Page 34 - MetalForming November 2016

Kimberly Clarke
Vice President of Sales and Purchasing Walker Corp.
Ontario, CA
In her 17 years at Walker Corp., Kim- berly has helped build and expand the company’s footprint into one of the most respected automotive stampers in the country. She currently oversees all details of sales and purchasing for Walker Corp. and its base of primarily tier-automotive, consumer-electronics, agriculture and solar-power customers, and details of raw-material sourcing as well. She also has assisted in plant automation and manufacturing initiatives.
Kimberly has played a big role in help- ing the company, in a difficult Southern California location where manufacturing is not an abundant industry, grow into new markets with new products and services. In working her way into a top- leadership position, Kimberly has helped drive the company on a global growth path.
“There are so many opportunities in manufacturing for women. Growing up in this industry as a young woman has given me an opportunity to work with so many innovative leaders: Toyota, Tesla, Bose and many others have influenced my professional life on a daily basis. Women have an opportunity in this industry to ‘break the norm’ and step up to be leaders for the foundation of all societies: the production of goods!”
Kai Irene Busch
Supervisor-HMI Software Trumpf Inc.
Farmington, CT
Having recently earned her MBA fol- lowing bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration, Kai quickly has risen to team leader in the software-engineering department at Trumpf. She’s a computer scientist with inherent leadership and people skills—a rare combination.
“Kai has and will undoubtedly accomplish even greater things in her career and is a tremendous role model for other young women in the industry and those pursuing engineering degrees,” explains her nominator.
“Working in the manufacturing industry is a quite versatile career. There are many interesting jobs that allow women to thrive and bring their creativi- ty to the table. Despite the common per- ception, the majority of jobs are neither dirty nor dangerous. I lead a team that develops software for laser machines. Day after day it is a challenging and interesting job.”
Tammy Rearic
Corporate Human Resources, EHS Manager
Ice Industries Inc.
Sylvania, OH
In 1993 Tammy started her own com- pany, Blue Chip Manufacturing, produc- ing spare parts for U.S. military trucks, ships, submarines and weapons. In 2012, Ice industries acquired Blue Chip, and having recognized her vast experi- ence in government safety, regulations and training, she was hired as corporate HR/EHS manager.
Since then, Tammy has developed, implemented and succeeded in instilling a culture of safety within the company. She has spent 70 percent of her work time traveling to each location to con- duct training and auditing, making sure that the company provides a safe and healthy work environment for its employees. Her efforts are not lost on her colleagues.
“I’m doing what I’m passionate about: recruiting, training and keeping our team members safe in a fast-paced, manufacturing environment. It’s very rewarding to be part of the team that stamps a component for a car my family may purchase or the cylinder of a fire extinguisher that may save the life of a friend. Enjoy a fast-paced, ever-changing environment with tons of unique oppor- tunities for women? Choose manufactur- ing and set the example for future gener- ations of women in this exciting industry.”
S14 MetalForming/November 2016
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