Manufacturing Month: Spotlight on the Women at the Plate “Meet K2”
Three things that are highly valued at Willington Nameplate include having a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and staying open to learning new things.
Kathy “K2” Bangs exemplifies each of these qualities and continues to grow in her position as Inspection and Shipping lead. (She was nicknamed K2 in her previous job to differentiate her from her boss, also named Kathy, and it stuck!)
K2 brings a can-do attitude to work every day. As the lead of two key departments, her assertiveness helps drive the company’s OTD goals each day. Members of her teams count, inspect, and ship thousands of parts each week. Keenly aware that these parts are critical to aerospace and defense missions and automotive assemblies, and come with quality compliances at every turn, K2 stays on top of her team to ensure key deadlines are met and customers have an effortless experience.
When asked if she would have imagined herself working in manufacturing as a woman 20 years ago, she says, “No! I was a stay-at-home mom. I had limited business experience when I started.”
It wasn’t long after joining WNP that classes and training were offered to her, including courses with top aerospace companies such as Sikorsky, which built up her skills and confidence. To women considering a career in manufacturing, she would tell them not to hesitate or second-guess themselves. As a department lead, K2 supports other women at the plant who step into leadership positions by encouraging them every step of the way.
“Manufacturing may still be perceived as a male-dominated field, but looking around the production floor today, you can see that’s not true.”
Her supervisors acknowledge that it’s the combination of a strong work ethic, positive attitude, and teachable mindset that makes K2 such a valuable team member of the company.
To learn more about careers at Willington Nameplate, click here.