OREANDA-NEWS. Power management company Eaton today announced that The Manufacturing Institute awarded Lauryn King, team leader, Assembly Technicians, Vehicle Group, Eaton, and Staci Kroon, executive vice president, Eaton Business System, the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award for their achievements in the manufacturing industry. The STEP 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.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by The Manufacturing Institute alongside a distinguished group of women who work tirelessly to achieve industry excellence and success for our customers,” said Kroon. “I am especially proud to be recognized with Lauryn King, one of Eaton’s best and brightest young employees who early in her professional career has demonstrated the kind of leadership qualities that embodies our values at Eaton.”

STEP Ahead is designed to help improve the retention of existing female talent and highlight role models that can help raise awareness about careers for women in manufacturing.  The Manufacturing Institute announced the recipients of the STEP Awards March 1, and will hold an awards reception on April 21 in Washington, D.C.

“These 130 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, executive director, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole. The STEP Ahead Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent.”

Eaton is a power management company with 2015 sales of $20.9 billion. Eaton provides energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton has approximately 97,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.