From Shop Drawings to the Job Site:
March 2026 Women in Construction 17
From Shop Drawings to the Job Site:
An Interview with Lori Chasse of SL Chasse Steel
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High-Profile interviewed Lori Chasse, vice president of SL Chasse Steel, where she reflected on her impact as a leader at the company, and talked about how the firm ensures accuracy and efficiency throughout fabrication and product delivery.
High-Profile: You’ ve been with the company for many years, wearing a lot of hats at SL Chasse. What does your role look like day to day?
Lori Chasse: In addition to helping to oversee the company’ s accounting operations and ensure financial reporting and internal controls, I’ m still able to project manage and detail some smaller projects, which I truly enjoy.
HP: You’ re involved in both project management and detailing. Where do you feel you make the biggest impact?
LC: Efficiency in project management is essential. A lack of follow through by a project manager at any stage of a project can create disruptions that significantly impact production flow and delivery schedules. Our project management team
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Lori Chasse
at SL Chasse Steel sets the bar high. We expect a lot, and their dedication and performance continue to meet our expectations. Adhering to project budgets and managing change orders is equally critical. This is a core responsibility of the project manager and must be consistently maintained throughout the project lifecycle. Our teams are like family, and we all want the best for each other.
HP: Quality matters in steel fabrication. How do you help ensure accuracy from shop drawings through installation?
LC: Using advanced modeling software like SDS2 and Tekla, our detailing and checking teams consistently follow through on every project with precision and efficiency. Our barcode tracking system enables full visibility of each steel member from material receipt through completion, ensuring quality control and real-time status reporting at all critical phases of the fabrication process. This provides our erection crews with the highest-quality product. Erection efficiency is maximized by virtually eliminating field rework.
HP: You have led software implementation for the company. How has technology changed the way you operate? Any specific kind of technology that you would consider a“ game changer”?
LC: Software implementation has transformed our operations by improving efficiency, accuracy, and visibility across our office and fabrication shops. When
becoming an AISC-certified fabricator and erector, we had the ability to improve and implement hardware and software features that may not be commonly used by others in the industry. While there is a learning curve, the benefits and overall project quality make it well worth it in the long run for our operations as well as our customers. Through ongoing upgrades to our fabrication equipment, including our beam lines, plate machines, pipe bender and Lightning Rail layout machines, our shop maintains optimal performance and efficiency throughout the production process.
Our teams are like family, and we all want the best for each other.
AISC CERTIFIED FABRICATOR & ERECTOR STRUCTURAL STEEL | MISCELLANEOUS METALS | FABRICATION | ERECTION
www. slchassesteelfab. com Email: info @ slchassesteelfab. com
Ph: 603-886-3436 Fax: 603-881-9953
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8 Chris�ne Drive, Hudson, NH 03051
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