Quanex Family Connections

A Part of Something Bigger^® means being a part of the Quanex family, and often that means working with your family too. And with the addition of Tyman and its businesses, we have new family connections coming to Quanex. Let’s catch up with another Quanex family.

Making a Home in the Rubber Industry

For Beth Cartner and her daughter Mackenzie, the rubber industry has been home for a long time.

“I’ve been in the rubber industry for, gosh, 27 years,” said Beth, a senior research and development technician for Quanex Custom Mixing (QCM), now part of Quanex Custom Solutions. “I’ve been with Quanex for 18 of those. I love what I do, I love the challenge of investigating how different rubber mixes perform and how they can deliver what our customers need.”

And it’s been a fulfilling career. Before moving into R&D, Beth began in QCM’s quality department performing live testing on the production lines.

So, when Mackenzie found herself at a crossroads five years ago, Beth recognized a good opportunity.

“I knew there was an opening in production, and we needed people, so I recommended she look into it,” Beth said. “She had been thinking about a few different directions. This was a full-time job with benefits, insurance and good potential for growth.”

“It turned out to be a great choice,” Mackenzie said. “It’s a great working environment, and I’ve gotten to take advantage of some good opportunities.”

Starting in production, Mackenzie moved up quickly and mastered numerous critical plant skills and tasks, eventually becoming the plant’s first female utility operator.

Not only do Beth and Mackenzie work together, but they share the sentiment that Quanex is truly a family.

“I’ve found many great friends here; we do plenty of things outside of work,” Beth said. “One of my closest friends is retiring in January, and I don’t want her to go! It’s just always been a great atmosphere, and I really enjoy all of the people I work with.”