If you want to see a cross-section of our country, look no further than these proud manufacturing workers.
Responding to an open call for worker profiles for Manufacturing Day, our enthusiastic participants mentioned over and over again about being challenged every day, solving problems, looking forward to going to work--and the fulfillment they get from making things, supporting their families and seeing the fruits of their labors.
They are a diverse and well-educated bunch, with a truckload of technical, bachelor’s and master’s degrees to their credit.
Some are in the front office, others on the shop floor. Some stumbled into manufacturing as a career, some were weaned on it, others called to it. But now matter how they found it, they get it: the satisfaction in hard work, the smarts required, the state-of-the-art technology, the camraderie and sense of a job well done.
As senior editor, Laura Putre works with IndustryWeek's editorial contributors and reports on leadership and the automotive industry as they relate to manufacturing. She joined IndustryWeek in 2015 as a staff writer covering workforce issues.
Prior to IndustryWeek, Laura reported on the healthcare industry and covered local news. She was the editor of the Chicago Journal and a staff writer for Cleveland Scene. Her national bylines include The Guardian, Slate, Pacific-Standard and The Root.
