Page 38 - MetalForming November 2017

Rachel A. Kahn
Training Administrator/
Sales & Marketing Coordinator Perfection Spring & Stamping Corp. Mt. Prospect, IL
Rachel began her career at Perfection Spring & Stamping with a background in teaching, but little experience with man- ufacturing. She set out to learn every- thing about the industry, and in the meantime focused on building Perfec- tion’s apprenticeship programs. Rachel found external schooling to supplement the company’s inhouse programs, and built Perfection’s coiling-training program into a full-blown apprenticeship. She continues to meet with all of the compa- ny’s apprentices on a monthly basis to track progress and to answer questions.
Rachel’s efforts to learn the industry have paid off. She serves as the compa- ny’s point person for RFQs, and goes on sales calls. Given her immense progress in such a short time, Rachel’s nominator is convinced that Rachel will only “con- tinue to grow and take on more respon- sibility.”
“I’d recommend a career in manufac- turing for women because it is an oppor- tunity to have an influence on the future with unique perspectives. Advancements in manufactured products are constantly being made and serve such a wide vari- ety of markets and applications. Women can help this exciting industry continue to grow and be successful.”
April Garcia
Planner/Programmer Lead Worker GK Machine, Inc.
Donald, OR
April programs GK Machine’s manu- facturing efforts with one eye on the big picture and one on the tiniest details. She proactively stays aware of all shop- floor factors that could influence produc- tivity, including work load, planning requirements and machine-tooling inven- tory, in order to expedite work orders and fulfill changing demands on the shop floor. She is in constant contact with managers regarding production goals, quality levels and delivery times.
April used her comprehensive under- standing of GK Machine’s manufacturing process to develop and implement a planning criteria that maximized efficien- cy and minimized work in progress. And when things don’t go according to plan, April is just as prepared. She is adept at following paper trails to investigate inventory-quantity and manufacturing- resource-planning errors and quickly cor- rect those issues.
“The manufacturing field challenges you in ways you don’t expect. Every day there is a new challenge to overcome and a new problem to solve. Women should embrace the challenge of enter- ing the manufacturing field to bring new insight to a male-dominated industry. Being able to conceptualize an idea and then see the process happen before your eyes and hold the end result is an amaz- ing feeling.”
Patricia Pawlak
Educational Director Minnesota Correctional Facility Stillwater
Bayport, MN
Patricia has spent the past 22 yr. at the Minnesota Correctional Facility–Still- water building and maintaining techni- cal-education programs to help inmates learn skills that will enable them to find meaningful work and livable wages upon release. Building on Stillwater’s welding program, Patricia led the way in organizing a metal-fabrication partner- ship with a local technical college, and creating metalforming and machine- technology programs.
Today, Stillwater offers Metalforming and Machine Technology 1 certificates, and is developing a Machine Technology 2 certificate. Through her educational efforts, Pat’s nominator says that she “has done more to reduce recidivism than anyone else I know in corrections.”
“Manufacturing is the heart of the American economy. Women often have excellent skills that translate well into these careers, such as fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination. As we have moved into the medical-device and nan- otechnology fields, there is great demand for these skills. Manufacturing jobs are well-compensated, and well- trained workers are in high demand. I would definitely recommend that women consider filling this need, as I believe they can be highly successful.”
36 MetalForming/November 2017
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