March is Women’s History Month, which I thought might be the perfect time for IOM to check in on the state of women in the manufacturing industry. As the global network Women in Manufacturing celebrates its 15th anniversary and a Northern Wisconsin chapter of the organization gains footing in 2025, now seems like an apt opportunity to ask if and why networks like WiM are still relevant and necessary.
And the answer is yes, they are — and the reason is workforce. As Schreiber Foods Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Karen Lancelle tells me in this month’s cover story, leaving half the population out of the talent mix simply isn’t an option if you want to succeed.
And while recruiting girls and women into engineering, trades and other manufacturing careers is paramount, so is retaining women in the industry. According to a study by the American Association of University Women, women leave manufacturing jobs at a rate of 31% to men’s 23%. Some of the reasons for that attrition are pay inequity and lack of family-friendly policies, but some of it is also fueled by discrimination and harassment, according to the study. Giving women the opportunity to share experiences with one another, advocate as a group and simply feel seen have positive impacts on retention and success.
Here in Northeast Wisconsin, groups like the WiM Northern Wisconsin chapter and the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership at UW-Green Bay are working to create powerful networks for women, as well as their allies, in the workforce. Please turn to page 10 to learn more in this month’s cover story with more insight on this important topic.
I also hope you’ll tune into the NEW Manufacturing Insights podcast in March and April for more discussion of women in manufacturing, including conversations with some incredible women who are leading manufacturing enterprises in our region. Let’s keep talking about how we can lift up women in the industry.
This month’s issue also includes coverage of the latest innovations in manufacturing technology and education, as well as a report in our Plant News section from Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s 36th annual Manufacturer of the Year Awards, which were presented Feb. 20 in Milwaukee. No surprise: New North region manufacturers were well represented among this year’s honorees … again.
Hope to see you at a NEWMA event, the ballpark or maybe even on the golf course this spring. And save the date for Insight’s 2025 40 Under 40 gallery show May 27-30 and 2025 Women of Influence awards July 29. More details to come at insightonbusiness.com/insightevents.
