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.
