Ericka Taylor Helps Keep Projects Running Smoothly

Every morning, Ericka Taylor wakes up eager to take on the day.

“There’s never a day where it's hard to get up or I don't feel like going to work,” she says.

As a project coordinator on Castle’s accounting team, Taylor wears many hats. On any given day, she might be applying for a business license or permit, providing resources for a field crew or processing supplier invoices. She spends the bulk of her time assisting project managers and project directors to set up new projects and keep them running smoothly.

“I like the versatility of the job,” she says. “You never know what requests may come across your desk.”

Taylor originally joined Castle in 2014 as an accounting assistant, a temporary job that developed into a full-time role the following year. “When I first started, it was like instant love,” she says. “I’ve always been so comfortable and happy here.”

Prior to discovering the construction industry, Taylor spent a couple of decades honing her accounting and administrative skills in the financial services world. Initially hired as a data entry specialist at the Boatmen’s Bank corporate offices, she earned a series of promotions and stayed with the bank as it was acquired by NationsBank and merged with Bank of America. “I progressed pretty quickly through the organization until my department was eventually outsourced,” she says.

Taylor earned bragging rights — and an extra $500 — by outperforming all of her Bank of America colleagues in the “Proof Olympics,” an annual competition to determine who had the fastest keyboarding skills in the office. “Working as a 10-key operator over the years allowed me to gain a tremendous amount of speed,” Taylor says. At her peak level of performance, she exceeded 39,000 keystrokes per hour — nearly five times the average rate of 8,000 keystrokes per hour.

She brought those lightning-fast fingers to her next role in the accounts payables and receivables departments at Textron Financial, a company that financed mobile homes, modular homes and ATVs. She also worked in the accounting department at Hostess until the company closed its St. Louis bakery.

But none of those experiences are as fulfilling as her current job. “Castle is like a family,” she says. “It’s a very laid-back, comfortable environment, with lots of teamwork. And it's also a place I can see myself retiring from.”

When she’s not on the job, Taylor enjoys hanging out with friends and family members. “Before the pandemic, my family and I got together quite often for family game nights — from the youngest to the eldest.” She’s eager to continue that tradition as soon as possible so she can challenge her family members to more rounds of Apples to Apples.  

Taylor and her 22-year-old son currently reside in the North County area, but she’s in the process of relocating to downtown St. Louis. “I'm a city girl at heart, so I look forward to moving back to the downtown area,” she says.