40 Under 40: Erin Manoloff
Executive Operations Manager; Century Chemical Corp.; With company: 3 Years | In industry: 3 Years
Some leaders become indispensable by noticing the details everyone else misses. Erin, executive operations manager of Century Chemical Corp., is one of them.
In three years, she moved from office manager to a role as executive operations manager and is described by her nominator as “one of the people holding the center of Century Chemical” together.
Century Chemical is a nearly 100-year-old manufacturer with approximately 12 employees, meaning every employee carries a significant share of the operation. Erin’s responsibilities touch customer inquiries, order processing, invoicing, accounts receivable and payable, documentation, internal coordination and executive support.
Her nominator adds that Erin’s value becomes very apparent when something goes wrong.
During difficult customer, logistics and freight situations, Erin gathers missing documentation, follows up with carriers and business partners, preserves records and keeps communication moving. These efforts resolve problems and help the company maintain customer confidence.
Erin has also demonstrated an ability to recognize patterns behind individual problems. For example, after noticing customers repeatedly asking the same questions about Century’s Heat-Flow products, packaging changes, compatibility, colors and usage, she advocated for a more comprehensive FAQ and customer support resource. Her efforts shifted the company from repeatedly solving the same problem for individual customers toward providing information that can help many customers at once.
That matters, according to her nominator: “A company can have a great product and great strategy but if the details fall through the cracks, trust disappears quickly. Erin helped protect that trust.”
Her nominator describes Erin’s leadership as follows: “She simply notices what needs to be done … and does it.”
Erin’s recent promotion reflects the company’s increasing reliance on her judgment and institutional knowledge. Her nominator notes that advancement in a small organization signals the company’s trust in the person who is expected to keep important details moving and follow problems through to resolution.
Erin’s influence is difficult to capture with one sales figure or production metric. Her nominator stresses that her impact is found in correctly processed orders, resolved customer questions, completed documentation and problems caught before they become larger ones.
Outside work, Erin spends time with family and friends and cheers for her son at soccer and flag football games. She also enjoys iced coffee, a fluffy blanket and reality TV.
“She understands that a good life isn’t entirely built in conference rooms, inventory systems or on spreadsheets,” Erin’s nominator adds. “It is built in … showing up for the people you love.”
Erin brings this humanity to work. “She shows up, she cares, and she remembers. She makes the people around her feel like they matter,” her nominator says. “And that … is the greatest impact any one person can make in the industry.”
Erin’s advice for up-and-coming leaders in the RV industry:
Pay attention to the things other people often overlook. Some of the biggest opportunities to improve a business hide in everyday frustrations, such as the questions customers keep asking, the process everyone works around or the task that always seems to fall through the cracks. Don’t be afraid to speak up, ask why and learn how things work from the ground up. And don’t underestimate the value of being someone people can count on. You don’t have to have the biggest title in the room to be a leader. Build trust, follow through, keep learning and treat people well. Those things have a way of carrying you much further than you expect.
What it means to Erin to be a 40 Under 40 honoree:
It’s incredibly meaningful to be recognized alongside people shaping the future of an industry that means so much to so many families. I’m especially proud to be recognized as part of Century Chemical, a company with nearly 100 years of history in the RV industry. To me, being a 40 Under 40 honoree represents both where I’ve come from and my responsibility to keep learning, growing and contributing to where this industry goes next. I’m grateful to the people who have trusted me, taught me, challenged me and helped me grow along the way.
