Meet The Tribe: Beth Crooks

As the sole Payroll and Benefits Specialist, the job done by Beth Crooks impacts every single person employed by the Ziegenfelder Company. Although she works out of the company’s main office in Wheeling, West Virginia, she handles the payroll and benefits responsibilities across all three locations.

“When I started, we logged inventory on index cards,” said Beth. “The business has changed dramatically. Everything is computerized. We went from having 30 to 40 people and now the company employs roughly 350 people. And of course, I’ve seen it go from one facility to three.”

Beth’s prior experience in public accounting prepped her to start at the Ziegenfelder Company more than 20 years ago. But she quickly realized the work with her Zieggy Tribe would be more rewarding.

“I was doing payroll for lots of business and also handling taxes for other companies,” said Beth. “It’s a lot of the same responsibilities of what I'm doing now. Only here, I get to add a face with the name. It’s not just a process. It’s not just a paycheck. It’s their life. I feel like I can have a part in helping them. I feel like they can count on me. It has never mattered what is happening in my own life, I always get them their paycheck on time. My biggest challenge is keeping that human touch with the other two facilities (in Denver and Chino) because of the distance.”

Outside of work, Beth enjoys spending time with her family which includes her husband, son, daughter, six grandchildren, and two dogs. Getting those details out of Beth prove to be challenging. When asked about herself, Beth is quiet, admitting that she doesn’t like being the center of attention.

The contrast is obvious when asked “Beth, who would you nominate for Meet the Tribe?” She rattles off more than a dozen names of people who live by the Zieggy Essentials citing examples of the great work done by her coworkers. She even provides some tips for those new to the Zieggy Tribe.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” said Beth. “Just give it time. You’ve got to get the culture of a company. And if a new employee gets the culture, it’s fine. Navigating a new culture is sometimes a challenge for new people.”