At Strauss Feeds, it’s About Getting the Job Done

Karen Stangler has worked for Strauss Feeds for more than 45 years. Jesse Cavanagh joined the company less than one month ago. The pair of women agree that working at Strauss Feeds is less about being male or female, and more about being a qualified individual who can perform a job well, ultimately delivering the best products and services to the customer.

For Karen, employment with Strauss at the Watertown, Wis. manufacturing plant started in 1978 when she was hired to answer the phones and help with inventory. As the company evolved and her familiarity with the operations grew, she worked her way up to her current job as Purchasing Manager. “There was a lot of reorganizing over the years, and basically, I kept my head down and worked hard at what I loved to do.” she shared.

Jesse is the company’s newest hire, working as an Infant Animal Nutrition Specialist in her home state of Idaho, along with Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and part of Oregon. Her arrival at Strauss comes after 11 years of caring for calves – several of them as a calf ranch manager -- before transitioning to the sales side of the business. “When I switched to sales, I worked primarily in lactating-cow nutrition and even fed some pigs,” she said. “I found that I liked sales, but I really missed calves. They are my life’s calling. That’s why I’m super-excited about joining Strauss.”

Infant Animal Nutrition Specialist, Jesse Cavanagh

There are a lot of women who work on large dairies and calf ranches, Jesse noted, but few managers are female. When she was in that role, and also quite young, she said she did bump up against some stereotypes. “I remember one sales rep who couldn’t accept that I was in charge,” she recalled. “He went around me every direction, approaching everyone from my crew to the owner of the business. They all said the same thing: ‘You need to talk to Jesse.’ I was really grateful they all backed me up, especially the owner.”

In another case, the main office hired a young man without her involvement. “They sent him out to start working, and he said, ‘I’m looking for a guy named Jesse.’ I said, ‘He’s over in the parking lot,’” she laughed. After a brief chuckle while watching the new hire stand around and squirm in the empty parking lot, she walked over and announced, “I’m Jesse.” To which he stammered, “But you’re a ….girl!” “He turned out to be a good worker, and we got along fine,” she remembered.

Karen said she is pleased with the evolution at Strauss that empowers capable individuals to do their jobs, regardless of their gender. “When I started, jobs for women in the company were mostly assistants to males,” she noted. Now, their office staff is 75% female, and they recently hired three women to work in the plant – a first for the company.

She enthusiastically embraces the daily challenge of sourcing and pricing ingredients to satisfy the daily manufacturing needs of the plant, all the while maintaining the steadfast commitment to quality that is a hallmark of Strauss Feeds. In any given month, she brokers roughly $5 million in product. “It’s like a giant puzzle,” she declared. “Every day is different. I also treasure the steady, long-term relationships I have built with suppliers in the industry.”

Purchasing Manager, Karen Stangler

To young people starting their careers, Karen advised: “Male or female, figure out what you love to do, and go for it!”

And now that Jesse is the sales rep calling on the managers, she said she draws heavily on her foundational knowledge and passion for raising calves. “Whether they are male or female, I can talk to them as a peer with common experience,” she stated. “With that credibility, I hope to help educate, share my skills, solve problems, and build confidence in others. It’s really a dream job.”