What Do Passion, Initiative and Flexibility Have in Common? A Career in Manufacturing

Some people come to a job in manufacturing with a mindset that they are just there to do the day-to-day work. Others come with the mindset of making it a lifelong career and strive to solidify themselves as a meaningful member of the team. Renee Rossow embodied the latter to the fullest. Renee retired last week from WCCO and, during her retirement celebration, she mentioned she always felt like she was supposed to be in manufacturing. I sat back and listened to the way she spoke about her journey while also thinking about the path she took to get here.

Manufacturing careers are often thought of as operating a piece of equipment, making the product, and packing it to ship, but there are so many more possibilities – everything from quality, safety, and purchasing to accounting, HR, sales and customer service positions. For some, working on the line is exactly what they want to do, which is great. Like any good sports team, we need players in different positions and for the people in each position to own that role. But we also need people who want the additional responsibilities – those who want to grow and develop and take on more. Many discount the potential for lifelong careers at a manufacturing facility simply because they don’t fully understand the opportunities that exist. Renee’s career path is a good example.

Renee started with the Shorma businesses back when my father owned and operated Primewood – a wood cabinetry manufacturer – where she met her husband of 40+ years. She joined the company in an entry-level position and quickly started learning the business and processes, soon evolving them into something far greater than she ever would’ve imagined.?

Eventually, she became an expert on veneers and all Primewood products. My dad could see her enthusiasm and desire to learn more, so he took her under his wing and developed her as a veneer selector. She traveled all over the country to select veneers – first alongside my dad, and then eventually on her own, splitting up the country and Canada with my dad and reporting back.d

After that company sold and trying a few different things, she moved to WCCO Belting. Given her technical background in the veneer world, she had to take on some additional learning – but she was up for the task. As my father says, at some point, good people who show they want to put in the work are given opportunities to advance. And she was. Soon after, she went to the quality department as a quality technician, where remained a chief employee in the team for 13 years.

Without any formal training or education, most of what Renee learned throughout her time at Primewood and WCCO was through internal development as the company grew and she remained committed to her advancement opportunities. Through all of Renee’s positions – from entry level to retirement – she always took the initiative and worked with the team to identify what she was passionate about and ensure she would be successful in what she did.

Renee brought more to the organization than simply her technical skills – she truly embodied WCCO’s family-friendly culture, even earning the nickname ‘work mom’ around the office. She is known at WCCO for her voluntary birthday announcements on the loudspeaker (derived from a special calendar she managed herself), giving out candy and, most importantly, her kindness, smiles and hugs. She truly embraces the WCCO employee value proposition of how loving where you work begins with the people you work with.

Renee has also spread her joy of a career in manufacturing to her own family. Her daughter started a year ago and is the welcoming smile and warm personality at the front desk. Her niece also began in an entry-level office position and has worked her way up to an indirect purchasing/safety manager role – leading the charge for WCCO’s safety program.

In my mind, it all goes back to what we tell any new employee – you may start in one role, but if you’re willing to learn and take initiative, you’ll have all the opportunities you could want to grow, move and advance. Manufacturing careers can take a variety of paths. Sometimes, the first path isn’t exactly what you want, but if you’re in with a good company that’s looking to help you advance and find the right fit, you can have a long, successful career in manufacturing.

Cumulatively, Renee has been with the Shorma family for 30 years! To say she will be missed is an understatement, but we anticipate we’ll see her back here frequently. We’ve already invited her back as our second ambassador (my dad still gets to hold the Ambassador #1 title), so she’s welcome to visit any time to give us feedback on how we’re doing. In the meantime, there are some mighty big shoes to fill!?

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