Carolyn Brodsky, Sterling Rope founder and president, knows her strengths.

“My expertise is in marketing and sales, and I know that, so I surrounded myself with good engineers, with good accountants, with good production people people,” says Brodsky. “Know what your expertise is and focus in on that.”

Over the last 25 years, that understanding has allowed her and her team to grow the Biddeford, Maine-based rope product manufacturer into an industry leader.

The products developed inside Brodsky’s operation are lauded for their quality. When developing rope, cord and industrial safety products that customers rely on to protect them on the job or on the mountain, quality can’t be compromised. In coming to Maine, she’s found employees who not only understand that, but take “fierce pride” in their work.

“When we were considering where we wanted to live, one of the things that really struck me was that in Maine, I knew that the people there were hardworking, honest to goodness craft people and that’s what we do here,” says Brodsky. “We craft rope products, we craft hardware products that work well with those rope products, so having that kind of ethos was really important to us, and that is exactly what we found.”

Whether it’s creating an innovative new rope for recreational outdoor enthusiasts or developing an escape kit for the New York City Fire Department, Brodsky and the team at Sterling ensure that every Maine-made product that comes off their line is fitting of being branded Maine-made. That dedication has sustained Sterling for 25 years, and has set Brodsky and the company up for a promising future.

Watch the video above to learn what makes Carolyn Brodsky a Maine Icon.