"They said I was never going to be able to work again,” said Katherine McCumber, vice president of McCumber's Glass, Inc. in Marysville. “But here I am, living my absolute best life and skyrocketing the company."
McCumber’s Glass was founded in 2001 by Lou McCumber, who has been in the glazing industry since the age of 18. Katherine McCumber said she played a big role in helping her father get things off the ground but was forced to take a back seat while battling two incurable brain diseases. Thirty-two brain surgeries later and McCumber was ready to jump back into business and bring the company to a new level.
“I still have headaches every day, it's just a matter of how bad you want success,” explained McCumber. “I also do a lot of positivity work, choosing to stay focused on my blessings rather than my hardships.”
Following the loss of her father, McCumber took over company operations and it has since grown to become one of the leading glazers in Northern California.
“For the past four years in a row, McCumber’s Glass has been the top-rated glazer in all of Northern California,” said McCumber. “I turned the company around and brought it back to where my dad’s dream was, which was to leave a legacy for his great-grandchildren.”
Her recent success has stirred up quite a bit of media interest with recognitions soon to come from prominent publishers such as CIO Views, World Leaders Magazine, and The Enterprise World, according to McCumber. These titles include “The Most Admired Women Leaders in Business 2023,” “Worlds Rising High Women Leaders Making a Difference in 2023,” and “The Most Influential Women Business Leaders To Watch Out For - 2023.”
“They have not been published yet,” said McCumber. “I actually just did the proof for the one I’m on the cover of, which is ‘The Most Influential Women Business Leaders in 2023.’”
While locals wait for these articles to hit the press, they can check out McCumber’s most recent write-up from Industry Era Women Leaders in the “Top 10 Inspiring Women Leaders- 2022.” The McCumber’s website has incorporated this award like a badge of honor, directing interested viewers to the publications website at tinyurl.com/bdzxb76h.
In a male-dominated industry such as construction, McCumber said she has faced her fair share of dismissiveness and disrespect throughout her career.
”I never get mad,” said McCumber. “I just show them my knowledge and show them I know what I'm doing and I've earned a lot of respect for that. It's really about trusting yourself and building those connections with others.”
Outside the business, McCumber credits her children and grandchildren for being her inspiration and the driving force behind her commitment to working hard and gaining success.
McCumber’s Glass is now a women-owned company with Karen McCumber, Katherine McCumber’s mother, as the standing president. On Monday, Katherine McCumber will be speaking about her journey at the annual American Association of University Women 8th Grade Girls STEM Conference at Yuba College.
“I’m very excited to share my story with these girls and I hope that they will see the value in hard work, dedication, and maintaining healthy relationships with themselves and others,” added McCumber.
