Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Women make up only 1/3rd of the American manufacturing workforce, indicating a significant gender gap.
- Edlong employs 44% women and has female leaders as over half of its executive team.
- Laurette Rondenet, Edlong’s CEO, champions gender diversity and earned recognition as a Crains 2020 Notable Woman.
- Edlong supports initiatives that empower young women, such as the Young Entrepreneurs Association and Girls Inc.
Today, women represent only 1/3rd of the American manufacturing workforce. Manufacturing is a key component in the engine that drives the Illinois and U.S. economy forward. But when it comes to gender diversity, there is certainly room for improvement. Steps can be taken to remedy this situation, like hiring and training more women, or increasing the visibility of female leaders at all levels to help close this gender gap.
Edlong is not only committed to enacting positive change in this area, we take action on a daily basis to ensure a more balanced gender representation both within and outside our organization. The numbers speak for themselves: 44% of Edlong’s employees are women, and women comprise over half of our executive team. Edlong also helps close this gender gap through ongoing support of programs that educate and motivate young women to realize their potential as entrepreneurs, including the Young Entrepreneurs Association, Female Strong, Girls Inc., and a number of youth career days. “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” – words that inspire our President and CEO Laurette Rondenet, and motivate us to inspire others to see it, and be it.
This commitment is celebrated in the industry, and at Edlong it starts at the top; Laurette has led the firm to become the largest independent, certified women-owned flavor house in the world. It’s an accomplishment that has recently been acknowledged by Crain’s Chicago Business, as they have named Laurette among the 2020 Notable Women in Manufacturing.
To learn more about Laurette, Edlong, and others who are making a positive difference for women in the manufacturing sector, click here.
