March 28, 2025 Publisher’s Letter

Volume 28 | Issue 1

This issue of Industry Today focuses on women in manufacturing who are models for female achievement in STEM careers.

Helping U.S. Manufacturing Thrive in Manufacturing profiles two members of the ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute leadership team, which is 50% comprised of women, Suzy Teele, Chief Strategy Officer, and Lisa Masciantonio, Chief Workforce Officer. Helping women to thrive in manufacturing is important to Teele and Masciantonio, who have long been advocates for these roles, especially as advanced manufacturing technologies such as robotics and AI reduce the importance of physical strength in place of increased emphasis on problem solving, technical communication, and leadership skills.

In Raised by Women Redefining Normal, Olivia Morales, Senior Solutions Architect on the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Technology Team, writes about how women’s personal stories can inspire the next generation. Growing up, Morales says, “I feel lucky to have examples of strong women all around me, but no one was pointing them out to me as strong women. It was normal. It should be normal. It’s still not normal.”

Carolyn Lee, President and Executive director of the Manufacturing Institute (MI) describes how she has guided the organization’s growth and evolution, expanding its impact nationwide to strengthen the manufacturing workforce, change perceptions of manufacturing careers, and build a strong pipeline of skilled workers to close the industry talent gap.

Our regular industry coverage continues with an examination by Harry Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative®, in 2025 Reshoring Playbook: Turbulence, Tariffs, and Trump of how reshoring reduces import dependence, secures high-value supply chains vital to U.S. economic and national security, and mitigates risk.

Manufacturing continues to face a daunting labor shortage. Inspiring the Workforce of Tomorrow Through Education by Lauren Russell, Manager of Corporate Communications and Philanthropy at Nucor Corporation, discusses how manufacturers can build a reliable future workforce by connecting with K-12 students through various Discovery Education programs.

Speaking of the next generation of manufacturing, Lindsay Greene, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, writes about how the former naval shipyard now serves as an incubator for local new industries.

Last but not least are the company profiles: St. Mary’s Cement, Canadian manufacturer of high-quality cement products, woman-owned Rathburn Precision Machining, Midwest maker of machined metal components, and Eagle Picher’s Energetics business unit, a manufacturer of explosive and pyrotechnic devices.

In addition to the digital magazine, look for reporting on a weekly basis at industrytoday.com.

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