August 2008 Edition

LETTERS

Taken as an Equal

I just read your editorial "Let’s Make Machining a Girlie Profession" [MAN, Vol. 42, No. 6, June 2008, pg 6]. I just wanted to say "thanks," what a great article!

I have been with the company for 10 years and am a CNC machinist. Guess what? I’m not the only girl in the shop, there are two of us.

I work on CNC lathes and the other girl works on CNC mills. I can say, without a doubt, there are probably guys out there who turn their noses up at a girl working in a machine shop. But, then there are the guys who it doesn’t bother at all.

We work with three guys in the shop and I can say they are the best guys to work with. In no way do they have the attitude that a girl can’t do machine work. They are the most helpful and respectful guys with whom I have ever worked.

I was with the company before any of the guys started and from the start they were great, they never looked down on me because I’m a woman in a man’s world.

I suppose this doesn’t happen at every machine shop, but there are guys out there willing to give women a break.

Thanks again for the great article! I hope it will help some guys to change their minds about women in the shop and get some more girls into the machining industry. You are so right, it’s not about muscle, it’s about brains.

Teresa Bradley
CNC Lathe machinist
Ross Reels
Montrose, CO

Find the Best-qualified, No Matter What They Are

Just a couple of minor comments regarding your editorial [Let’s Make Machining a Girlie Profession, ibid].

I believe Lionel Trains made a pink electric train long before G.I. Joe donned his first uniform, but learned in the marketplace that the type of young lady who liked electric trains didn’t want them to be pink. Even though we’re probably three generations past that experiment, I suspect that pink My Little Pony front-end loaders wouldn’t appeal to anyone except some misguided parents. It’s also not likely that the adult of either gender will opt for a pink lathe.

Rosie the Riveter set a trend, and today women have fewer societal problems in traditional men’s roles than men in occupations that once seemed reserved for women. I’d be surprised if the percentage of male nurses or male administrative assistants is not less than the percentage of female truck drivers.

Regardless of all that, I fully agree with your statement that businesses should hire the best qualified candidates despite gender, race, or other factors. While discrimination still occurs in expected directions, I have seen instances where jobs went to the less qualified applicant in an apparent effort to "prove" the minority race or gender could do the job.

William Mossner
Director of Technology
Carmel, IN

Proud to be a Woman-owned Shop

I am the board secretary – as well as office manager – of a machine shop and custom manufacturer. I recently received a copy of Modern Applications News. Upon skimming the pages I came across your editorial [Let’s Make Machining a Girlie Profession, ibid]. After reading this article – with a smile – I gave it to my boss, who happens to be my mother as well as president of the company. She replied with the same reaction as I did: "We need to write a letter to this guy!"

I wanted to write you and thank you for shedding light on the gender blinders most people have about machine shops. I am impressed with, and proud to be a part of, B Machine Products, Inc., a woman owned and operated business.

The whole purpose of this letter is to tell you a little bit about us as a business as well as a family. You’ll understand the family part as I go on.

B Machine Products is a small shop. My mother, Nancy Hickel, my sister Tosha Hendershot, and myself run this business. We have five men employees, one of whom is a family member, the rest are just like part of the family.

My mother and sister are both machinists. My mother has been in the business for about 25 years. She started when her father owned the business. My sister has been here for almost 14 years.

Both Mom and Tosha started as laborers and were trained as machinists, as were most of our employees. Tosha is a CNC operator, floor supervisor, and board vice president. Mom is now in the office doing quotes, purchasing, and has a part in everything else as well – including machining when needed.

She also once ran the CNC lathe. Both Mom and Tosha are expert in running the manual machines too.

Women in this industry are few and far between. Everyday we have new customers who are surprised to be greeted by a woman, even more so when they ask for the "man in charge" and my Mom greets them. Most men’s jaws drop. They then say "I meant the machinist," and Tosha meets them.

Once a man even peered into the shop asking "Do only women work here?"

Some customers have a hard time accepting it, but most are in awe, especially when they find out we really do know what we are doing.

Sabrina Bixman
Secretary
B Machine Products, Inc.
Parkersburg, WV

Cube Art

Congrats on yet another great editorial [Let’s Make Machining a Girlie Profession, ibid]. The other female trainer here at Mazak and I both have it hanging up in our cubes. And, we sure are outnumbered. I know of only one other female laser trainer in the industry, and there are no female laser technicians. By our accounts of the laser operators we teach, less than four percent are female.

Natalia Boleslawski
Senior Technical Trainer
Mazak Optonics Corp.
Schaumburg, IL

The Industry is Changing, Slowly

I would like to say thank you on behalf all the women who work in manufacturing for raising awareness of women in manufacturing. As a woman who has worked with industrial lasers for almost nine years – after my mother introduced me to the profession – I have worked with many very talented men but also worked with a few equally talented women who bring some additional skills to a profession which has long been dominated by men. It was great to see some photos of women in manufacturing. Both of the full-time trainers for our lasers, myself and one other, are female. The manufacturing industry is advancing, no matter how slow it may seem to change.

Tiffany Hess
Technical Trainer
Mazak Optonics Corp.
Schaumburg, IL