During her 23 years at Eagle Performance Plastics, Lori Sealock has seen the company through multiple changes: the sale of a sister company, a generational ownership transition, a relocation, an expansion and ERP migration.
Most challenging, though, was managing the economic downturn in 2009. The company had never laid off employees in its 50-plus-year history, so it instead turned to mandatory furloughs to get through the crisis.
“By involving everyone in the decision-making process and being transparent with the financial situation, we were able to come out of that economic downturn stronger and more resilient,” Sealock says.
She also helped the company through two IRS audits, both resulting in zero penalties and no required changes to their processes. “This underscores our commitment,” she says, “to maintaining integrity in our financial practices.”
Sealock is a first-generation college graduate; she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish education with a minor in business, later returning to school to pursue her accounting degree.
“I gain the most satisfaction in being part of a small company, in the manufacturing sector, where my work feels meaningful,” Sealock says. “Embrace what you like about accounting and seek an environment that aligns with that.”
