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Tawnie Wilson | SBJ

12 People You Need to Know: Tiffani Claussen

Amprod LLC

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In summer 2024, Tiffani Claussen stepped into the top role of Strafford-based manufacturing company Amprod LLC.

She brought to the role a new perspective – that of a five-year chief financial officer for the company and background as a CPA.

“I’ve always enjoyed knowing what drives the numbers and what was happening on the floor that led to those results,” Claussen says. “Now I have the ability to spend more time asking more questions and seeing how teams work together.”

Amprod includes multiple divisions, all rooted in metalmaking, Claussen says. American Products designs engineered enclosures for telecommunication and electric utility industries. EnSight Solutions produces equipment and automation for food processing, HVAC and automotive uses. Watson Metal Masters manufactures stainless steel tanks for food manufacturing and agriculture, while DustShield specializes in customized computer enclosures.

Amprod was acquired by Evansville, Indiana-based Koch Enterprises Inc. in 2022, making the company one of seven in the Koch ecosystem.

Claussen says Amprod’s biggest challenge is workforce.

“We need to make sure that we continue to attract young people to manufacturing,” she says.

New technology is being added all the time, Claussen says, offering workers new opportunities to learn and grow.

A few years ago, it became clear that there was a real shortage in staffing.

“We started to lean on – how could we automate certain things and use the people we do have in more value-added positions?” she says.

The result was investments in automation, giving the company an opportunity to scale up more easily. American Products installed a new line last year, she says.

More robotics does not mean a reduced workforce, she says. Amprod currently has some 400 workers and about 14 vacancies.

Expanding robotics has improved safety, she says, by doing things like reducing the number of forklift trips through the plant and requiring less handling of tools and dies.

Outside the walls of Amprod, a new presidential administration is now in place. Claussen says that brings some enthusiasm, but also uncertainty.

“There is some enthusiasm, but also some fear of the unknown with relation to tariffs and how that can impact businesses,” she says.

In the past, tariffs have led to trickle-down effects, she says. Even when the product that is required is not subject to a tariff, increased costs can result.

Amprod, as the name suggests, uses mostly American-made components, which means that its products qualify for the Build America Buy America Act.

In addition to her mathematical mind, Claussen brings more to the CEO’s seat – including her perspective as a woman in manufacturing. Asked if that accounts for her collaborative spirit, she says she’s not sure.

“There was always collaboration – we would just call it the old boys’ network,” she says. “Maybe it’s taking a little different tone. I do think manufacturing is becoming kinder.”

The old view of manufacturing is that workers must punch the clock and work a grueling, physically demanding shift before going home to start again the next day.

“We really are concerned about making it a place where someone wants to come to work,” she says. “You don’t just want to squeeze the last bit out of people. You want to invest in them and see them continue to grow, because if they’re growing, you’re growing.”

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