Hello. My name is Lucas Derry. I love to be active outside and spend time with my family. In the summer months, you will find me riding a mountain bike, enjoying watersports (slalom or barefoot waterskiing and wake surfing), fishing with my kids, or relaxing around a campfire. In the winter months, when others look for warmth and sun, I look for snow and cold weather. Snowmobiling in Northern Wisconsin is a favorite activity for myself and my family. I’m also an instrument rated private pilot and fly for both business and pleasure. I believe in working hard and playing harder.
In my professional life, I am the President and second-generation owner of Header Die & Tool, Inc. My journey with the company started in 1994 as the guy that cleaned the sludge off the floor around the grinders. I received a BBA from UW Whitewater and came back to Header in 2002. I am very proud of the dedicated and talented team that we have in place. We believe in success and want to see our team, customers, and vendors be successful by working with us. Continuing to learn and to give back to your community is very important to me as well, I serve on several local boards and belong to a CEO group in order to learn how to be a better leader for our company, our team members, and our customers.
My wife and I have been married for over 20 years. We have five boys starting with our 15-year-old twins down to our five-year-old. Interesting fact, our twins and our youngest were born on the same date ten years apart. We love to spend time on the Rock River behind the boat wakeboarding or surfing as a family. We also spend a lot of time at the baseball field as all our boys play on a team.
Hello, I am Tony Hrebik. I started with Header Die & Tool in 2011. I enjoy partnering with our customers to help them solve their problems. Working with a customer to improve the life of their dies is something that makes this job rewarding. Since my job does not allow me to take a picture of something I made, telling a success story is how I can best show a customer what I can do to help them.
An avid outdoorsman is how I can be best described. I enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, boating, skiing, traveling, cooking (especially grilling), and spending time with my boys when I am not working. Having two boys who love to do these activities with me makes them more fun.
Hi. My name is Decarlos Thompson and I am a gamer. In my free time, when I’m not chasing after my niece or my dog, you can find me online gaming. My favorite types of games are basketball and first-person shooters. When I am not gaming, I’m the handyman of the family. Family is very important to me, and I have a big one that loves to cook! I love taking on new challenges and working with my hands. My motto: only the strong survive!
In my professional life, I am an Estimator/ Customer Sales Representative for Header Die & Tool, Inc. I attended Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, where in 2015 I received my BFA in Industrial Design with a Minor in Art History. After that, I returned to Rockford where I was introduced to HDT. Some of the things that I believe separate HDT from other businesses are our culture and the genuine feeling of accomplishment after helping a customer. We are a family — from our customers to our vendors — and we'd love for you to join the family!
Hi, I am Marlene Salata. I started with Header in July of 2020. I work in the office doing many administrative projects to support our team. We have a fun group of people that work here, and we all want to succeed personally and professionally. When researching Header prior to being hired, I had read about the 27 Fundamentals that Header lives by. We call it “The Header Way”! That made a huge impact on me, and it is a true testament of what this company is all about. I am glad to be a part of it.
When I’m not working, I enjoy being with my family — cooking, playing cards and board games, and watching movies. When I’m not with my family, I enjoy reading, working out, and playing word games. But there is nothing like going out on our Harley and enjoying the freedom of the open road. My husband and I will go on charity bike rides throughout the area, but we particularly love going during the autumn season when the leaves are turning color and looking so beautiful. Riding along Lake Michigan to the Upper Peninsula was a trip that will never be forgotten.
Hello, I am Cheryl Elliott. I love to spend time with my granddaughter. She brings such joy and happiness to my life that is unimaginable. Watching my daughter with my granddaughter is over the top joy. I also enjoy gardening and taking walks, as well as sitting around the campfire with friends & family.
Joining the Header Die & Tool team was a blessing! Truly a company that believes in the employees. When you enjoy your work and the staff, things fall into place and then before you know it, you have a second family. I wish everyone could be so lucky to be a part of this team!
I was born on October 9, 2014, and started my career at HDT when I was just 7 weeks old. My favorite work activities include doing tricks for treats, playing with the other two office dogs, and taking long naps at work, but do not wake me if I'm sleeping — got that, Rocket and Simon?
I enjoy going on walks, swimming, riding in the car, and spending time at the lake. At home, I usually hang out with my two favorite tiny humans who feed me lots of treats and drop food on the floor for me to clean up.
Hi, I am Rocket. I often beg Lucas to take me to work with him by racing him to the car in the morning. At Header, I like to play with my buddy, Kona, and greet all the people that come into the office. Sometimes I even sneak out to the shop while the team is having their Monday Stand Up Meetings. This usually makes them laugh, but I get escorted back to the office after the meeting. When I am not at work, I like to hang out with the kids at home and play with my toys.
Hi, I am Simon, Rocket’s younger brother. I pretty much go everywhere Lucas and Rocket go. I really like to run around the office with Kona and Rocket, it’s sort of my job to keep them young. I get in trouble with Rocket for going in the shop while the team has their meetings; really, I just want to know what is going on. When I am not at work I like to hang out with the kids at home, play with my toys, and bark at anything that comes close to my house.
