Barbara Casey Lane’s love for Clayton County—and for her business, Low Temp Industries (LTI)—runs deep. It is a devotion shaped by four generations of the Casey family’s involvement in both the company and the county’s growth, from helping establish a local bank and supporting the county hospital to backing the creation of the Clayton County Water Authority.
“My family has always been involved in this community,” Casey Lane said. “We’re a citizen of this community, and we want to invest in it and see it flourish. My faith is very deep that we will see a community transformed.”
Learning the Business at Home
Casey Lane’s connection to LTI began early. As a 15-year-old student at Morrow High School, she rode to work with her father, Bill Casey, who followed his own father, William B. Casey, one of the company’s founders. Inside the office, her great-aunt Bertha Hammonds—LTI’s longtime Secretary-Treasurer—took the teenager under her wing.
“She taught me how the books were kept, how invoices were processed, and how to work with the bank,” Casey Lane said. “I learned so much from her.”
Business conversations didn’t end at the office. “Every night at the dinner table, the family talked business,” she said. “I cherished every second.”
Navigating Change in a Growing Industry
At 18, as manufacturing began shifting into the digital era, Casey Lane was sent to computer training courses in north Atlanta and Xerox headquarters. She returned to LTI equipped to introduce new systems at a time when many employees were unsure about the technology.
“The aging workforce was nervous,” she said. “I had the opportunity to teach everyone how to use it. That experience taught me how to introduce change thoughtfully and how important people skills are.”
A Different Path Through Education
Rather than study business in college, Casey Lane majored in English at the University of Georgia. There she met Tim Lane, a seminary student who would go on to earn a doctorate in counseling and become a pastoral counselor specializing in marriage therapy. He is also the author of Unstuck and Relationships: A Mess Worth Making.
After their marriage, the couple moved to Philadelphia so Tim could complete his doctorate at Westminster Theological Seminary. There, they began raising a family that would eventually include four children.
“I joke that I never heard one of his sermons,” Casey Lane said. “I was always in the back taking care of four kids.”
Leaving—and Missing—Clayton County
The family spent the next 25 years living in Philadelphia and later Clemson, South Carolina. It was a good life, but Clayton County remained close to Casey Lane’s heart.
“I grieved leaving the community,” she said. “I missed my family. I missed Low Temp. We would come back for reunions, but it wasn’t the same.”
Throughout those years, Bill Casey regularly encouraged his daughter to return home and help keep the business in the family. In 2013, she followed that call and returned to LTI.
Growing a Family Business
Since relocating to Jonesboro in 1947, Low Temp Industries has grown from a five-person operation into a company employing approximately 145 people. LTI manufactures custom counters and foodservice equipment, with about 70 percent of its business serving K–12 school foodservice programs. The remainder supports corporate, healthcare, military, and collegiate dining.
In 2012, the company introduced its QuickSwitch technology, which allows food wells to transition between hot, cold, and frozen settings in under an hour. The innovation remains one of LTI’s most in-demand products.
“We’ve been called the Rolls-Royce of the industry,” Casey Lane said. “We don’t take that lightly. For nearly 80 years, people have trusted us.”
A Modern Manufacturing Facility
In 2018, Casey Lane oversaw the completion of a new LTI facility that consolidated most production operations under one roof. The building includes 156,000 square feet of manufacturing space, 16,000 square feet of offices, and 10 loading docks. Inside are specialized welding and metal-grinding rooms, a custom woodshop, and an industrial laser for precision metal fabrication.
“I love going out to the shop floor to clear my head,” she said. “It’s loud, busy, and full of innovation. It’s wonderful.”
In recognition of the Casey family’s long-standing community support, the roadway connecting Tara Boulevard and Main Street—adjacent to the LTI campus—was named Bill Casey Parkway.
Investing Back Into the Community
Looking ahead, Casey Lane hopes to repurpose LTI’s original buildings into a manufacturing incubator.
“We want to bring jobs to this community by creating an inspiring and welcoming manufacturing environment,” she said. “It’s one way to help make Clayton County stronger for the future.”
Even during Bill Casey’s final days in hospice care, the business remained a central topic of conversation.
“He told me to take care of the people of Low Temp,” she said. “He wanted to know we would always be part of a thriving community.”Leading Into the Next Generation
Now in her fourth year as CEO and Chairman of the Board, Casey Lane leads LTI alongside family members, including her sister, sons, and a niece. The company continues to hire as part of its ongoing growth.
“Many family-owned companies don’t make it past the third generation,” she said while standing before a display documenting LTI’s history. “I’m just hitting my stride—and I’m loving it.”