13. Jill Mayer (Bead Industries)

UpFront with Jill Mayer Bead Industries Chances are you probably have never heard of Bead Industries, i didn’t… but I can guarantee that you know two of the many products they’ve made. The first is the beaded-light pull chain that you use to turn a light on and off. The second are the dog tag chains for the US Military that they manufactured during World War Two. Founded in 1914, Bead Industries is comprised of two divisions - Bead Chain and Bead Electronics, and a wholly-owned subsidiary, McGuire Manufacturing Company. All of them are based here in Connecticut. Jill Mayer is the current CEO and the fifth generation of this family business, who took over running the company from her father in 2014 and has built on his legacy by transforming the organizational culture through innovation, shared purpose and accountability. We talk a lot about that in this episode. She’s fiercely passionate about manufacturing and is the President of ManufactureCT, Connecticut’s largest manufacturing association, a board member of the CBIA and is active in Vistage and Women in Manufacturing. Let’s get UpFront with Jill Mayer and learn about what inspires her, how you can transform a company culture and what it’s like to run a family manufacturing business. www.beadindustries.com