The Manufacturing Institute announced it will award Kristen Farmer, a Business Unit Quality Leader at Sealed Air’s Simpsonville, South Carolina facility, with the Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award. The organization annually honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in the manufacturing industry. Farmer is the fifth Sealed Air employee to receive this award.
Kristen Farmer Is Recognized for Leadership and Accomplishments in the Manufacturing Industry
(L to R) are Sealed Air employees Bill Anderson, Kristen Farmer, Jim Coyle and Dewitt Jones.
The Manufacturing Institute is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers.
STEP is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and production. The award is part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, which the Manufacturing Institute launched in 2012 tocelebrate women in the manufacturing industry who are making a difference through advocacy, mentorship, engagement, promotion and leadership.
Farmer has worked at Sealed Air for 20 years and currently manages the quality team that supports the extrusion, printing and laminating processes at the company’s Simpsonville location. The location is one of the world’s largest packaging manufacturing plants with more than 1,000 employees and 1.4 million square feet of operations. Packaging materials and systems for food and consumer products are made at the site.
“Kristen is an excellent example of the talented workforce we have behind our best-in-class packaging products,’’ said Emile Chammas, SVP & Chief Manufacturing and Supply Chain Officer. “We are proud of her accomplishments and are pleased she is being recognized within the manufacturing industry.”
“Being an honoree exemplifies that manufacturing is a career path with much opportunity and variety for women,” said Farmer. “One of the great benefits of working in manufacturing is you often handle products that people use and consume every day. You get the pleasure of knowing you made that.”
The Manufacturing Institute will recognize Farmer, along with 129 other recipients of the 2019 STEP Ahead Awards, at a reception April 11 in Washington, D.C. The awards program highlighted each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.
About Sealed Air
Sealed Air partners with customers to solve their most critical packaging challenges with innovative solutions that leave our world, environment, and communities better than we found them. Our portfolio of widely recognized brands includes Cryovac® food packaging and Bubble Wrap® protective packaging which respectively enable a safer, more efficient food supply chain and protect valuable goods shipped around the world. Sealed Air generated $4.7 billion in sales in 2018 and has approximately 15,500 employees who serve customers in 123 countries. To learn more, visit sealedair.com.
Submitted by: Christina Griffin, Public Affairs Manager
