. She especially likes having a front row seat to the growth that McCullough Industries and Olympic Steel are experiencing. This kind of growth is bound to involve challenges, but Lea’s a planner – and she tackles these challenges one step at a time, while adapting as needed. Because “you can’t plan Safety incidents,” she jokes.
“As a Safety leader and a SEMS Super User at our location, Lea is involved in all areas of the business. She is reliable, versatile and never settles for second best,” Joe Casey explains. “She has a bright future at Olympic Steel and will play a key role in McCullough Industries’ growth and Safety strategies.”
She’s determined and motivated to develop her career alongside McCullough’s growth, and aspires to run a division someday. It takes patience to have this kind of long-term vision. Patience and the willingness to listen to advice from others.
Lea thanks her mom for encouraging her to give McCullough Industries a try three years ago and remembers her mom’s advice that’s kept her focused on the future: “Be patient and work hard. Staying dedicated to the Company and motivated to succeed will turn your job into a career.”
