Monthly Archives: February 2017

Free expo, put on by Cerritos College, SELACO and hosted by Toolots, connected young women pursuing trades with successful tradeswomen, organizations seeking to expand educated workforce

CERRITOS, Calif. – Feb. 23, 2017 – More than 100 middle and high school students converged at Toolots headquarters in Cerritos Wednesday for the Women in the Trades, Logistics, Manufacturing and Engineering Expo. The event was an opportunity for dozens of young women from a range of school districts in Los Angeles County already pursuing the trades through their current coursework to interact directly with female engineers, construction workers and tradeswomen already successfully integrated in the industry. The expo was offered by the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO) and Cerritos College.

Los Angeles area schools from the ABC, Paramount, Downey and Whittier Unified school districts sent busloads of students to learn about real-world career opportunities directly from those who have successfully entered the industry during the free expo. A majority of students were from the high school level, but students from one Whittier middle school also attended.

Five panelists, including female senior engineers, an apprenticeship instructor and others involved in the trades as part of their day jobs, gave informative presentations on what it is like to actually work in a trades-related career. Students seized the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists, some who were in the same place as these middle and high school students years ago, inspiring many to pursue their careers of choice – whether through continuing education, pure dedication or an effective combination of both.

Toolots hosted the expo at its headquarters in Cerritos – a facility that includes a sprawling warehouse and various high-tech machines, ranging from the latest plastic injection molding machines and CNC automated devices to ever-popular cold cut saws, mills and lathes. The company agreed to host the expo after discussions with SELACO, the area workforce development group that strives to invigorate the region’s workforce and make direct connections with employers in a wide range of industries for young people, the unemployed and underemployed.

“We were more than happy to support SELACO and Cerritos College in promoting the entrance of women into the trades, a career path in increasingly high demand,” said Toolots Chief Operating Officer Raymond Cheng, calling the expo an absolute success. Toolots plans on having future discussions with multiple area school districts about setting up internships, job shadowing and/or educational programming to continue helping young women enter the industrial, manufacturing and engineering-related job space.

The expo was developed to help local female students have a better understanding of the industry, and it gave them a unique opportunity to meet one-on-one and connect with women who have successfully entered the trades. The expo organizers partnered with area school districts and their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs, as well as individual instructors and their classes, to draw a real-world connection between what they learn in the classroom and effective skills they can later put to use in a career.

Cheng and other speakers at the event referenced reports that industrial careers are some of the fastest growing occupations in the country – and some of the highest paying. Industrial and materials engineers, for example, earn an average hourly wage of more than $40 (between $84,000 and $91,000 annually), based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics findings from 2015. Deloitte, a UK-based multinational professional services firm that tracks and projects the outlook for a wide range of industries, is optimistic about United States manufacturing; according to their latest projection, American manufacturing “is likely to experience stronger growth in 2017 following multiple years of positive, but a subdued, rate of growth.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of available STEM jobs is on track to increase by an average of 14 percent by 2020. Some STEM-related careers, like biomedical engineers for example, are projected to grow by as much as 62 percent during the same time frame.

During the panel presentation and Q&A session, students heard personal stories from speakers on how the women entered the trades in the first place. Panelists described taking classes where they worked with their hands, and how satisfying it is to do what they love and get paid to do it. After the panels, students attended presentations reinforcing the girls’ self-esteem through a variety of group activities.  

“All young people should be prepared to think deeply and to think well so that they have the chance to become the innovators, educators, researchers and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing our nation and our world,” the Department of Education stated. Los Angeles area STEM programs are working hard to ensure young women and men feel they have equal access to this growing field, inspiring them to pursue continuing education and secure a career within the industry that demands more and more educated workers each year.

For photos taken during the event, visit our online photo gallery via Dropbox folder available here. If you’d like to download, share or publish these photos, feel free to do so and please credit Toolots Public Affairs.

