Before there was a Marion plant, there was Barbara Cowan, a person with manufacturing in her blood. After all, she has spent her entire life in this line of work. Her connection to what is now Greenheck Group began in late 2003, when she was asked to help prepare a building for Metal Industries as it expanded into Marion. She put in the early work, stayed through the setup, and became the site’s first official employee in the spring of 2003.
Barbara has advanced and worn several hats over the years, but today she leads in the insulation
department. Plant manager Steve Brush said her steady presence has shaped more than her own work area. Barbara has stayed through leadership changes and expansions. While Barbara knows what she
does is very important, she also places high importance on the type of workplace she has.
“It feels like family,” she said.
Steve agrees, “She always gets along with others and is willing to help other
areas when the need arises.”
Barbara has watched the team evolve over two decades, yet the core of the place has stayed strong. The loyalty, the teamwork, and the pride in the product all matter to her. So does the life this work allows her
to enjoy. Outside of work, Barbara loves spending time with her two sons, five grandchildren, a step
granddaughter and a great-grandson, who was just born in 2025. And you can’t forget her 6-year old
pit bull, Keisha. Barbara said her job and the opportunity to be part of the Greenheck Group team, provides her the work-life balance she cherishes.
“It means everything,” she said.
