Building a Culture of Caring and Innovation in Manufacturing with Grace Bilbrough

In this episode of the Manufacturers Network Podcast, Lisa Ryan welcomes Grace Bilbrough, Director of Marketing for ProWood, a leading brand under UFP Industries. Grace shares her journey from event planning to becoming a key marketing strategist, and reflects on the pivotal role company culture played in ProWood’s successful rebrand and business transformation.

Grace and Lisa dive deeply into the importance of transparency, open communication, and recognizing employee contributions as cornerstones of Pro@ood’s culture. Grace reveals practical ways her team bridges cross-department silos, fosters entrepreneurial thinking, and keeps employees motivated, even throughout periods of change and growth. She offers insights into how initiatives like leaderboards, town halls, and regular updates keep competitive spirits high and teams aligned with company goals.

Learn how new ideas—like the launch of ProWood’s upcoming True Frame Joists—are sourced directly from employee feedback on the front lines, and how their culture of care extends from manufacturing lines to customer partnerships. Whether you’re navigating change in your own organization or looking for fresh ways to spark employee engagement, Grace shares actionable takeaways you can implement today.

Key Topics:

• The value of transparency and honest communication through change
• Encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship across a large organization
• Practical strategies for employee recognition and alignment
• Collaborating across marketing, sales, operations, and product teams
• Translating internal culture into long-lasting customer relationships

Connect with Grace Bilbrough on LinkedIn or via email at GBilbrough@prowood.com to continue the conversation.

Tune in for actionable advice and inspiring stories about building a people-first culture in manufacturing!