Sandvik Coromant leaders honored

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Institute announced today that three Sandvik Coromant employees will receive a Women in Manufacturing STEP award. STEP Ahead honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers, representing all levels in the manufacturing industry. 

This year’s honorees include Sandvik Coromant’s Veronica Messersmith, vice president of sales, Tara Shamus, service engineer and, in the new Emerging Leader category, Faina Sandler, global web specialist.

“Congratulations to our three Honorees for receiving this distinction,” said Eduardo Martin, president, Sandvik Coromant Market Area Americas. “At Sandvik Coromant we are very cognizant of the gender gap in the manufacturing industry and strive to hire and promote more qualified and talented women to our team. We know that bright leaders like Veronica, Tara and Faina give us new insights and perspectives and ultimately boost the success of our company.”

A recent study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that 80% of U.S. manufacturing companies report a moderate to severe shortage of qualified applicants for skilled and highly skilled production positions. 

“These women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, president, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole. The STEP Awards are part of a larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry that focuses on the attraction, development, advancement, and retention of high potential female talent.” 

STEP stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Production. STEP Ahead is designed to help improve the retention of existing female talent and highlight role models that can help raise awareness about careers for women in manufacturing. Currently, women represent 25% of all manufacturing employees but 51% of the potential workforce. On March 26, The Manufacturing Institute will recognize 130 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program will highlight each Honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.

Source: Sandvik Coromant and The Manufacturing Institute