A Bittersweet Goodbye to Mabel and Lee

This month we say goodbye and best wishes to two of our GREAT and longtime team members, Mabel Yoder and Lee Morrison. With a combined 65 YEARS, these two individuals have dedicated a big part of their lives to KEP, they have and will always remain a part of the KEP family.

Hired in 1976, Mabel Yoder joined us when we opened our Winesburg facility. Soon she earned the position of QA Auditor, a role she has held ever since. Mabel’s hard work and day-to-day presence in the Winesburg facility will truly be missed. After more than 40 years as a dedicated team member of Kent Elastomer, we want to wish her a great retirement this month.

When asked about her KEP friends and the work ethic she’s practiced throughout the years, Mabel says, “I like the diversity and the memories and the friends I’ve made over the years at Kent Elastomer. I also like the diversity in my job. I am thankful for the work ethic that my parents instilled in me and for the fact that my supervisors and co-workers respect and value my decisions and opinions.”

Mabel grew up number 10 in a family of 14 children (10 girls and 4 boys) and always looks forward to attending yearly reunions every summer. Over 100 people attend annually to camp out and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Mabel also enjoys the outdoors and traveling to places she hasn’t been. We hope that her retirement is filled with both, and that she enjoys the month-long trip to Alaska she’s being planning! Best wishes, and thank you for your dedication to KEP for more than 40 years!

Also retiring this month is Lee Morrison, another valued longtime KEP team member out of our corporate office in Kent, OH. Lee was hired in 1992 as our Receptionist. Soon she moved to the position of Customer Service Representative, then moved into the role of Order Entry/Billing which she has been doing for the past 15 years.

After more than 25 years of dedication to Kent Elastomer and being an excellent support to her colleagues and our customers, Lee is retiring this month. When asked about what she enjoyed most about KEP, Lee says her best day at work is “when I ask myself, ‘Have I earned one more tomorrow by the work I did today,’ and the answer is ‘yes!’”

Lee, we wish you the best of “tomorrows,” even though you will certainly be missed. We hope she enjoys the time she’ll get to spend with her beloved grandchildren and on some of her favorite hobbies like needlework, reading and gardening. “I will miss my Kent Elastomer Family more than they know,” Lee said. “I have watched their children grow up, been through all the ups and downs of their lives and have formed friendships that will last a lifetime. For these reasons, I feel truly blessed. Kent Elastomer has been very good to me over the years and I will always be grateful.”

Thank you for your years of hard work, Mabel Yoder and Lee Morrison – wishing you both the best in your next chapter!