When Caroline Kauffman-Kirschnick began working for the family business as a high schooler, her biggest concern was not getting a dial tone when answering the phones. She never imagined that decades later she would step into her father's shoes as the new president of Electric Motor Repair Co. (EMR).

"I remember the first thing I learned when I moved up to taking phone calls in the parts department was to ask whether the motor in question was electric or gas," Kauffman-Kirschnick recalled. "One day I got a call inquiring about a broken refrigerator and without thinking I immediately asked, 'is it electric or gas?' The person on the other end of the line quickly hung up on me."

But over the years, Kauffman-Kirschnick learned the ins-and-outs of motor and appliance repair and the company's many departments, including sales and accounts receivable, before finding her niche in human resources.

"When I moved to an assistant position in our HR department, I became more interested in my role and remained there for five years," Kauffman-Kirschnick said. "I learned a lot about our employees needs during this time and eventually moved to operations and managerial roles."

For 90 years EMR has served the Mid-Atlantic region through their two divisions, the Industrial Division and the Commercial Cooking and Refrigeration Division. Kauffman-Kirschnick's grandfather and company founder, Harry Kauffman, appointed her father, Roger Kauffman, as the new president in 1985. Since then, the company has been successful in providing customers with quality repairs and service through well-trained, quality employees.

EMR has always called Baltimore home and this year was recognized as one of the 2017 Best Employers in Maryland by The Daily Record. Kauffman-Kirschnick attributes the company's success to their work environment and culture.

"Through all three generations of leadership, the importance of our company's culture has remained the common thread," Kauffman-Kirschnick said. "Everyone who works here is an extension of our family and each individual plays a critical role in the success of EMR."

As president, Kauffman-Kirschnick says it is her goal to grow the company through this family philosophy.

"From a financial standpoint I'd love to double the revenue of EMR in order to do more for our employees," Kauffman-Kirschnick said. "I want to continue to expand geographically and be the dominant service company in the Mid-Atlantic area. Ultimately, I want to do this by building on our family culture because that raises morale and makes our employees best serve the customer."

For more information about Electric Motor Repair Co. visit emrco.com.