Panel participants and speakers included:

• Ashley Davitt, senior design engineer with ACCO Engineered Systems in Orange County, whose work focuses on heating, ventilating and air conditioning design within commercial buildings. She oversees design, construction and commissioning of projects in offices, laboratories, schools and manufacturing centers. She graduated from California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and is a state-registered mechanical engineer in California.

• Jeanne Carnegie, a senior quality assurance engineer with Arconic Fastening Systems and Rings, deals with supplier management and works with IT programmers. She previously developed procedures with the Shimadzu Corporation for the manufacture of landing gears for planes, writing the manual for their operation. She has also worked in loss control engineering and developed an electronic system to collect information in the refinery and drilling industry.

• Lisette Cruz, a pre-apprenticeship instructor with the Bridging Outstanding Opportunities with Tradeswomen Skills and a member of The Sisters in the Brotherhood, works to help women enter into successful careers in the union carpentry trades. Through The Sisters of the Brotherhood, she conducts outreach to mentor women considering carpentry as a career, and men who have the same interest. Since 1990, Cruz has been a member of The Sisters of the Brotherhood and Joiners of America. She received diplomas in carpentry home building maintenance and welding.

• Mary Wall, director of operations at JMC2, where she provides clients with practical, innovative solution as a civil engineer. She began her career in structural engineering with Grossman & Speer Associates. She also managed numerous residential subdivision developments as a project manager for CTA Inc. and Lewis Homes, which was later acquired by KB Home. She managed the operations as 50 percent owner of DW Wall Construction Inc. and additionally, has conceived, designed, built and successfully run a restaurant, which she later sold. She has experience overseas coordinating the startup of a special needs school in China. She received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a Master’s of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California.

• Viridiana Hernandez, a graduate student in Cerritos College’s Engineering Design and Plastic/Composite Tool Design programs, and is finishing up her last year at California State University, Los Angeles to earn a degree in Industrial Technology. She works for Con-Tech Plastics, a plastic injection molding company located in Brea, and attends school full-time.

• Anais Maseda, seminar and training coordinator for Polishing the Professional, inspires young women to take on the challenge of fine-tuning their own personal drive towards their dreams. Polishing the Professional provides leadership, imaging direction and personal branding services to a variety of clients – from designing programs, hiring and evaluating staff to monitoring fiscal operations, according to its website.
• Carolyn Hines, a business owner, entrepreneur, career development program instructor and advisory board member for the Minority Worker Training Program, serves on various boards of directors in the Los Angeles area including as Vice President of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources Board of Directors, Vice President of the New Image Emergency Shelter for the Homeless Board of Directors. Hines has been at the helm of her own company, the Hines Hospitality Group, since June of 1992 and more than 23 years of experience in the industry.

About Toolots

Toolots, headquartered in Cerritos, California, offers an online marketplace and international distribution channel for factory-direct industrial tools, machinery, and technology. The user-friendly platform provides fast, easy access to high-quality, affordable equipment to manufacturers. Toolots’ comprehensive services streamline the purchase, delivery, installation and warranty of industrial technology, machinery and components, and uphold the quality of important goods through a vetted network of vendors and service technicians. The company’s dedication to fostering international trade relations passes on cost savings to the consumer, contributes to reduced downtime, improves productivity and expands a manufacturer’s reach. Toolots has strategically located warehouses, showrooms, and offices across the United States, as well as in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. For more information about Toolots, visit their website at www.toolots.com.

CERRITOS, Calif. - Feb. 23, 2017 - Toolots is pleased to announce the sale of the first United States manufactured product offered on our online marketplace, following the launch of our Made in USA network earlier this year. The sale was for a MS100 Media Separator, part of Cyclone Manufacturing’s dust collector line. Based in Southwest Michigan, Cyclone Manufacturing has over 40 years of experience and expertise in the industry and proudly engineers and manufactures sandblasting equipment and supplies. As a company we are excited to see our vendors succeed, and to delighted to know the manufacturing industry in the U.S. continues to grow.

