Teresa Naeve Grows With Klute, Inc. Through Dale Carnegie Leadership Course

Klute, Inc. is a family-owned steel fabrication company based in York County. Not only is it a major employer in the area, but it also supports workforce development efforts across the region. Klute collaborates with the York County Development Association (YCDC) to bring Dale Carnegie Training to the community, providing residents with opportunities to develop their leadership skills and advance in their careers.

Teresa Naeve is a Klute employee who took the Dale Carnegie Leadership Course in 2025. Not only does she feel like it made her a better team member, but it has also helped her in her personal life.

“I’m very happy I was involved in the Dale Carnegie program, it was a life-changing event,” she says.

Read about Naeve’s career at Klute and her experience with the Dale Carnegie training. Registration is currently open for the 2026 sessions in York County if you are ready to elevate your career.  

Naeve Has Worked at Klute for Nearly a Decade

Naeve started her journey at Klute nine years ago as a project estimator. Her role involved developing quotes based on the scope and timeline of client goals. After a few years of estimating, her boss approached her about stepping into a project manager role.

At first, Naeve was nervous about the job. She had never worked in a client-facing position at Klute. However, she felt confident that her coworkers could help fill in any knowledge gaps and offer support when needed.  

“It took them a year to convince me to accept the position,” says Naeve. “I agreed to it when I realized I was surrounded by people who could help me through situations and teach me if I didn’t know something.”

Now, when a customer places an order with Klute, Naeve reviews the purchase order and creates a plan to ensure everything is delivered on time.

“A big part of this job involves understanding customer needs,” she says. “People want to speak with an expert to answer their questions, and they need their materials by a certain time.” 

Naeve Enrolled in the Dale Carnegie Program in 2025

When Klute and YCDC collaborated to bring the Dale Carnegie Program to York County, Naeve knew she wanted to be selected to attend the course. At this point, she had worked as a project manager since 2020 and wanted to enroll so she could be better at her job. Not only did the coursework give her tools to better communicate and work with others, but it also changed her perspective when approaching conflict.

“When something goes wrong in the workplace, a lot of people tend to point fingers or try to find someone to blame,” explains Naeve. “I learned to put myself in the position of others and consider how they feel after making a mistake. Then I learned to pivot and focus on finding solutions. The goal is to figure out how to move past the problem and correct any errors.”

Naeve admits that her takeaways from the course weren’t what she expected when she enrolled. Her initial goal in attending the Dale Carnegie Program was to stop feeling overwhelmed when facing workplace challenges. As she attended each session, her mindset changed to learning how to be a better leader for her team.   

Employee Development is a Part of Klute’s Company Culture

Klute is a natural partner for YCDC and the Dale Carnegie Leadership Course. The company has a proven track record of investing in its existing employees to make them more successful in the long run.

“Development is part of our company culture,” says Kiley Palmertree, Recruiting Manager at Klute. “Investing in our employees helps with retention and allows us to provide better experiences for our customers.”

When employees feel like their employer is invested in them and wants to see them succeed, they are less likely to leave. Team members develop their skills and then apply them in their day-to-day roles.

Naeve is also a valuable example of investing in employees because she is five years away from retirement. That is still plenty of time to make a positive impact on the organization and set the next generation of Klute leaders up for success.

“I want to help other employees at Klute decide whether they want to move up in the company,” she says. “I want to make their jobs easier and help create a workplace they are proud of.”

Naeve adds that her experience with the Dale Carnegie Leadership Training course has also made her more patient with situations outside of the workplace.  To compliment people and be kinder and more patient with others. 

Register for the 2026 Dale Carnegie Leadership Course

Residents of York County have multiple opportunities to participate in the Dale Carnegie program in 2026. They can enroll in the Skills Course in January or June, and then register for Leadership and Management training in March.

Investing in yourself or your employees grows York County as a whole. It allows entrepreneurs to approach their businesses with better skills while helping team members collaborate and communicate efficiently. Together, we can make York County a great place to work, and an even better place to live.