F a l l 2 0 1 9 • S T U F F 1 7
S T U F F M a d e I n C T . c o m
roommate told her an operator position was available at
Marion. She wasn't seeing much room for growth in the
restaurant industry and had been keeping an eye out for
something else.
That something else was manufacturing; she found the
capacity to move up that she had been seeking.
"I worked very hard and did very well," as an operator,
said Barry, "then I was given the opportunity to move into
a quality-inspector role. Then came an opportunity for
someone to supervise shipping and receiving."
With 24 employees, three in her department, cross-training
is part of the company's culture. Having been there for five
years now, she is one of eight women at Marion. The company
prioritizes making opportunities available internally when at
all possible, she said.
Having earned associate's and bachelor's degrees – both in
general studies – she's working on her master's degree in
technical management from Southern Connecticut State
University. The work Barry has done at Marion has helped not
only clarify her educational goals but broaden her skill set.
"Every day is different. You really have to be adaptable," she
said. "You have to be conscientious about your surroundings
for safety and product-quality reasons. It's also a lot of
basically showing up, doing your job and using a lot of
common sense," boosted by mutual accountability within the
team, she said.
Katie Barry
TITLE:
Quality manager
COMPANY:
Marion Manufacturing, Cheshire
AGE: 31
LIVES: Plantsville
MAKES HER SMARTER THAN MOST
HORROR MOVIE CHARACTERS:
She is terrified of walking into a
basement by herself.
PHOTO
|
RJ
Larussa