Toolots is pleased to announce the addition of Atosa Catering Equipment Inc. products with Bolton Tools as their official licensed distributor to our E-Commerce marketplace. Based out of Southern California, Atosa manufactures refrigeration, food warmers, gas equipment, chafing dishes, and pans using stainless steel and the latest technological advances to provide products of the highest quality.  Atosa Catering Equipment Inc products are currently available on Toolots.com for sale to customers located domestically in the U.S. and internationally in China.

Atosa Catering Equipment provides top quality products at competitive prices that are environmentally safe for use in the foodservice industry, schools, hotels, and more. Additionally, all Atosa Catering Equipment products are manufactured with CFC-free refrigerants in their world class manufacturing facilities, completed by highly skilled employees.

Toolots is excited to offer our customers premiere refrigeration, gas equipment, and kitchen smallwares with the inclusion of Atosa Catering Equipment products through distribution by Bolton Tools. For purchasing information, visit Atosa’s marketplace on Toolots.com.

Toolots Hosts Free Expo Feb. 22 to Promote the Role of Women in U.S. Manufacturing, Trades and Related Industries

Toolots, an online distributor of factory-direct industrial machinery, equipment and technology, is hosting a free expo Feb. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., “Women in the Trades, Logistics, Manufacturing and Engineering.” The expo is a great opportunity for students to meet successful women who already work in the trades – a field that is growing nationally and is in need of a dedicated, educated workforce to bolster U.S. manufacturing.

The event is offered by the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO), Cerritos College and the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Linked Learning Consortium (AMETLL). Toolots is hosting the event at its headquarters, located at 16300 Shoemaker Ave. in Cerritos, Calif. 90703.

“We are happy to support SELACO and other partners in promoting the entrance of women into the trades, a career path that is in increasingly high demand,” said Raymond Cheng, Toolots chief operating officer. “The event was designed to help students better understand the industry, and give them a unique opportunity to meet one-on-one and connect with women who have successfully entered the trades.”

Student registration for the expo begins at 9:30 a.m. Toolots representatives will welcome the group of more than 100 students expected to attend. The day’s panel discussions, involving five women who serve as engineers, instructors, designers and more within the trades, start at 10:15 a.m.

Panel participants include:

• Ashley Davitt, senior design engineer with ACCO Engineered Systems in Orange County, whose work focuses on heating, ventilating and air conditioning design within commercial buildings. She oversees design, construction and commissioning of projects in offices, laboratories, schools and manufacturing centers. She graduated from California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and is a state-registered mechanical engineer in California.
• Jeanne Carnegie, a senior quality assurance engineer with Arconic Fastening Systems and Rings, deals with supplier management and works with IT programmers. She previously developed procedures with the Shimadzu Corporation for the manufacture of landing gears for planes, writing the manual for their operation. She has also worked in loss control engineering and developed an electronic system to collect information in the refinery and drilling industry.
• Lisette Cruz, a pre-apprenticeship instructor with the Bridging Outstanding Opportunities with Tradeswomen Skills and a member of The Sisters in the Brotherhood, works to help women enter into successful careers in the union carpentry trades. Through The Sisters of the Brotherhood, she conducts outreach to mentor women considering carpentry as a career, and men who have the same interest. Since 1990, Cruz has been a member of The Sisters of the Brotherhood and Joiners of America. She received diplomas in carpentry home building maintenance and welding.
• Mary Wall, director of operations at JMC2, where she provides clients with practical, innovative solution as a civil engineer. She began her career in structural engineering with Grossman & Speer Associates. She also managed numerous residential subdivision developments as a project manager for CTA Inc. and Lewis Homes, which was later acquired by KB Home. She managed the operations as 50 percent owner of DW Wall Construction Inc. and additionally, has conceived, designed, built and successfully run a restaurant, which she later sold. She has experience overseas coordinating the startup of a special needs school in China. She received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a Master’s of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California.
• Viridiana Hernandez, a graduate student in Cerritos College’s Engineering Design and Plastic/Composite Tool Design programs, and is finishing up her last year at California State University, Los Angeles to earn a degree in Industrial Technology. She works for Con-Tech Plastics, a plastic injection molding company located in Brea, and attends school full-time.

