Editor's Note: Throughout October in celebration of Manufacturing Day/Month, IndustryWeek's Faces of Manufacturing will share the stories of people with a passion for manufacturing. 

Hannah Bennett

City/State of Residence: Newton, Iowa

Job Title: Engineering Sr. Team Leader - Talent and Org Development

Company: Pella Corporation

Years with Company: 6 years

Training / Education: B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University (Graduated in May 2020)

What made you decide to pursue a career in manufacturing?

For most of high school, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. I explored mechanical, industrial, chemical, and biomedical engineering, but industrial engineering stood out because it combined everything I enjoyed most: solving problems, improving processes, working with people and making things better.

Manufacturing wasn't at the top of my list of industries, though, until I interned with Pella Corporation during my sophomore year of college. From the moment I stepped into the plant, I knew I had found more than an internship. I had found a career. I loved the fast-paced, hands-on, and collaborative environment. Every day brought a new challenge, a new opportunity to improve, and a new problem to solve. Six years later, that's still what excites me most about manufacturing. There is always something new to learn, improve, and create.

What does your job entail?

The simplest way to describe my job is that I solve problems and help people grow.

Throughout my career at Pella, I've had opportunities to solve different types of problems. As a process engineer, I helped expand manufacturing capacity and launch new production lines. In Continuous Improvement, I worked to eliminate waste, create standards, and build a culture focused on operational excellence. Later, I helped develop and deploy technology solutions that improved quality and efficiency across multiple manufacturing locations.

Today, I lead Engineering Talent & Organizational Development. My focus is developing current and future technical talent. Whether I'm introducing elementary students to STEM careers, recruiting college interns, supporting early career engineers, or helping experienced professionals continue to grow, I get to invest in people every day. It's rewarding to help others discover opportunities in manufacturing and build careers they're passionate about.

See more Manufacturing Day/Month coverage

What is the most interesting part of your job? Your proudest moment?

The most interesting part of my career has been the opportunity to continuously try new things.  

What I love most is bringing people together to solve problems. Some of the best solutions come from connecting ideas across teams, plants and disciplines. Over the past six years, I've had the opportunity to work on projects involving capacity, productivity, quality, safety and technology across more than 10 manufacturing locations. Every project has challenged me to learn something new while working alongside incredibly talented people.

One of my proudest accomplishments was helping turn a simple technology concept into a scalable solution that was successfully implemented across multiple manufacturing sites. What made it meaningful was our focus on the people using it every day. Rather than asking our plants to adapt to the technology, we designed a solution that fit into their processes and empowered them to understand, maintain, and improve it over time. Our team collaborated across plants, departments, and vendor partners to bring the solution to life. As evident in this project, one of the most fulfilling parts of manufacturing is watching teams embrace a solution, build confidence in it, and use it to drive better outcomes for our customers.

What do you love about manufacturing?

What I love most about manufacturing is that it's about so much more than making products.

Every day, people come together to solve problems, innovate, and create products that improve the lives of others. At Pella Corporation, behind every window and door is a team of people working together to make something better. Manufacturing also allows me to combine two things I'm passionate about: technical problem-solving and building relationships. I love creating practical solutions to challenging problems and seeing the direct impact those solutions have on our team members, customers, and business. There are few careers where you can see the results of your work so clearly, and that's one of the reasons I find manufacturing so rewarding.

What advice would you give to kids considering a job in manufacturing?

Manufacturing is innovative, technology-driven and full of exciting career paths. If you are looking for a career where you can use hands-on skills while collaborating with others, there is a place for you in manufacturing. So, keep an open mind and be willing to explore opportunities you may not know much about yet. Take a tour, attend a STEM event, job shadow or apply for an internship. You never know where that experience might lead. I certainly didn't when I walked into my first manufacturing plant, and it ended up becoming a career that I love.

What advice would you give to manufacturers to help increase kids' interest in manufacturing as a career choice? 

Be present and engaged in reaching the next generation of talent. Whether through STEM activities, exploration days, tours, or partnerships, the key is to make manufacturing tangible and engaging. Let them solve problems, build things, explore new technology, and see the impact manufacturing has on products and people. Highlight how modern manufacturing is built for the next problem solvers and leaders. When students can experience the creativity, innovation, and teamwork that happens every day in manufacturing, it's much easier for them to picture themselves building a future in the industry.