March 28, 2025
How Cassidy Balzer is Finding a Flexible Path to Career Growth
Learn how Trane Technologies is supporting young professional Cassidy Balzer’s flexible growth path while she gains early career experience in finance, management and process improvement.
Trane Technologies’ growth is fueled by our people and our commitment to their growth and development. Learn how Trane Technologies is enabling Cassidy Balzer to build her career on a unique path that is giving her finance, management and process-improvement experience.
Cassidy Balzer, a member of our early career Accelerated Development Program (ADP) has always wanted to know “the how and why of things.” A high school counselor recognized her innate curiosity and strong STEM skills and encouraged her to pursue a degree in engineering. Cassidy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Penn State and then worked as an industrial engineering intern for a data analyst collaborative before joining Trane Technologies.
Growing across roles, businesses and locations
Cassidy’s varied experiences as an ADP member have helped accelerate her professional growth and enabled her to learn about Trane Technologies while finding a true sense of community. She has worked for multiple brands within Trane Technologies at several locations and positions. Cassidy spent her first rotation in a Trane® commercial plant in Lynn Haven, Florida, where she worked as a materials planner before working as an associate procurement program manager at Trane residential in Tyler, Texas.
Cassidy has spent her last two rotations learning about the cold transport side of Trane Technologies at a Thermo King® plant in Greenville, North Carolina. She has found a real home there. “I love going into work because I’ve really had the opportunity to build a community here,” she said. “I really enjoy the people I work with.”
During her first rotation at Thermo King, she worked as an operational excellence change agent and created a digital solution to streamline production line balancing. After that, she served as a receiving supervisor where she created a new layout on the receiving dock to better manage overflow inventory. As that was wrapping up, she convinced her managers to let her take on one more rotation as a cost analyst.
I have been very encouraged both from a professional development standpoint and opportunity-wise, regarding my ability to grow within the company.
Managers support additional expertise-building rotation
A financial role such as a cost analyst isn’t a typical part of the Operations ADP pathway, although there are other pathways that focus solely on finance. Cassidy appreciates that her managers were willing to support an additional rotation to support her career growth, honoring her desire to build her financial acumen. “Working as a receiving supervisor, I got to see how our material cost processes and invoicing work, which sparked an interest in the financial side,” she said.
“I'm viewing this cost analyst role as another experience on the path to overall growth,” she said. “I wanted to gain a better understanding of the cost analyst function and the business as a whole,” said Cassidy.
Supportive environment, professional development encouraged
Throughout her rotations, Balzer has enjoyed Trane Technologies’ workplace culture, especially the focus on development. “Of course, I know development is targeted more in the ADP because it's literally the ‘Accelerated Development Program,’ but the focus on career development is something I've observed from my coworkers in roles across the board,” she said.
“I have been very encouraged both from a professional development standpoint and opportunity-wise, regarding my ability to grow within the company,” she said. “Even though we are a global company, there is an interconnectedness. There’s a willingness to help come up with the solution to a problem or help improve a process. Even though the company is big, it feels small.”
Cassidy also appreciates that she has been able to gain supervisory experience by uplifting others, especially in her role as an operations supervisor. “Especially for those on my team, I tried to have their back where I thought it was appropriate and I was able to do so,” she said. “I also set one-on-one meetings where we discussed long-term goals, outside interests and what we could do to support them in both,” she said.
Process improvement experience: sustainability and innovation
Trane Technologies’ commitment to both sustainability and innovation is important to Cassidy. “I think the sustainability and innovation pieces were the first two things that really drew me into the company,” she said. “I liked their understanding of the importance of sustainability, and I was really interested in the innovation aspect because I like knowing how things work and how processes can be improved,” she said.
She appreciated the opportunity to address sustainability as part of a process improvement team at the Trane residential plant. They explored innovative alternatives to single-use packaging for transporting materials used in fan grille production. The team investigated innovative reusable pallet solutions that would increase sustainability compared to one-time-use packaging currently in use. Although final decisions haven’t yet been made, Cassidy hopes that the team’s efforts can have a long-term impact.
Sustainability in business is important to Cassidy on multiple levels. “It’s how it impacts the planet, how you're treating people and how you're supporting them as a company,” she said.
Cassidy hasn’t lost her curious edge and is still eager to learn how things work, she continues to ask questions to grow her knowledge. “I can go to colleagues about any questions I have,” she said. “That’s really made a difference.”
Cassidy is pleased with her decision to join Trane Technologies. “I’ve been able to thrive. I feel like I've had a lot of growth and development that's come from being part of this program.”
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