Human Resources: Brenda Diehl and Diane Ferrera

Two women share their journeys to manufacturing and human resources, and give advice to anyone seeking a career in manufacturing.

by Carli Kistler-Miller

Director of Programs & Marketing, PMPA

Published May 1, 2023

Parts don’t get made without employees and the Human Resources (HR) Department handles recruitment, retention, compensation, benefits, training and more. The list is much longer, but, at its core, HR takes care of the employees. Brenda Diehl is the HR manager for Bracalente Manufacturing Group in Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania, and Diane Ferrera is the director of human resources for AccuRounds in Avon, Massachusetts. Both women share
their journey to manufacturing.

Brenda Diehl’s Journey
Brenda earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, then took a job as a restaurant manager. Knowing it wasn’t a good fit, she took some business classes at the local community college and provided general office help for Bracalente through a temp agency. She learned as much as she could about the business and, when the position opened, the HR manager position was ordered to her. “I like to say Ron Bracalente and I grew up together at Bracalente,” she says. Brenda continues reflecting on her 34 years in HR, “The company continues to grow and thrive every day and so do we!” Brenda loves helping people and problem-solving. She enjoys making a difference in the employees’ lives, their families and being in a position to help the company.

Diane Ferrera’s Journey
After earning her associates degree in science, Diane worked for a food distributer and retail grocery chain, and was exposed to a broad range of business processes. She worked her way up to human resource manager while earning dual bachelor’s degrees in education and psychology/sociology.
She was then hired into manufacturing in HR, which led to her current position at AccuRounds. Diane enjoys working with people and enjoys learning. “For a small company with limited resources, AccuRounds is progressive and has a forward-thinking mindset,” Diane says. “I am privileged to be entering my 18th year at AccuRounds and I have seen countless improvements made to our work environment and culture.”

Advice to Women (or Anyone) Seeking a Career in Manufacturing
Brenda’s advice to those seeking a manufacturing career is, “Do it. Manufacturing in the U.S. isn’t going anywhere, A career in manufacturing provides it all — longevity, challenge, reward, community and connection. We need the best and the brightest. Commit to being something bigger than yourself.” Diane’s advice to those seeking a manufacturing career is, “Learning is a lifelong journey. There are different career paths available, and many skills are
transferable into other fields and industries, so don’t limit yourself. Manufacturing is waiting for you.”

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Author

Carli Kistler-Miller, MBA has over 25 years of experience with
communications, event/meeting planning, marketing, writing and
operations. Email: gro.apmp@rellimc — Website: pmpa.org.

Quality: Anisa Ali and Lisa Carrothers

Two women share their journeys to manufacturing and quality, and give advice to anyone seeking a career in manufacturing.

by Carli Kistler-Miller

Director of Programs & Marketing, PMPA

Published April 1, 2023

Making parts is one thing. Making sure the parts are perfect is another.  e quality department ensures that parts are made to spec, free of burrs and defects, and are properly cleaned. Anisa Ali is the continuous quality improvement (CQI) lead inspector at Pioneer Service Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. Lisa Carrothers is the quality assurance manager at H&R Screw Machine Products Inc. in Reed City, Michigan. Both women share their journey to manufacturing.

Anisa Ali’s Journey
Anisa started her career working at a laundromat, however, Pioneer Service owner, Aneesa Muthana, offered her a part-time position. Anisa enjoyed learning the steps in shipping, inspecting parts and understanding the process of precision machining. Eventually, Anisa became a full-time employee and earned her position as the CQI lead inspector. She is currently training to become a quality inspector, not only visually but also working with technology.
Anisa enjoys the quality department and is eager to make sure parts are shipped correctly and cleanly. She is always looking to learn new skills and loves being involved with continuous improvement. She takes pride in her work. “I love when I am able to identify problems that may occur which reduces the amount of potential errors,” Anisa says. “I know that the parts that ship to our customers are important to many industries. I love that we make a difference.”

Lisa Carrothers’ Journey
Lisa started her career as a waitress and entered manufacturing at a facility that produced plastic-injected parts. She was then hired at another facility as a shift leader. Soon after that facility closed, Lisa took a temporary position at H&R Screw Machine Products. In 1997, she was hired full time and worked in the secondary department. Five years later, she was asked to join the shipping department and, after a short time, was promoted to the shipping manager. During this time, she took some business courses in college thinking it would advance her career; however, it was Tom Halladay, co-owner of H&R Screw Machine Products, who gave her a chance. He was looking for a quality manager and asked Lisa.
Lisa had concerns that she didn’t have quality experience and Tom chuckled and replied, “What do you think you’ve been doing the last 17 years?” With that confidence boost, Lisa took the position and loves it. Lisa attends PMPA National Technical Conferences to further her skill set and network. She is also a member and former chair on the PMPA Quality Committee. She loves that she is seeing more and more women at PMPA events and serving on committees.

Advice to Women (or Anyone) Seeking a Career in Manufacturing
Anisa’s advice to those seeking a career in manufacturing is “Keep in mind that you are capable and can be as talented as anyone else in manufacturing. If your passion is manufacturing, there’s nothing that can stop you other than yourself. Find mentors that will help you in achieving your goal.” Anisa adds, “Be yourself. Don’t try to change yourself in order to fit in. Know your worth. Although it is a male-dominated industry, know that you’re making a difference and that many women have built successful careers in manufacturing.

Lisa’s advice to those seeking a career in manufacturing is “Don’t give up, Try! Try! Try! There are many areas in manufacturing today. Technology is playing a huge role in quality. Just a few years ago it was rare for a small company
to own a CMM or Vision system. We need engineers, setup technicians, programmers, machinists and the list goes on and on. Considering a career in manufacturing usually involves no college courses and most companies are willing to train you as H&R Screw was willing to train me.”

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Author

Carli Kistler-Miller, MBA has over 25 years of experience with
communications, event/meeting planning, marketing, writing and
operations. Email: gro.apmp@rellimc — Website: pmpa.org.