She's all that

Women have lots to offer the printing and converting industries. But first they must be made aware of the opportunities.

By Associate Editor Holly Ann Suzik -- Converting Magazine, 4/1/2001

It's Monday, 7:30 a.m., and Lesia Robertson is at her Chicago home getting her two kids ready for school, after working an 8-hr. night shift as a printing press operator. In an hour, she is due at school herself, attending training in flexography. The single mom wedges a couple hours of sleep in between helping her daughter with homework, cooking dinner and her next shift.

Robertson soon earns her flexography certification from the DiTrolio Flexographic Institute, Inc., Broadview, Ill. With eagerness in her voice, she says she loves the training and brings a deep dedication to it. Although life is hectic, a surprisingly calm Robertson looks to the future and laughs, "I hope I get a day job."

Untapped resource

Introducing women like Robertson to converting can help ease the worker shortage. She and her female peers bring loyalty, multi-tasking and organization abilities to positions ranging from management to the shop floor. First, however, women must be made aware of opportunities, says Kathy Castner, DiTrolio's director of admissions. She recruits women by talking at local high schools about all the industry has to offer women, including starting pay at $10 to $14 hourly.

Castner isn't alone. Jane Dirr, president and owner, Specialty Films and Associates, Inc. (Hebron, Ky.), agrees, "The opportunities aren't in front of people like they could be. This is the last thing I thought I would be doing when I was 21 years old. I don't think it's a traditional career path for a woman." Dirr believes it's unusual for her to be in the business, yet feels it is no more difficult for females to move up the ladder than for men. Attributing her own success to confidence and a dogged work ethic, she says, "It's not a male/female issue. It's about personal ambition and expectations."

JoAnn Hines, founding executive director, Women in Packaging, Inc. (Kennesaw, Ga.), started her career in 1976 as the only woman in 150 sales reps for a Fortune 500 company. While things are different today, Hines says women still aren't pursuing industry jobs, which are perceived as unglamorous by both men and women. But females think the opportunities are nonexistent, and some companies keep their doors shut. "It's on both sides of the coin: The women aren't pursuing the jobs because they think the doors are closed. The companies aren't pursuing the women because they haven't opened their doors," Hines says.

Providing incentives

As women become disenchanted with corporate America's rigidity, companies of all sizes are making frenzied efforts to lure and keep them. One way is with female-friendly benefits. Childcare, maternity leave, care for elderly parents, flextime and telecommuting can appeal to primary caretakers assessing their job options. Hines comments, "If you want to attract the top-talented women, you must have programs of interest to them."

A win-win situation results from female-friendly policies. Suzanne Zaccone, president of Graphic Solutions, Inc. (Burr Ridge, Ill.), provides flexibility for all employees with families. For instance, when a sales rep was at the end of maternity leave, but still hadn't found the right nanny, Zaccone gave her time to telecommute and find someone with whom she was comfortable. In return, Graphic Solutions receives dedication and passion for the job. "A happy mom or dad is also usually a happy and committed member of our team," Zaccone says. "Any mom, who also has a job, knows that for her to maintain sanity, she must be organized. They have to consolidate their efforts and make the most of their time. Some of the finest members of our team are moms."

Skill diversity

During the 10 years Jo Anne Forman has been president of Boyertown, Pa.-based Sealstrip Corp., she's seen an interesting gender-related phenomenon. Every male who has spliced 2-mm wide material has either quit the job or transferred to a larger slitting machine. Conversely, the women on the larger machine switch to the smaller one. The slitters are side-by-side with the same supervisor, so the only factor is comfort level, as each of the sexes offers diverse proficiencies.

"Women offer a different skill-set than their male counterparts," says Annette Comer, president, Martech (Covington, Va). She and others reiterate that many women are detail-orientated, often having a superb eye for color. A hands-on approach, flexibility and creativity are also characteristic. Comer says women view the world differently from men, bringing vital diversity to companies. "The converting industry is so competitive. The companies that survive are the ones that learn how to use all their resources. Lots of times our fears get in the way, but the world is changing very quickly. Are you going to minimize change or force change?"

Herself running a business comprised of three men and three women, Forman says that companies should go out of their way to have women managers. Otherwise, businesses can become stagnant. She comments on the importance of diversity: "It's important for any company to have a diversity of opinion and experiences brought to the decision-making table. If everyone is the same, you'll all see things the same way. That's not healthy for any company."

Having visited hundreds of printing companies worldwide, Jennifer Dochstader, founder and managing director of Lambertville, N.J.-based LPC, Inc., and editor of Labels and Labeling Latin America , constantly notices that the Lesia Robertsons of the world are few. When Dochstader sees a female press operator, she comments to the company owner or vice president giving the tour. Without fail they respond, "She's my best one."

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