Katie Harrington Recognized as Top 25 Women in Business by Prairie Business Magazine
Katie Harrington, ETS business development manager at Steffes, was recently recognized as one of Prairie Business’ Top 25 Women in Business! We sat down with Katie to reflect on what the award means to her and talk about a few of the big moments in her career so far.
Q: What does this award mean to you?
A: Finding out I received this award truly brought a smile to my face. It feels good and gives that little extra boost to continue working my hardest.
Q: What inspires you in your career today?
A: One of the most inspiring things is being a parent, looking at your kids each day, and wanting to do the best you can for them. My son is a little coach at heart and always encourages me; my husband and my kids are really what keep me going down the right path.
Q: What do you love about what you do?
A: There are so many aspects of my job to love. From a business standpoint, I do what I do because it feels like the best way I can make an impact on the world – by helping to create a company that gives back to the community and cares for its employees. I believe so strongly in our vision at Steffes because I love people, and I love to help solve problems. Another part I love is being able to meet the customer exactly where they are – no agenda, just being there to hear real customer problems and be part of that solution for them. That’s what gives me true and honest joy.
Q: How do you foster innovation and growth within the electric thermal storage (ETS) industry?
A: There’s a lot of value in what we’re doing, especially as a niche product. Energy efficiency groups are starting to see that load-shifting technology is needed for balance in the energy industry. To continue this growth and innovation, it’s key that we are active in a variety of groups to help understand where the real problems lie. We’ve been able to partner with cooperatives, boards, and other groups in the ETS space to learn about the resources available to connect us with power companies that see the value of what we’re doing. It’s really, really cool to see what everyone is doing to create solutions for a variety of complex problems. When you surround yourself with people who want to keep growing and help others, your team and company grow in the right direction.
Q: Who has supported you this far in your career?
A: First, my parents and siblings. I grew up in a family business that revolved around ETS and saw how a business runs. I’ve always known from their example how much effort and work goes into building a successful company, and I learned from a young age how to show up each day and get better little by little. That’s what really helped me decide what I wanted to do as I grew up. I also was lucky enough to have wonderful mentors and previous bosses throughout my career who helped me grow not only professionally, but as a person. And, of course, I cannot go without mentioning my husband and two kids. To do any of this, it takes family. My husband is truly my rock and sounding board, and he’s always there to help me head in the right direction.
Q: How has the industry changed since you started, how did you adapt?
A: In some ways, many things are the same. But there have also been some drastic changes, like our diversification into three separate business units. It’s been an adjustment to learn what that balance looks like now compared to what it looked like many years ago, but it’s nice to have the diversity so that Steffes remains a strong, sustainable business. That’s what will propel us into the future and ensure we’re around for years to come.
Q: What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time?
A: You can only control yourself and your actions. I’ve been working on living this out a lot recently. Anything outside yourself, you cannot control. You have to reflect daily and look at how you can make the best impact, both personally and professionally. It’s easy to get stuck wishing others would do “this” or “that”, but it’s important to focus on yourself and what you bring to the table each day.
Q: Can you share a moment, product, or something you are particularly proud of?
A: There’s a project that comes to mind for me right away. I started my career first in flares as a manufacturing engineer and then continued to an operations manager position in Grand Forks, North Dakota. During that time, we started manufacturing pressure vessels. At this point in time, we couldn’t keep up with the customer’s demand. It was tough to figure out a solution, but I asked myself what the team could do and what I could do. It ended up being a matter of utilizing lean manufacturing principles and getting a block schedule in place, but it was something that took an entire team to help sort through. It was truly a fun project to see the team come together and find solutions for a customer.
Q: Is there a book, podcast, or other resource that has influenced you the most?
A: I’m a big Audible fan! There are a few books I’ve really loved and find myself going back to often:
– The Busy Brain Cure, by Romie Mushtaq
– How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
– The 6 Types of Working Genius, Patrick Lencioni
I could continue for a while, but finding some key resources throughout my career has really helped me with good business principles and skills for day-to-day business.
Q: Tell me about a lesson or two you’ve learned in your career so far.
A: In college, I was struggling in a class that was required for my engineering degree. I went to my professor for some help, and he looked me in the eye and said, “If you can’t figure this out, you will not amount to anything in the world.” Naturally, I was really disappointed. I internalized that, thinking maybe I really couldn’t cut it in this industry. Not long after that, I took a break for a semester and interned for a startup company. I realized that in the “real world”, you don’t always need to draw from academic concepts. Through my time at that company, I learned from true hands-on experience and gained trust in myself, finding that what I truly loved was getting in front of the customer and helping them solve problems. It helped me develop the skills I still use to this day. I went on to graduate with my mechanical engineering degree and recently graduated with my master’s in business administration (MBA) as well.
There’s also something my dad says all the time: “It’s never as good as it seems, it’s never as bad as it seems.” And it rings true. You can think you have it all together, that you have everything figured out, and something might come along that causes you to shift and adjust. It’s a good reminder for me to stay level-headed, take a deep breath, and carry on.
Q: It’s definitely been a big year for you, what’s coming next in 2025?
A: Right now, things are very exciting. One of our first steps is to continue creating awareness of ETS technology, whether that’s by attending conferences and networking, presenting on our technology and products, or finding new ways to connect with those who would benefit most from what we’re doing here at Steffes. We want to keep getting out in front of the customer in many ways and articulate what our products can do to solve their problems. There are so many opportunities right now, and the future is bright!
Thank you, Katie, for the innovation, growth, knowledge, and excitement you bring to the Steffes team. Congratulations on being one of Prairie Business’ Top 25 Women in Business!
Find the complete list of the Top Women in Business in the March issue of Prairie Business Magazine.