Tiffani Claussen is a Woman Who Means Business

“I’ve always found value in service to other people, that good feeling you get from doing something purely for someone else,” shares Tiffani Claussen, Branson native and CEO at American Products (AMPROD). Perhaps not what most people expect in the manufacturing industry, that mindset shapes Claussen’s leadership style, with an emphasis on compassion and collaboration.

Claussen’s path to leadership spans over a decade in manufacturing, with roles including Operations Manager and Chief Financial Officer. When named CEO in June 2024, she embraced the role during a pivotal time for AMPROD—navigating a leadership transition, along with the sale and acquisition of different divisions. From the beginning, her approach has been rooted in empathy and listening. “If you go in combative, it limits your possibilities,” she explains. “But if you go in with the heart that you’re trying to understand and help people become more successful, you’re going to get a lot more participation. I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I want to understand the work and challenges people are facing.”

For Claussen, success isn’t about titles or status. It’s about personal growth and helping others thrive. “Success is continually learning,” she says. “Being able to accept new ideas, think things through, and implement them. What brings me true fulfillment is impacting others and helping others become more successful. In order to do that, I have to keep learning and growing.”

Working in a historically male-dominated industry, Claussen has witnessed manufacturing adapt and grow with the times, as well. “Manufacturing is becoming kinder and more compassionate, more concerned about the human being as a whole, rather than the cog in the machine,” Claussen observes.

One of her proudest professional contributions is helping launch AMPROD’s Community Action Time program. Employees receive two days annually to volunteer, with opportunities for group activities such as Habitat for Humanity builds and helping at the Humane Society. In addition to the tremendous benefit to the community, the initiative fosters workplace camaraderie. Claussen shares, “We had to overcome a little inertia, because carving out time from the scheduled day for something like giving back to the community is not native to manufacturing.”

On a personal level, Claussen’s greatest accomplishment is seeing her three children—ages 22, 24 and 27—maintain a close bond in adulthood. “They communicate, they have their own text groups, they do things together,” she beams. “They cherish that relationship, and knowing they’re there for each other makes my heart want to explode.”