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Meyer Tool & Mfg., Inc.’s Cindy Dyrda Recognized with Women in Manufacturing STEP Award
February 27, 2013
Meyer Tool & Mfg., Inc. is proud to announce that our welder, Cindy Dyrda, was recognized by The Manufacturing Institute, Deloitte, University of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers with a Woman in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Award for her excellence and leadership in manufacturing. Ms. Dyrda joins 121 other woman honorees, representing all levels of manufacturing from the factory floor to the C Suite.
“We are thrilled that Cindy’s contributions to Meyer Tool were recognized by this important new initiative,” said Eileen Cunningham, President. “Cindy is a long term member of our team, dedicated to Reducing Project Risk by providing solutions that achieve the lowest total cost of ownership for customers who are building one of a kind, first generation, or concurrent engineered projects for the high energy physics community and cutting edge industry. These customers depend on our ability to understand even the most complex requirements and develop fabrication solutions to ultimately deliver quality “plug and play” components. Cindy is dedicated to making this happen. Welding is one core competence of our organization, and she holds some of our more stringent weld certifications. She enjoys sharing her passion for manufacturing with others, whether being involved with Meyer Tool’s “Bring your Kid’s to Work” Day, our partnership with Science Chicago, or working to train new employees. Because of her diligence, solution oriented perspective and exceptional hands-on capabilities, we depend on her help to successfully build the impossible!”
“These 122 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, President, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”
The STEP Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative launched by The Manufacturing Institute, Deloitte, University of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and best practices for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent.
“The STEP Ahead initiative was founded to change perceptions of the manufacturing industry and create new opportunities for women in the sector,” said Latondra Newton, group Vice President at Toyota Motor North America, Inc. and Chairwoman of the STEP Ahead initiative. “This initiative is the call for action to transform the face of today's manufacturing talent and ensure that women can contribute to the future of this industry.”
A 2011 survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that nearly 70 percent of American manufacturing companies have a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers. Manufacturing companies cannot fill as many as 600,000 skilled positions, even as unemployment numbers hover at historically high levels. Additionally, labor statistics show that women are underrepresented in the manufacturing workforce and in manufacturing leadership ranks --- a situation that must be reversed to preserve and grow the industry.
On February 5, The Manufacturing Institute and its STEP Ahead initiative partners recognized the 122 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program highlighted each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing. Cindy attended the event with her mother along with Meyer Tool President, Eileen Cunningham, another outstanding woman in manufacturing. “The day was really wonderful,” said Ms. Dyrda. “It was inspiring to interact with a room full of such accomplished women from all over the country. This was a rare opportunity for all of us, and I enjoyed it very much.”
View the list of STEP Honorees.
“We are thrilled that Cindy’s contributions to Meyer Tool were recognized by this important new initiative,” said Eileen Cunningham, President. “Cindy is a long term member of our team, dedicated to Reducing Project Risk by providing solutions that achieve the lowest total cost of ownership for customers who are building one of a kind, first generation, or concurrent engineered projects for the high energy physics community and cutting edge industry. These customers depend on our ability to understand even the most complex requirements and develop fabrication solutions to ultimately deliver quality “plug and play” components. Cindy is dedicated to making this happen. Welding is one core competence of our organization, and she holds some of our more stringent weld certifications. She enjoys sharing her passion for manufacturing with others, whether being involved with Meyer Tool’s “Bring your Kid’s to Work” Day, our partnership with Science Chicago, or working to train new employees. Because of her diligence, solution oriented perspective and exceptional hands-on capabilities, we depend on her help to successfully build the impossible!”
“These 122 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, President, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”
The STEP Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative launched by The Manufacturing Institute, Deloitte, University of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and best practices for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent.
“The STEP Ahead initiative was founded to change perceptions of the manufacturing industry and create new opportunities for women in the sector,” said Latondra Newton, group Vice President at Toyota Motor North America, Inc. and Chairwoman of the STEP Ahead initiative. “This initiative is the call for action to transform the face of today's manufacturing talent and ensure that women can contribute to the future of this industry.”
A 2011 survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that nearly 70 percent of American manufacturing companies have a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers. Manufacturing companies cannot fill as many as 600,000 skilled positions, even as unemployment numbers hover at historically high levels. Additionally, labor statistics show that women are underrepresented in the manufacturing workforce and in manufacturing leadership ranks --- a situation that must be reversed to preserve and grow the industry.
On February 5, The Manufacturing Institute and its STEP Ahead initiative partners recognized the 122 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program highlighted each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing. Cindy attended the event with her mother along with Meyer Tool President, Eileen Cunningham, another outstanding woman in manufacturing. “The day was really wonderful,” said Ms. Dyrda. “It was inspiring to interact with a room full of such accomplished women from all over the country. This was a rare opportunity for all of us, and I enjoyed it very much.”
View the list of STEP Honorees.
