Women Leaders at Pella Corporation Recognized for Excellence in Manufacturing

Two Pella Corporation team members have been recognized as 2023 Women MAKE Awards honorees and Emerging Leaders. Laura Philips, Director of Engineering for Pella Corporation, and Madison Benson, Production Manager at Pella’s Macomb, Illinois manufacturing plant, have been named Honoree and Emerging Leader, respectively. 

The annual national awards program is part of The Manufacturing Institute’s Women MAKE America initiative. The awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.

Laura Phillips, Women MAKE Awards Honoree, leads engineering and innovation in her role as Director of Engineering. Phillips founded Pella’s Women in Engineering (WE) community, where she helped create a structured network for women to navigate their careers and now serves as a mentor to many of the members. Under her guidance, Pella has tripled the number of females in engineering roles. Phillips’ positive impact also reaches outside of the company, as she is an active member of Iowa State University’s Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program. As a finalist for Pella’s Joan Kuyper Farver Spirit Award, she named WiSE as the recipient of a $10,000 grant that accompanied the honor.

“It’s an honor to represent women in manufacturing,” said Phillips. “Pella has been so supportive of our efforts to bring more female talent into the industry. I’ve seen firsthand the immense value women bring to this industry, and I know they can have rewarding careers within manufacturing and engineering.”

Madison Benson, Women MAKE Awards Emerging Leader, oversees over 200 team members producing vinyl windows at Pella’s Macomb plant. Her leadership was instrumental in a major wood-to-vinyl transition at the plant that led to creating nearly 150 jobs and integrating over 100 pieces of new equipment. Because of her leadership, Madison was chosen to play a key role in during the launch stages of one of Pella’s newest plants in Reidsville, North Carolina.

“I take pride in being part of a company that enables women of all walks to challenge societal norms through being bold and competitive in leadership roles within non-traditional professions. Identifying talent, building confidence, and inspiring one another to accept this challenge has been the most rewarding aspect of leadership. I’m proud of the work that I’ve been able to do within Pella and the incredible teams I get to work with,” said Benson. “I want other women to know that they can have exceptional careers at Pella and in manufacturing.”

On April 20, the MI will recognize Phillips and Benson as two of 130 recipients of the Women MAKE Awards in Washington, D.C. The evening will highlight each Honoree and Emerging Leader’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.

To learn more about a career at Pella visit, pella.com/about/careers/.

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About the Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute builds, diversifies and strengthens the modern manufacturing workforce, with the goal of furthering individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. The MI engages underrepresented communities and shifts perceptions about careers in modern manufacturing, leads skilled training and career development programs, provides thought leadership and research on the changing state of the workforce and builds partnerships to scale up its impact on manufacturing in the United States. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions for the industry’s toughest challenges. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.