When Ryan Steele, President of C & S Machine & Manufacturing, first encountered A-Team Partners via LinkedIn, he initially declined the outreach. However, as the demands of leading a growing business mounted, Ryan recognized a deepening challenge: isolation at the top.

C & S is an ISO 9001-certified company competing globally as a single-source manufacturer. While using the latest lean manufacturing principles and operating 24 hours a day, C & S maintains quality by leveraging on-site manufacturing services and superior supply chain management. C & S continuously invests in the latest industry equipment and standards to develop capacity and capability, and is currently working towards AS9100 Certification, allowing the company to deliver the highest quality single-source manufacturing solutions to the aerospace and defense industries.

Alongside C & S’ success and growth, Ryan felt pain points within the business.

“I didn’t have a network of people who shared similar problems,” Ryan recalled. “Without the proper support system, I lacked the resources and candid feedback I needed. I was under a lot of stress, which was having a negative effect on my  leadership abilities, especially in developing and building people, ultimately impacting our ability to meet customer needs.”

The Turning Point: From Vistage to A-Team

After a recommendation from a friend and customer, Ryan joined Vistage, a peer advisory group for CEOs, of which Alice Shade, President and CEO of A-Team Partners, is Chair.

“Being part of Vistage has helped me as a business owner by providing a network and perspective for the business I was missing,” Ryan said. “The community and sounding board it provides has made me a more resourceful owner and smarter businessman.”

The most significant impact of Vistage for Ryan was developing his coaching relationship with Alice.

“Alice’s one-on–one coaching has been instrumental to my growth as a leader,” Ryan said. “It’s like having a ‘work mom’ who you can always turn to, to provide honest feedback and good perspective.”

After working with Alice in Vistage and through one-on-one coaching, Ryan started incrementally scaling up the partnership with A-Team Partners, bringing Alice in to work with the core leadership team. As trust grew and results became evident, the engagement expanded to include a broader group of supervisors and emerging leaders—what Ryan calls their “super team.”

“Bringing Alice on board helped our management team become more efficient, trusting, and effective leaders,” Ryan said. “Her ability to dig deeper in discussions, give unfiltered feedback, and provide practical tools and solutions made the difference and enabled our team to handle growing pains and leadership challenges more effectively.”

While C & S Manufacturing has engaged consultants in the past, Ryan noted that this partnership with Alice and A-Team Partners differs.

“Alice’s unwavering commitment, accessibility, and vested interest in the company’s success make her an invaluable asset.”

The Solution: A scalable, trust-building approach

Working together, A-Team Partners helped C & S Manufacturing address the following:

• Trust and Accountability: Creating a space where candid feedback is welcome and acted on.
• Professionalism: Raising the bar for communication, ownership, and collaboration.
• Mindset Shift: Encouraging a growth mindset that empowers individuals to lead, not just execute.

“Working with A-Team Partners helped our team members step out of their comfort zones, recognize weaknesses, and improve as leaders and individuals,” Ryan said. “We’re all holding each other accountable and supporting one another better.”

The Results: A stronger, smarter team

One year after joining Vistage and engaging Alice and A-Team Partners, Ryan says the changes are noticeable.

• Improved trust and transparency among the leadership team
• More effective meetings with deeper conversations and clearer outcomes
• Faster development of emerging leaders
• A better work-life balance without any drop in performance
• A culture of continuous improvement

“Our trust scores went up. Our meetings became more honest and productive,” Ryan said. “The team used to view Alice as our problem-solver, but today, they’ve moved to really lean into her as a resource for continuous self-improvement.” 

Ryan credits Alice for helping team members like Jared and Chris experience rapid personal and professional growth.

“They’re not just better employees—they’re better leaders. That’s what sets us apart from our competitors.”

“The outcomes from investing in this partnership are evident in the team’s ability to achieve more with less effort and an improved work-life balance,” Ryan noted.

Why It Matters

C & S Manufacturing has always stood out for precision and reliability. Now, it’s not just their machines performing at a high level; it’s their people.

“We’ve invested in our team,” Ryan said. “Working with Alice and A-Team Partners differentiates us. We’re not just building parts, we’re building leaders.”