For a long time, manufacturing leadership has always been thought to be the province of men. But then again, in our society, just about everything was thought to be the province of men until it wasn’t. As our society becomes more tolerant, understanding and equality-based, women are getting more opportunities to show what they can do in manufacturing. Here are five who have risen to the top.
Sarah Krauss
Sara Krauss just wanted a water bottle that looked good, was easy to carry and kept liquids the right temperature. But she couldn’t find one. So she made one, intending to start a small business for a niche market.
A short time later, she was shocked to find herself and her company S’well on their way to becoming the fastest-growing woman-owned business in the United States, a self-funded business with a revenue of about 50 million dollars in 2015.
Lee Selman
Most people stand idly by and watch trends come and go, but when Lee Selman saw the popularity of the paleo diet, she saw an opportunity. Noticing a lack of sweets in the paleo diet, she set about creating paleo-diet friendly deserts for paleo dieters to enjoy. Her company PaleoTreats was the result, and it is one of the most exciting new female-owned businesses to recently emerge.
Laurie Lipson Snyder
Over 25 years ago, Laurie Lipson Snyder, frustrated with how her kids always ended up with red, burned faces and necks at the beach, created Flap Happy, a children’s hat and swimwear manufacturer designed with SPF 50+ sun block to protect children from the sun. Today, Flap Happy is one of the most successful companies in children’s casual clothing manufacturing.
Linda Luoma
You probably wouldn’t expect a 3D machining company to have a woman in charge, but that’s just who Lina Luoma is as the president of 3D Precision Machine, Inc., a company that provides prototypes and precision machining for everything from medical to military to aerospace to commercial applications. Louma’s company features state-of-the-art machining software to produce extremely precise results for her clients’ machine parts.
Sandra Young
Founded in 1994, Sandra Young’s Skyco Shading Systems, Inc. in Santa Ana, CA is a leader in custom window coverings, offering both motorized and manual window shades and blinds. Young is focused on energy-efficient shading products as well as green-energy solutions, making her not only a leader in manufacturing, but a leader in environmentally friendly business practices as well.
It’s clear from these women and many more like them that manufacturing is no longer a man’s world, and there’s no reason to think that in the near future, a woman-led manufacturing company will not see a level of growth to compete with the top male-led Fortune 500 companies. Women are as eager and willing to meet the many challenges of manufacturing as men. If you are seeking a new CEO or president for your manufacturing company, you would be wise not to overlook any women who come knocking.