(Cary, N.C. – Feb. 7, 2014) – LORD Corporation announced three of its employees received recognition from the Manufacturing Institute, at the second annual Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Awards program. Megan Agrafiotis, manufacturing engineering manager; Dr. J.P. Huang, senior staff scientist of chemical research; and Sharon Martin, director of global supply chain planning, were among the 160 recipients selected due to their significant achievements in manufacturing and demonstrating leadership and excellence.
The STEP Awards are part of a larger STEP initiative launched by the Manufacturing Institute, Deloitte, University of Phoenix and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The initiative examines and promotes the role of women in manufacturing through recognition, research and best practices for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent.
Agrafiotis earned the honor for her emphasis on improvements and efficiencies in manufacturing. She successfully led her manufacturing engineering group to $1.5 million in savings in less than a year and a half. She also completed 21 capital investment projects on-schedule and on-budget and led nine Green Belt projects for eight stream mapping events. Agrafiotis’ constant emphasis on improvements and efficiencies save resources, time, and ultimately money and have led to a highly successful track record.
Huang was selected for her work with cross-functional teams to design and create profitable products and for her efforts with clients and internal colleagues to learn market needs. Huang has been able to transfer her knowledge from concept to practice by working from a lab prototype to full scale production for customer applications. Her contributions helped enhance LORD structural adhesive lines. She is also a reviewer for the Journal of Adhesion, an alternate delegate for the Thermoset Resin Formulator Association (TRFA) and volunteers in her community.
Martin’s accomplishments in the aerospace industry include working across businesses with internal and external resources to enhance delivery, document processes, and ultimately enhance the bottom line. Over the last year she led a supply chain transformation project, which required co-locating 35 people from two plants, 250 miles apart for six months. Martin and her team exceeded on-time delivery goals and key customers have cited their scorecard as the benchmark. Additionally, she serves as a mentor and presenter in the LORD Career Foundations Program, a unique opportunity for employees to participate in a four- to six-month assignment to experience a wide diversity of activities, leaders and locations.
Honorees from more than 110 companies attended the STEP Awards ceremony on Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C. The event highlighted each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing. By telling the stories of these women, the organization hopes to inspire the next generation of talent to pursue careers in the industry and support current female talent within the manufacturing industry.
“We are honored to have three of our highest achieving team members recognized at the STEP Awards this year,” said Ed Auslander, LORD president and CEO. “We hope that their individual achievements will promote and further influence the important role of women in the manufacturing labor force.”
About LORD Corporation
LORD Corporation is a diversified technology and manufacturing company developing highly reliable adhesives, coatings, motion management devices, and sensing technologies that significantly reduce risk and improve product performance. For nearly 90 years, LORD has worked in collaboration with our customers to provide innovative aerospace, defense, automotive and industrial solutions. With world headquarters in Cary, N.C. and 2012 revenues in excess of $860 million, LORD has more than 2,900 employees in 25 countries and operates 15 manufacturing facilities and nine R&D centers worldwide. LORD actively promotes STEM education and many other community engagement initiatives where we work and live. For more information, visit http://www.lord.com.
