Mainebiz

3 5 F A L L 2 0 1 8 / S T U F F M A D E I N M A I N E skills and adapt to a new industry. But she also enjoyed a new work environment that she attributes partly to a "patient boss" and the company's female leadership. "It's different here," Merrill says. "There's a reasonableness, an emphasis on thinking through the work process and keeping people happy. You're expected to be re- spectful, and you're respected." But with women leading suc- cessful manufacturers and encour- aging women to join the field, why are so few women going to work in Maine factories? Perception might be part of the problem. Vision difficulties First, the gender bias that affects women in other occupations seems to run strong in some manufactur- ing fields. Leonard recalls meet- ing businessmen who refused to believe she owned and operated a textile company. "They'd ask, 'Are you a chemist?' or 'Is this your father's business?'" she says. "You have to develop a thick skin and a sense of humor." At American Roots, a Westbrook manufacturer of apparel and blan- kets, co-founder and President Whitney Reynolds says being fe- male in a largely male industry like textiles "always presents a challenge." "It's disappointing, but it is an is- sue, even today when people are ex- tremely aware of it," says Reynolds. Last year, she and her husband and American Roots co-founder, Ben Waxman, were honored as a Mainebiz Next award winners in recognition of their impact on the state's business community. "As a woman business owner, I've found difficulties," she says. "For example, in a meeting people will often gravitate to my partner simply because he's male." While others may have mis- conceptions about women in manufacturing, women may have misconceptions about manufactur- ing itself. CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE » women in Manufacturing P H O T O / T I M G R E E N W A Y "The manufacturing jobs of the past were often dirty, greasy jobs, the last type of job you'd want," says Brodsky of Sterling Rope. "There's still a negative connota- tion about manufacturing. People try to avoid the word." The outdated image remains prevalent. A 2017 survey by the Maine Manufacturers Association found that public perception of the field was the No. 2 hiring challenge for the group's members, seen as a problem by 23% of those respond- ing. It ranked second behind an even more pressing, everyday problem: Finding qualified workers. Access to talent was the top challenge, ac- cording to 58% of the respondents. The heavy physical work once common on factory floors can be discouraging to female job ap- plicants. But Brodsky and her production manager, Trunzo, say those demands don't have to be an obstacle for women workers. "We're constantly innovating," Trunzo says. "We listen to sugges- tions and try to adapt the job to the employee, female or male, so that it puts less stress on the body." At Auburn Manufacturing, Leon- ard says, "It's not necessary to be able to do everything, or to know everything. But as women, we sometimes sell ourselves short." The female workers at American Roots "are some of the strongest women I know," says Reynolds. Of the workforce of 20 people, 16 are Kathie Leonard, president and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing Inc., started the company when she was 27 years old.

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