“Since moving into machining, I have always been fascinated with the job. Being able to start with a nominal block of material and turn it into something useful and practical with my own two hands is really exciting and challenging,” she said.
Pepin is one of the women on our team at Approved Sheet Metal, and her path into the trade is one of many. One followed in her brother’s footsteps, while another took a vocational course in high school. A third started in customer service and grew into logistics.
Women make up close to a third of our team at ASM, a notable figure in a field where, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, about 6.5% of sheet metal workers nationwide are women. We’re proud of that, but it reflects something simpler than a formal initiative: a commitment to hiring good people, giving them room to learn, and focusing on the work. Their stories show what that looks like in practice, starting with how they got here.
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The Many Paths Into Manufacturing
Manufacturing is often a much more accessible career than many people assume. You don’t necessarily need formal schooling, years of experience, or a perfectly planned career path to begin building a future in the industry.
Sheila Westcott, who works in hardware installation, began her manufacturing career right here at ASM. The same is true for Margaret Gruelle, ASM’s shop coordinator, who joined ASM after completing a vocational training course in high school.
For others, manufacturing was something they came to through the people and communities around them. Mary Straitiff, now a welder at ASM, first found her way into manufacturing through her brother. Marianne Isabelle, ASM’s purchasing and office manager, came into the field through the family business. Julie Dube, who works in material handling, started because there was a need for people in her community.
A first step into manufacturing can also become a long-term career. Kerry Aubin, ASM’s logistics manager, started in customer service and grew over 10 years into her current role.
What the Work Looks Like Day to Day
A career in manufacturing can take many different forms. At ASM, the women on our team work across the business, from the shop floor to customer service, purchasing, sales, and logistics. Their day-to-day responsibilities look different, but each role plays a part in keeping work moving through the shop and out to customers.
For Marybeth Cleaver, who works in hardware and assembly, the work is hands-on and varied. Her typical day includes “installing hardware, assembling parts, and keeping inventory.”
Westcott’s hardware installation work follows a careful sequence. Before hardware is installed, she reviews the customer print to determine whether external services such as paint or chromate are needed first. From there, she determines what type of hardware needs to be installed, where it belongs on the part, and what tooling and pressure are required to press the hardware into the sheet metal.
“The first piece of any installed hardware is always brought to QC to ensure it’s been installed correctly,” she said.
Other roles connect what’s happening on the floor with what customers need to know. Joanne Grant, who works in customer service, spends much of her day answering customer status requests through email and checking in with the team on the floor. Sarah Fancy, also in customer service, answers emails, places orders, and talks with the team about where orders are on the floor. Off the floor, Isabelle handles purchasing, invoicing, and accounts receivable.
On the production side, Straitiff’s day as a welder is direct and focused: she checks what needs to be welded, makes sure she has the correct parts, and gets to work. Gruelle’s role as shop coordinator takes a broader view. She checks in with team members, ensures the right work is running, and keeps customer service updated with accurate information, stepping into other departments when they need a hand.
As work nears completion, Dube helps package and process shipments as they head out the door. From there, finished jobs move through shipping, which Aubin oversees as logistics manager.
“Everything goes through the shipping department,” she said. “It’s like conducting an orchestra.”
That variety is part of what makes the work hard to sum up from the outside. Depending on the employee’s role, a single day might mean welding a part, installing hardware, answering customer questions, purchasing materials, packaging shipments, or moving a job from one department to the next. That coordination is what helps ASM keep jobs moving efficiently while protecting the quality customers expect.
What Makes the Work Rewarding
Cleaver said the hands-on nature of assembly is one of the things she enjoys most, along with the fact that no two days feel exactly the same.
“I really like the assembly work,” she said. “And I get to do something a little different every day.”
According to Pepin, the reward is tied to the process of making something tangible. Machining gives her the chance to take raw material and turn it into a useful part, but it also pushes her to keep learning.
“ASM has provided me with a different experience every day and has taught me to adapt and overcome in order to create a vital piece of infrastructure or a small part of something so much greater,” she said.
Janice Mariano, ASM’s regional sales manager, said she enjoys being part of a company that is growing and changing. “ASM is growing, and that creates an exciting environment to be part of,” she said. “The energy level is high, and with growth comes a unique set of challenges, the kind of challenges that drive innovation and opportunity.”
Others said it’s the team that stands out the most. Grant said she appreciates the people she works with and the patience they show when someone is learning something new.
“ASM treats their employees nicely,” she said. “They are patient when you’re learning a new position and are willing to help if you have a question.”
Aubin described the team in a similar way, pointing to both the work itself and the care employees bring to it.
“I really enjoy the team we have,” she said. “The employees care about the work and each other. I like hearing from customers about the interesting parts we are manufacturing for them.”
That support matters on the floor, too. Straitiff said that when she runs into an issue with a welding job, she is surrounded by people with the knowledge to help. Isabelle described ASM’s team as “helpful and supportive,” while Fancy said she likes “how welcoming everyone is and how everyone is always willing to help out.”
What Surprised Them About the Field
Several of the women at ASM said that one of the biggest surprises was how much thought goes into manufacturing. The finished part may look simple from the outside, but getting it there often takes patience, coordination, and problem-solving at every step.
Mariano has seen that complexity from the customer side, too. As a regional sales manager, she works with companies across industries, each with its own parts, requirements, and expectations.
“Virtually every industry has a need for metal fabrication, which means every customer brings a unique set of requirements,” Mariano said. “That diversity makes each project different and keeps the work both challenging and rewarding.”
Pepin has been surprised by how much the job has taught her over time, especially when it comes to balancing quality and efficiency.
Straitiff’s surprise was more personal. She started in machining before trying welding and discovering how much she enjoyed it. “I absolutely love welding,” she said.
That sense of discovery says a lot about the field. Manufacturing can be technical, physical, fast-paced, and demanding, but people do not always know which part of it will click until they try it. For Straitiff, that meant moving from machining to welding. For others, it may mean learning a new process or finding a role they had not pictured for themselves before.
Why Manufacturing Is Worth Considering
For someone who has never worked in manufacturing, the field can be easy to overlook. And yet, the women at ASM described it as a place where people can build skills, find steady work, move into new roles, and be part of something that changes from day to day.
“It’s a fast-paced environment that provides job security as well as career growth,” Aubin said.
That growth does not always follow a straight line. Pepin started without formal training, moved from powder coating into machining, and continued building her skills from there. Her advice to someone considering a similar path is simple: be willing to start.
“Dive in,” she said. “I started from the bottom nearly a decade ago without any training or schooling. I now have the knowledge and skillset to do so much more, not just in machining, but manufacturing as a whole.”
Straitiff sees having a problem-solving mindset as one of the clearest signs that someone might enjoy the field.
Mariano agrees.
“Things are going to go wrong,” she said. “Equipment breaks down, material gets delayed, and unexpected challenges come up. In those moments, creativity and teamwork make all the difference.”
Across the board, the message from the women at ASM was this: manufacturing takes effort, patience, and a willingness to learn, but it is also a field with room for people who may not have pictured themselves there before.
Cleaver called it “a great career option.” Isabelle’s advice was even simpler: “Try it, you’ll love it.”
At ASM, these are exactly the kinds of mindsets we value. As our team continues to grow, we are looking for good people who are interested in manufacturing, willing to learn, and ready to be part of a team that takes pride in the work. If that sounds like you, we invite you to explore current opportunities with our team.
As Fancy said, “Go for it. Take the leap.”