Chapter Connection: January - March 2020

The Chapter Connection is a quarterly celebration and review of events from WiM Chapters that have succeeded in engaging WiM members and achieving our mission to support, promote, and inspire women in manufacturing. Chapter events are coordinated by dedicated Chapter Leaders across the country who lend their time and expertise to representing Women in Manufacturing in their local communities. Thank you to our Chapter Leaders for your commitment and support!

Chapter Spotlight

Welcome WiM Central Pennsylvania! Our newest Chapter launched earlier this quarter with a stellar kick-off event at the Turkey Hill Experience Taste Lab! Attendees were treated to an exclusive Taste Lab experience and got to develop their own ice cream flavors, while networking and learning about WiM! The event was a huge success with nearly 50 attendees. We are thrilled to welcome WiM Central Pennsylvania to our network of Chapters and are so excited to see what they will achieve! The Central Pennsylvania Chapter is led by Michelle Finch, Leigh Ann Wilson, Jill Kovach, Tonya Nye, Karla Wolf, and Evelyn Schiers.

Chapter Events January - March 2020

• WiM Washington
  • WiM Washington Leadership Panel: In January, WiM Washington hosted an insightful panel discussion where participants heard how women leaders took the road less traveled in their careers. The group learned how these incredible leaders honed their technical skills, built their networks, and developed their teams. The panel was followed by engaging breakout discussions where participants could further collaborate on the topics in small groups.
• WiM Ohio
  • Evergreen Industrial Batteries Tour & Networking Event: In February, WiM Ohio organized a breakfast networking event at Evergreen Industrial Batteries, a Valley View, Ohio based company that buys and reconditions forklift batteries. Participants heard remarks from company representatives, including Evergreen’s Vice President of Sales, Bridget Falco, who is also a member of WiM! Following the speakers, attendees toured Evergreen’s facility and learned about their unique processes for producing their products.
• WiM Illinois
  • WiM Illinois Annual Speed Networking Event: In February, WiM Illinois hosted their annual Speed Networking event to promote connection and collaboration among women in manufacturing in Illinois. Attendees got to know their industry peers while enjoying wine and hors d'oeuvres at Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse. To cap off the evening, Illinois Manufacturer’s Association’s Cindy Tomei provided an update on the State of Manufacturing. 
• WiM Eastern Pennsylvania
  • Annual New Year Dinner: On January 23, WiM Eastern Pennsylvania hosted their annual New Year Dinner, kicking off 2020 for the Chapter! Attendees enjoyed dinner and drinks while celebrating the Chapter’s successes in 2019 and plans for 2020.
  • Martin Guitar Plant Tour: In January, WiM Eastern Pennsylvania offered members the opportunity to tour Martin Guitars, which has been manufacturing guitars and strings since 1833. Their guitars are handmade to this day, and event attendees got to witness first-hand the actual production of guitars at the Martin facility in Nazareth, PA. Participants were able to visit the Martin Guitar museum before and after the tour to learn more about the company and their history.
  • Designs for Different Futures: In February, WiM Eastern Pennsylvania hosted a docet-led tour of the “Designs for Different Futures” exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibit offered participants the opportunity to, “Journey through an electrifying landscape of designs that respond to the future in surprising, ingenious, and occasionally unsettling ways.”
• WiM Minnesota
  • Graco Plant Tour & Networking Event: In February, WiM Minnesota coordinated a networking evening and plant tour at Graco Inc. in Minneapolis. Tour participants learned about Graco’s processes for manufacturing thousands of fluid handling products and solutions. Attendees also time networking with the Graco team and WiM.
• WiM Colorado
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory Tour & Networking Event: WiM Colorado partnered with the NREL to host a tour at their Composite Manufacturing Education & Technology Lab in Boulder, Colorado on February 20. Attendees were joined by NREL’s David Snowberg, whose primary focus at NREL is structural testing of wind turbine rotor blades. After the tour, attendees enjoyed a networking reception sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.
• WiM Connecticut
  • Legislative Report 2020 Event: In February, WiM Connecticut was joined by Senator Heather Somers and Manufacturing Lobbyist Melissa Biggs for a speaking event focused on the state of manufacturing in Connecticut. Attendees enjoyed a breakfast reception while they took in the ever-evolving legislative landscape. Heather Somers spoke about challenges she has faced as a Senator during tough economic times for the state. Melissa Biggs addressed the lobbying efforts of the Connecticut Manufacturers Collaborative (CMC) and the appointment of the nation's first Chief Manufacturing Officer.
• WiM Western Michigan
  • Headshot Happy Hour Networking Event: In January, WiM Western Michigan hosted an evening of cocktails and conversation at their Headshot Happy Hour event. Guests had an opportunity to network with professional peers, learn more about WiM and have their headshot photo taken.
  • Bell’s Brewery Tour: In February, WiM Western Michigan coordinated an exclusive guided tour of Bell’s Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan. The tour took guests throughout all of the production spaces of the brewery, including their fermentation cellars, state-of-the-art can line, super-fast bottling hall, dry packaging hall and robot alley. Guests enjoyed samples throughout the tour, with a networking mixer to follow.
• WiM Wisconsin
  • Tour at TAPCO: In January, WiM Wisconsin hosted a plant tour at TAPCO, a Wisconsin-based company dedicated to manufacturing, distributing and servicing the latest innovations in vehicle safety. The tour was followed by a presentation from TAPCO’s product development team about their efforts to bring Connected Vehicle technology to forward looking departments of transportation and municipalities.
• WiM Kentucky
  • Bardstown Networking Night: In January, WiM Kentucky hosted a networking evening at Bottle & Bond in Bardstown, KY. The event was an opportunity for women from the area to connect with Women in Manufacturing while enjoying appetizers and learning more about WiM Kentucky from chapter leaders.
  • Beam Suntory's Seven Secrets of Successful Women: In March, WiM Kentucky partnered with Beam Suntory to celebrate Women’s History Month with guest speaker Dr. Hope Zoeller. Dr. Zoeller is founder and president of HOPE (Helping Other People Excel), LLC, a firm that specializes in facilitating leader success at every level of an organization. Dr. Zoeller’s remarks were followed by a panel discussion with women leaders from Beam Suntory.
• WiM Massachusetts
  • Networking Night with DAVIS Companies: In March, WiM Massachusetts hosted a networking evening at Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company sponsored fully by the DAVIS Companies. Attendees learned about Women in Manufacturing, while connecting with WiM Massachusetts and networking with professionals from companies in their area.
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Behind-the-Scenes Tour: In February, WiM Massachusetts partnered with Thermo-Fischer Scientific to bring members an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience of the company’s new $90 million viral vector CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) site in Lexington, Massachusetts. The 50,000-square-foot facility will add more than 200 jobs to the area and support the development, testing and manufacturing of viral vectors, which are critical to advancing new life-saving gene and cell therapies globally.
• WiM South Carolina
  • Tour at Inland Port Greer: In March, WiM South Carolina invited members to tour Inland Port Greer, an innovative new breed of rail-served inland port facility. Operated by the South Carolina Ports Authority, Inland Port is a marine terminal about 212 miles inland from the SC coast. WiM South Carolina received a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and attendees learned how it serves the South Carolina supply chain.
• WiM Georgia
  • Painting with a Twist Networking Social: In January, WiM Georgia hosted a paint night social in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Participants created fabulous works of art, while enjoying wine and networking with WiM Georgia leaders.