People: Katie Feser of Click Bond earns Women in Manufacturing STEP award

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Manufacturing Institute has announced it will award Katie Feser, production manager at Carson City-based Click Bond, with the Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead award.

According to a press release, the annual STEP Ahead 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.

On April 30, the Manufacturing Institute will recognize 130 recipients — including Feser — of the STEP Ahead Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C.

“Just being nominated by Click Bond was a huge honor,” Feser said in a statement. “I realized that it takes a village to make a leader. I attribute this to the continuous support of my abilities and mentorship by our team. It is through the Click Bond environment, which fosters professional development, that I was able to excel and make a difference.

“Reading through names of past recipients, it was inspiring to see the list of talented women in various facets of manufacturing. I am excited to attend the conference and bring back knowledge to impart and grow our team.”

According to the Manufacturing Institute, Feser was promoted in 2018 from Click Bond's sales organization to a role as production manager, overseeing the company's largest product lines.

"Right away, she knew her team would have to evolve to keep pace with the company's rapid growth," according to her bio on the awards website. "Rather than expanding the team significantly to tackle this challenge, as other managers might have done, Katie strengthened the existing team by prioritizing the development of its current members. This approach resulted in a more than 50 percent growth in output."

“It has been a pleasure to see Katie's growth as her career has progressed, from an attentive and professional account manager for our largest customer to learning and leading the manufacturing operations that deliver on the very commitments she previously made,” Click Bond president Karl Hutter said in a statement. “Katie is a model of the success that can be achieved when a smart, energetic person with a growth mindset is challenged and enabled.”

"Women are significantly underrepresented in manufacturing, and the industry is in the midst of a workforce crisis,” added Carolyn Lee, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute. “Closing the gender gap in the industry will go a long way toward closing the skills gap, empowering more women to join manufacturing's ranks and lifting the industry as a whole. The STEP Ahead Awards provide a platform to honor role models and motivate them to encourage the next generation of women in the manufacturing industry.

"The women being recognized are industry leaders — and inspirations to the women and girls who will follow their example and pursue careers in manufacturing.”