Some of the biggest challenges through the last two years have been closely connected to issues in the supply chain. The playing field has definitely changed and here to help us better understand this, and share some insight into how we can build better systems, more suited to the current landscape is Lora Cecere. Lora is the Founder of Supply Chain Insights, through which she helps leaders take their supply chain teams to the next level! She is also the brains behind the blog ‘Supply Chain Shaman’, a thought-leader, strategist, and researcher. In our conversation with Lora today, we get some context and history from her, and how she worked her way up to founding her firm. She talks about her studies and the array of different companies she worked with before starting Supply Chain Insights. From there, Lora shares her thoughts on the important lessons we can learn from the recent instability and issues, and weighs in on how we can re-mold our new systems to better suit the needs of the industry. We discuss bringing AI and ML into the conversation around data, and why bidirectional orchestration can make such a big difference to how we interact with complex systems. To hear all this and more from a true expert in the field of supply chain, be sure to join us on Women and Manufacturing!

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Despite outdated beliefs that still persist about the role of the quality department in an organization, the entire manufacturing team, from operators to team leaders, is responsible for ensuring the quality of a product is upheld. After 38 years working in the food manufacturing industry, todays’ guest, Lucia Falek, is an authority on this topic! Lucia’s interest in manufacturing began at the age of six when she went on a tour at Ford Motor Company. Upon graduating with a food science degree, Lucia began a journey of flavor creation and building a quality mindset, which has culminated in her current role in the R&D department at Butterball Farms (which has nothing to do with Turkey and everything to do with butter!). We discuss the importance of designing for manufacturability from the get-go, and an example of what can go wrong if quality control is done too late in the process. Lucia also shares some of the exciting products that she is working on at the moment and the unique role that she believes women play in the manufacturing sector.

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In today’s episode, Frances Brunelle speaks with Nicole Wolter from HM Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of turnkey power transmission components for a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, medical, marine, packaging, and more! Since starting at HM Manufacturing in 2009, when she left her successful finance career to join the family business, Nicole has overseen a complete renovation of the company's technology and manufacturing processes. In addition to the redesign of HM’s manufacturing strategies, the company has added several new technologies, including a new ERP system. Nicole has also been instrumental in expanding HM’s marketing and social media presence in an effort to broaden its reach, increase sales, and instill a team mentality amongst employees. Within six years, Nicole’s efforts increased sales from $80,000 to more than $3 million and, today, she leads HM Manufacturing as President and CEO. Tuning in, you’ll learn how Nicole started from the ground up, gaining extensive machining experience before stepping into a leadership position, and how she is nurturing young talent and closing the skills gap by developing manufacturing programs at the high school level. We also touch on using social media to attract new talent and how Nicole’s dad went viral on TikTok, plus so much more, so make sure to tune in today!

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In today’s episode of Women and Manufacturing, Rosemary Coates speaks with Jill Cavano, the President and Owner of Scranton Associates. Founded in 1919, Scranton Associates is a family business that has been manufacturing private label water treatment chemicals in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, for over 100 years. In 2016, Jill bought all of the family members out, making her the sole owner and making Scranton Associates a 100 percent woman-owned manufacturing business. Jill has been a custom chemical blender, predominately for the water treatment industry, for the past 22 years. She is a long-time member and sponsor of The Association of Water Technologies (AWT), a member of the AWT Young Professionals Group and the AWT Business Resources Committee, and an active member of the Cleveland Chemical Association (CCA). She is also an active member of the Rising Tide Mastermind Group, which is a peer-to-peer mentoring group for executives in the water treatment industry. In this episode, she shares some practical tips for women in business, outlines some of the challenges she has encountered on her journey to becoming a business owner and explains how she overcame them. You’ll also find out how Scranton Associates addressed supply chain issues as a result of COVID-19, why Jill believes in making her employees feel like they’re all in it together, the value of having an exit strategy, as well as the importance of surrounding yourself with other business owners. For all this and so much more, tune in today!

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What started as a simple borrowing of steel toe boots years ago has turned into a lifelong friendship and a published book between Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels. With their extensive backgrounds in manufacturing, leadership, and operations, Kathy and Shannon wanted to share their experiences with other women looking to pursue similar careers. This is how Steel Toes and Stilettos: A True Story of Women Manufacturing Leaders and Lean Transformation Success was born.

