Snapshot

Katherine E. Dalton • Gardner Spring, Inc.

Name: Katherine E. Dalton Nickname (if any): Kat Company name and city: Gardner Spring, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma. Brief history of your company: Gardner Spring, Inc. is a family-owned stock and specialty spring company based in Tulsa. My great-uncle, Marshall Jackson, purchased the name and inventory of a long-established Chicago business, as it was liquidating, in 1967. Placing my grandmother, Katherine Magrini, in charge of the company, he involved her in springs and manufacturing like the rest of her brothers. Gardner Spring, Inc. was moved to Tulsa and sold to the Barnes Group in the late 1960s, with the stipulation that she would remain the general manager—the only female general manager in their company at the time. My grandmother loved springs, and in 1978 was able to repurchase Gardner. She remained the sole owner and president until she died in June 2020, when the company passed to her grandchildren. Job title: President.

Spring industry affiliations: Manufacturing x Digital, Women in Manufacturing, Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, Spring Manufacturers Institute, The National Association of Manufacturers and Tulsa Area Manufacturers Association.

Birthplace: Tulsa. Current home: I live between Tulsa and Asheville, North Carolina. Family (spouse, children, pets, etc.): My husband and best friend, Adam Dalton, and I have 13 chickens and three well-loved, rambunctious dogs: Ziggy, Zuri and Luna. What I like most about being a springmaker: I am fascinated by the infinite number of applications in the spring industry, and while the technical aspects of manufacturing and engineering do not come easily to me, I am motivated to continue learning. Favorite food: Anything that includes potatoes or butter. Favorite books/authors: “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” by Tom Robbins. Favorite song/musician: “The Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell. Hobbies: Running with my dogs and exploring the world with my husband. Favorite places: Any place I can dip my body in water and gaze at the stars. Best times of my life: I love big holiday meals where I spend days in the kitchen with my mom or one of my grandmas. We’ve done this all my life and now work together in an easy rhythm…oh, and all of us really enjoy eating. A really great evening to me is: Hiking to the top of a mountain and enjoying the sunset, or snuggling in for a good movie or a bath and a book.

The one thing I can’t stand is: When people are unkind. My most outstanding qualities are: Listening and asking questions. I also have a great memory. People who knew me in school thought I was: Well, I got an award for “most graceful when falling,” if that tells you anything. If I weren’t working at Gardner Spring, I would like to: Run a nonprofit animal sanctuary. The most difficult business decision I ever had to make was: Assuming my grandmother’s roles in the company after she passed. I was applying to veterinary school and my brother, who intended to head the company, couldn’t—so I took the initiative to learn. I have grown to love the industry, largely due to Gardner’s employees: their patience, advice, and knowledge offered over the last few years has been invaluable.

Role models: Extraordinary family and friends (too many to name) and incredible women like Catherine Raven, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Viola Davis. I would like to be remembered in the spring industry for: Investing in research and development that is able to revolutionize medical applications, while keeping them affordable for the community. But people will probably remember me for: Talking extensively about the importance of processing our emotions so we can adequately communicate in the workplace.