Anne Craft first came to work at ADEC because the hours were better than her previous job, but that is not what has kept her here for 20 years.
She has remained on #teamADEC because she has found a job that feels both rewarding and comfortable.
Anne grew up in the area and graduated from Elkhart Memorial High School and then from Tri-State University (now known as Trine University) with a degree in marketing. She landed a job with a company that sold bonds, but felt uneasy about some of the business practices.
Her next job as a production employee for a local factory ended up changing her life — it is where she met her husband of 29 years. Anne was promoted to a supervisor, but the promotion also came with a switch to the second shift. The hours worked out well while Anne’s first son was a toddler, but he was starting school and Anne knew she wouldn’t see him enough. The company refused to budge on the hours, and Anne began searching for a new job after giving birth to her youngest son.
That’s when Anne came to ADEC. She started in 1998 at ADEC Industries.
Anne spent the first 11 years of her career with ADEC working in shipping and receiving, where she operated the forklift. When a group leader position opened up, Anne applied.
For nearly a decade, Anne has served as a group leader at ADEC Industries, where she helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities develop new job skills. Employees at ADEC Industries perform high-quality packaging and assembling work for more than 100 industrial customers across the country while also producing the Silver Linings trash bags that are used in all state government offices in Indiana.
“It’s rewarding to watch the clients get excited about new jobs and having a sense of accomplishment about a job well done,” Anne said.
Anne has watched employees grow from unfocused and nervous to confident and productive workers, eventually landing jobs in factories or other industries in the community.
She said she enjoys the work-life balance that her job at ADEC Industries affords, which allows her to focus on her family and her hobbies: reading, watching movies and shopping. Although the work keeps her on her toes as new jobs come in, she also knows what to expect at ADEC Industries.
Some of Anne’s favorite memories are from the client Christmas parties at ADEC Industries.
“The clients usually have such a good time that it is fun for me to just stand back and watch,” she said.
Ivy Pritchard, production manager at ADEC Industries, instantly thought of one word to describe Anne: “Excellent.”
“She’s our go-to person if we have a lot of work coming in. We know we can depend on Anne to get the job done,” Ivy said. “She has a large group and she does an excellent job leading it. When she says she’s going to get something done, she gets it done. She’s dependable. She’s excellent, and the clients think so, too. I definitely appreciate having her on our team.”
