Kaye Stone-Gansz is President of LaGasse Machine & Fabrication, Inc. and has a long history of entrepreneurship. She grew up on a family-owned, 600-acre potato/onion/corn farm as well as a retail, sales, and service business in Upstate New York. On the farm is where Kaye gained experience and interest in the fields of fabrication and engineering. Growing up in a family owned / operated business is where she learned early on the value of true hard work, dedication, and employee-customer loyalty.
At LaGasse, Kaye runs daily the overall business, operations (shop production, quoting & estimating), business strategy, business development, HR, marketing, and sales, with a strong focus on customer service. She spent more than 25 years working in management with Xerox Corporation and is currently the President/CEO of Stone Goose Enterprises, Inc. which is the umbrella company for LaGasse, Stone Goose Farms — an active 250-acre fruit farm — and The Apple Farm Stand. A prior Stone Goose business is Smith’s Gravel Pit, where she ran the overall business and operations daily.
With an M.B.A. plus a bachelor’s degree in computational mathematics, Kaye has a solid business and financial mind, and clearly understands and recognizes what the key elements are in owning/operating her own business. She thrives on strong customer relationships and builds a solid trust relationship with each customer. She believes that service is the backbone to all successful business. Kaye’s mantra is, “a happy employee yields a happy customer.” This mantra has paid off in spades for Kaye over the years. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering which fosters her knowledge / experience in the areas of design, machining, and fabrication, a core line of business at LaGasse Machine & Fabrication. Let’s just say, this business is Kaye’s sweet spot!
She has been featured in Money Magazine and Hard Hat News, and was honored as the 2013 New York State Female Entrepreneur of the Year. When not working Kaye enjoys traveling, boating, skiing, snowmobiling, motorcycling, and loves spending time with her family. She is married to Ross Gansz and together they have a daughter Jacquie, who keeps them extremely busy outside of work. Kaye sits on several non-profit and community boards of directors, including Lyons National Bank, the Wayne County Industrial Development Agency, and Newark-Wayne Hospital.
Ross Gansz brings to his position as Vice President of LaGasse Machine & Fabrication, Inc. more than 30 years of experience in fabrication and industrial manufacturing. His innovative product designs serve diverse industries internationally, including aerospace, automotive, agriculture, industrial, and medical. His products all share the same similarities, however, of robust quality, cost effectiveness, and ease of customer use.
Among Ross’s innovations are the country’s most environmentally friendly manufacturing site for the health and beauty industry and the first carbon-neutral manufacturing facility in the United States. He has been featured in several national and trade publications, including Procurement Magazine and Machinist Digest.
Ross has managed financials for Fortune 500 companies, in addition to overseeing design and invention. He holds a master’s degree in supply-chain management and a bachelor’s degree in business and social science. Ross is also vice president and owner of Stone Goose Enterprises, Inc. which is the umbrella company for LaGasse, Stone Goose Farms and The Apple Farm Stand.
In addition to being a business owner, designer, and fabricator, Ross is also a working farmer. He owns a 250-acre fruit and vegetable farm that he actively runs, which has led to the creation of several innovations for the agricultural industry. He works closely with educational and agricultural institutions, providing best practices in machine development and automation, from apple processing to self-driving tractors.
Whether he is wearing his fabrication or farming hat, customer satisfaction is his driving force. Ross is dedicated to ensuring every customer is satisfied with their products, arriving on time and of the highest quality.
Amanda McCormick is the Controller for LaGasse Machine & Fabrication. She has been with the company for more than 25 years, joining the team in 1995, and has been instrumental in LaGasse’s company growth.
Amanda oversees LaGasse’s financials and IT networking, while also assisting in managing operations and production. She is on the frontlines, servicing accounts and troubleshooting solutions to meet customer needs. She also manages international and domestic logistics as well as project timelines, from point of sale to delivery.
As a member of the LaGasse leadership team, she has a hand in all aspects of the business, with all documents, from orders to checks, going across her desk.
Amanda earned her business degree from Finger Lakes Community College. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys reading, crocheting, spending time with family, and assisting her husband with his business. Her biggest life accomplishment: raising three teenage daughters (and surviving!).
Timothy Cornwell is the Production Manager for LaGasse Machine & Fabrication. He has dedicated his career to the company, joining the team in 1994, after studying welding at BOCES. After learning from highly experienced senior fabricators, he was promoted to Head Fabricator and eventually Production Manager.
Tim has been an integral asset in LaGasse’s business growth. He oversees all production, including managing the team, quoting new jobs, ordering materials, ensuring timelines are met, and product setup and installation.
In addition to management and offering technical guidance, Tim is also a master craftsman, creating and welding parts and assembling equipment, including specialized agricultural products and the HARDER Dump Box Spreader. He also is pivotal in the design and development of many products, furthering LaGasse’s ability to offer custom creations.
Tim also assists with sales, representing LaGasse at trade shows across the country and working directly with customers. For LaGasse he is the in-house expert on HARDER, Bandit, and Munckhof products. When not at the shop, Tim enjoys snowmobiling, hiking, and fishing.
