Calico Coatings introduces a new general manager, Jennifer Jenkins, as of May 2019. Jennifer is a strong co-worker, mother, wife, sister, friend, volunteer and so much more. Being an employee of Calico for more than 13 years, Jennifer has obtained the needed knowledge to truly understand the ins and outs of the manufacturing processes at Calico.
For Jennifer, Calico has always been about the people. The relationships that she has built at work have become so close they are like a second family. Jennifer began working at Calico part time as a bearing technician. There, with the help of Annette Lunsford, her first supervisor, she learned how to work in a high-performance environment as a team member, quality inspector, and order processor.
When Jennifer first started working at Calico, being a woman in manufacturing was rare. Only four females worked at Calico at that time, none of which were in a leadership role. However, times have changed and there are currently 11 women employed at Calico, five of whom are in leadership positions.
In 2011, she started working in Shipping and Receiving where she learned a broader range of the manufactured parts that Calico was coating, the processes required, the coatings themselves, and the beginnings of the customer service side of the business. By 2012, Jennifer was a customer service and sales support representative where she quickly learned the tendencies of Calico’s customers’ business needs. It was during this period that she was able to truly immerse herself in the ideology of the company—The Calico Way: understanding their customers’ business challenges and working with them to customize coating solutions that meet their needs. Jennifer had the privilege of working from the back end to the front end of the company, gaining valuable insight along the way that would aid in her current role as general manager.
Becoming general manager wasn’t Jennifer’s plan. She didn’t initially see the potential that others working around her saw. However, midway through her career she started to recognize her success as she had gradually chosen to take on more responsibility and leadership. General manager then became a personal objective for her. “The biggest thing I have learned working at Calico, with the help of my colleagues, is my own potential,” said Jennifer. “I am blessed, and I am grateful for the opportunity Gary gave me in 2006 to join the Calico team and for the leadership role Tracy has trusted me with today.”
The greatest challenge that Jennifer has faced in the manufacturing environment is her gender. She learned early on that she needed to be over-prepared for every circumstance she would encounter. This involved learning from those around her and from previous circumstances as well as further research when needed. The advice that she would give to any woman in an entry level or leadership role in a male dominant environment is, “You have to learn early on that it’s a struggle to gain trust and the respect of your customers and colleagues. You gain that respect and trust when you continually fulfill your promises and make it your goal to successfully solve their problems. So, spend the time learning from others around you, have mentors, read materials related to your industry, know your environment, know the applications and the process. If you have knowledge, you will succeed. Before you try and change the game, you have to know the game,” Jennifer says.
Jennifer plans to continue growing within Calico as a leader and to promote growth opportunities for other personnel. She also plans to work closely with the sales team and customers as Calico continues to transition from a small to a large business – ensuring that their customers’ needs are continuously met to the best of their ability. This has always been the #1 priority for Calico and will continue to be the driving force in their decisions as they move forward.