In today’s WAM podcast, host Lydia DiLiello sits down with Kathy and Shannon to discuss the book and their individual trials and triumphs working on opposite ends of the manufacturing spectrum. They also share their unique experiences working alongside and gaining knowledge from men in the field, as well as their beliefs that lean methodology and inclusive workplace culture are what will help drive competitiveness against foreign suppliers.

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Increasing sales is a top priority in every business, right? Well, the manufacturing business is no different, but you’d be surprised how many businesses are making it far too complicated for themselves and aren’t taking advantage of readily available data! In this episode, Lydia DiLiello speaks with Lindsay Duran, Chief Marketing Officer of Zilliant, about bringing sales back into our conversations within manufacturing. Lindsay is responsible for accelerating growth strategies, demand generation, product marketing, corporate communications, sales enablement, and market positioning, and she is also the co-host of the Zilliant podcast, B2B Reimagined. Today, you’ll learn how you can use data to more effectively price and sell your products, as well as the benefits of digital transformation and implementing proper data hygiene practices. Her advice: don’t just give your salespeople reports; give them specific insights backed by data! Tune in for more practical insights and words of wisdom from sales expert, Lindsay Duran!

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Do you want to learn about Silicon Valley best practices for growing and scaling companies, the Valley’s unique vantage point for evaluating startups, and what rules can and should be broken in the course of building a global business? Well, this is the episode for you! Today, Rosemary Coates speaks with Michelle Lane Messina, CEO of Explora International, about the best practices of Silicon Valley and how you can apply them to your business. Michelle is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and workshop leader, a member of the Startup Chile Board, and the co-author of the bestselling book, Decoding Silicon Valley: The Insider’s Guide. Tuning in, you’ll discover how to create a valuable feedback loop with your market, find ways to collaborate, and ask the right questions to filter through the ‘happy talk’, plus so much more. Make sure not to miss this conversation for colorful stories, surprising anecdotes, and telling insights about what really happens in Silicon Valley!

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Statistics show that 80 percent of the information we receive comes through our eyes. This fact is key to the most significant developments in intralogistics. Picavi is the perfect symbiosis of modern technology and natural movement, using smart glasses for visual guidance and creating useful intelligence to reduce worker fatigue and increase efficiencies. In today’s episode, Lydia DiLiello speaks with Alison Walker, Head of Marketing for Picavi, about the smart technology products that Picavi provides and how their wearable solutions can assist you in navigating supply chain interruptions and improving warehouse workflow. We also touch on the opportunities available for women in supply chain and logistics and the importance of mentorship programs for women in STEM, plus so much more! To learn more about how Picavi is looking into the future, be sure not to miss this informative conversation!

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In today’s episode of Women in Manufacturing, Frances Brunelle speaks with Belinda Donavant, Senior Director of Engineering for Canon Virginia, Inc. Since opening its doors in 1985, Canon has made substantial capital investments of over $700 million in five facilities, totaling two million square feet and employing over 2,000 people. Belinda has an electrical engineering background and has held a variety of different positions with Canon, including in the product engineering, business development, and industrial engineering and innovation departments, some of which we dive into in today’s episode. We also touch on the criteria that Canon Virginia Inc. looks for in its suppliers, how those correlate with the qualities of a successful manufacturing business, and how the engineering and manufacturing fields can attract more women, and Belinda shares her advice for young women in the industry: play to your strengths! Tune in today to hear some valuable insights and so much more from an inspiring leader who is passionate about manufacturing!

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No matter how advanced technology becomes, people will always be at the heart of every business. Yet, soft skills, are commonly overlooked because hard skills and technical expertise are deemed to be more valuable. Through her work, Susan Schwartz, our guest today, looks to tackle this issue. She is the President of Birch River Group, a consultancy that transforms industry experts into emotionally intelligent leaders. As an experienced consultant, Susan has worked in highly technical sectors, where she saw the need for those who had graduated from experts to leaders to hone their leadership skills. Although many people are innate leaders, Susan believes that it is a competency the overwhelming majority can master. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be an emotionally intelligent leader, along with the value of being vulnerable when leading a team. You will never know all the answers, which is why it is vital to understand how to bring out the strengths of those around you. Our conversation also touches on the challenges of transitioning from an expert to a leader, some of the techniques and methods Susan uses with her clients, and the value of those who do not want to be leaders. Tune in to hear it all!

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