MAKING BRAKES, BREAKING THE MOLD
HOW HAYES BRINGS WOMEN INTO MANUFACTURING Given the demographic stereotypes that have long been associated with manufacturing, you might expect a company that makes braking systems for mountain bikes, motorcycles and military transport trucks to have a largely male workforce.
// By Chris Jenkins Director of Communications, MMAC
But walk onto the shop floor at Hayes Performance Systems in Mequon, and you might be in for a surprise. At last count, 44 percent of Hayes’ production floor workers were female. The team that runs Hayes’ operations includes a female value stream manager, engineering manager and manufacturing supervisor. A former Hayes employee was the first woman in the country selected for the Industrial Manufacturing Technician registered apprenticeship program with encouragement from her female supervisor.
I've been in manufacturing for 20-plus years. It's all I know, so I love it. Jody Stimps - Value Steam Manager, Hayes' Power Sports & motorcyle divisions As manufacturers face a talent crunch and are taking steps to attract more female employees, Hayes has a significant head start. In fact, when you talk to current Hayes employees — you get the impression that the company’s 16 |
Milwaukee Commerce, FALL 2019
male-female balance is so ingrained that they don’t see it as abnormal. “They don’t,” said Lou Ann Koval, Hayes’ vice president of human resources and general counsel. “It is normal.” Jody Stimps, value stream manager for Hayes’ power sports and motorcycle divisions, grew up in a household where both parents worked in manufacturing. So she was aware of the opportunities that exist. That isn’t necessarily the case for female employees who come to Hayes from previous jobs outside manufacturing, but it doesn’t take long for any stigmas to fade away. “They’re a little bit surprised – ‘I’ve never done this before, but I can do this,’” Stimps says. “And it’s a fun environment. I’ve been in manufacturing for 20-plus years. It’s all I know, so I love it. But, I think it surprises a lot of people that it’s not as difficult as it may seem.” Dark, dirty and dangerous? “Definitely not the case!,” Stimps says.
Koval and Timothy Hake, Hayes’ director of human resources, say there are several factors in Hayes’ appeal to women. They work largely with small parts, emphasizing precision over heavy lifting. They have a clean working environment, a culture that allows for flexibility and career advancement, and the presence of female leadership. “Once you get more women in management, it’s easier to start building upon that until you reach that critical mass where we don’t really recognize it any more,” Hake says.
Finding a home in manufacturing
Tracy Papp was working for a house cleaning company when someone she knew told her about Hayes, and then helped her get hired. She started off in assembly, then entered a two-year apprenticeship program that exposed her to several other departments at Hayes – including one that caught her interest, machining.
