By Donna Heiderstadt

Not everyone can say that refrigerators have been a topic of conversation at the family dinner table for as long as they can remember — but Kay Trulaske can. The 28-year-old St. Louis native grew up hearing about the family business, True Manufacturing Company, never thinking she’d work there as an adult. She majored in Journalism and French, with a minor in Environmental Science, and moved to New York City to pursue a career in marketing and public relations.

But those refrigeration roots run deep. “When I was around 10 years old, the residential division of our company was launched and spearheaded by my dad, and watching it grow over the past 15+ years is what drew me back following my PR job,” she says. “I interned for True Residential when I was 18, and seeing how our product has become such a unique, integral part of a kitchen’s design since then has been remarkable and invigorating to be a part of.”

As Brand Manager and Manhattan Sales Representative for New York-based True Residential, Kay has spent the past four years managing product development strategy, overseeing digital media, and visiting dealers in the Tristate area as she shuttles between the Architecture & Design Building in Manhattan and the corporate headquarters in St. Louis. Her most memorable moment, she says, was the opening of the A&D Building showroom — the company’s first dedicated space to showcase product. “Being in the thick of the planning, design, and unveiling of this space was the most incredible learning experience, not only for me but for the brand as well,” Kay says. “It reminded us to really appreciate the trade, who oversee projects like this day in and day out, with the most minute, precise decisions and details. It also has reiterated the value of seeing, touching, and interacting with the product to truly comprehend its distinction in the industry.”

Kay, who is a member of NKBA’s Manhattan Chapter, looks forward to a big product reveal at KBIS 2025 in Las Vegas. “This project has been such an adventure and I’ve gotten to work very closely with my brother and my dad, which makes it even more fun,” she says. “You’ll have to keep an eye out for our booth at the show, because it will be very exciting and inspiring!”

When she’s not in New York or St. Louis, you’ll find Kay in Chicago nurturing a long-distance relationship — “It works well at the moment because when we’re apart, we’re able to completely focus on work, and when we’re together, we can focus on each other without any distractions! — or exercising outdoors, drawing, and reading. She says the word that best describes her is “imaginative” and that she’s had a lifelong obsession with the color blue. It makes sense, then, that all things ocean-related are on her must-do list. “I would love to visit Alaska and see the whale migration,” she says, “and also scuba dive in Australia along the Great Barrier Reef.”