Following the panel discussions, two representatives from Manhattan Beach-based organization Polishing the Professional will lead a presentation, “Breaking Down the Barriers.” Davina Douthard, chief executive officer of Polishing the Professional, and her seminar and training coordinator, Anais Maseda, will lead the discussion at 11:30 a.m.

Polishing the Professional provides leadership, imaging direction and personal branding services to a variety of clients – from designing programs, hiring and evaluating staff to monitoring fiscal operations, according to its website. Douthard also leads the Davina Douthard Foundation, a 501c3 public benefit corporation.

From noon to 2 p.m., students will have an opportunity to meet individually with a wide range of companies within the trades. Students are free to ask company representatives questions, get to know more about what their organizations do, and make a lasting impression.

Find more information and the schedule of events for the Women in the Trades, Logistics, Manufacturing and Engineering Expo. Parking is available in the lots to the north and south of Toolots headquarters. This event was made possible with the support of SELACO, AMETLL California Career Pathway Trust Fund Grant and Cerritos College.

About Toolots

Toolots, headquartered in Cerritos, California, offers an online marketplace and international distribution channel for factory-direct industrial tools, machinery, and technology. The user-friendly platform provides fast, easy access to high-quality, affordable equipment to manufacturers. Toolots’ comprehensive services streamline the purchase, delivery, installation and warranty of industrial technology, machinery and components, and uphold the quality of important goods through a vetted network of vendors and service technicians. The company’s dedication to fostering international trade relations passes on cost savings to the consumer, contributes to reduced downtime, improves productivity and expands a manufacturer’s reach. Toolots has strategically located warehouses, showrooms, and offices across the United States, as well as in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. For more information about Toolots, visit their website at www.toolots.com.

Toolots is pleased to announce the addition of a new vendor, Diamond Tools International (DTI), to our E-Commerce marketplace and Global Commerce Services initiative. Based in Florida, DTI manufactures diamond blades, tooling supplies, and more for the industrial, construction, and natural stone fabrication industries. DTI’s products will be available on Toolots.com mid-February 2017 for sale to customers located domestically in the U.S. and internationally in China.

DTI’s products include blades, wheels, bits, and pads in quality diamond, granite, concrete, and more. DTI has roughly 30 years of experience in the industry and highly trained staff to assist in purchases and ensure each customer receives the right product for their job. DTI is proud to serve several government accounts including various State Department of Transports, Fire Departments, Military branches, and more.

Toolots is excited to offer our domestic and international customers diamond blades, tools, and accessories through the inclusion of Diamond Tools International. For purchasing information, visit Diamond Tools International’s marketplace on Toolots.com.

Toolots is pleased to announce the addition of a new vendor, Gorilla Concrete Tools, to our E-Commerce marketplace and Global Commerce Services initiative.

Based in Ohio, Gorilla Concrete Tools manufactures dustless concrete saws and crack chasers. Gorilla Concrete Tools’ products adhere to the latest OSHA rules and regulations. Additionally, all products manufactured by Gorilla Concrete Tools are made in the U.S.,and military tested and approved.Gorilla Concrete Tools’ products will be available on Toolots.com mid February 2017 for sale to customers located domestically in the U.S. and internationally in China.

Gorilla Concrete Tools’ concrete saws and crack chasers are electric powered to reduce fuel emission and cost, and specially manufactured to include a two inch dust portal to optimize dust control. All concrete saws and crack chasers are built with a heavy duty frame, handles with vibration dampeners, and easily adjustable depth knobs. Toolots is excited to offer our domestic and international customers dustless concrete saws, crack chasers, and accessories through the inclusion of Gorilla Concrete Tools. For purchasing information, visit Gorilla Concrete Tools’ marketplace on Toolots.com.