Veronica Singh of Menges Roller has been nominated for the “Women in Manufacturing STEP Award” by The Manufacturing Institute. STEP stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Production, and the STEP Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C suite.

“The STEP 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 best practices for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent,” says Jennifer McNelly, president, The Manufacturing Institute. “These women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing. 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.”

On February 6, The Manufacturing Institute will recognize STEP Award recipients at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program will highlight each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.

At her current post Singh, who is the engineering estimator and purchasing manager at Menges Roller, has developed a strong reputation for being an expert in several key areas. She doesn’t just understand and negotiate pricing but also has a thorough understanding of the physical and metallurgic properties of each type of material used to make Menges’s line of rollers. According to the company, she has a vast and deep knowledge of cycle times, machine tool capabilities, CNC and manual lathes, MIG and TIG welding, and the dozens of elastometric rollcover compounds—from urethane to synthetic and rubber and silicone chemistries.

“Veronica is truly unbelievable. She is rock solid, and it’s not often that one sees a woman in machining, let alone manufacturing,” says Matt Menges, president of Menges Roller. “You don’t question Veronica because there’s no need to. She has either researched the topic or experienced it and will always make the correct decision. She knows laminating processes better than most engineers. She’ll take your best design and make it better. Mrs. Singh is a respected member of the Menges Roller Team, a company leader and a source of knowledge for peers and customers. She is not just a female working in a man’s world, she’s a leader in her industry, regardless of her gender.”

With thorough knowledge of shop floor processes, Singh knows what it takes to build and finish very complex components, such as double-shelled heat transfer rollers, and what design is best for each customer, whether they’re in the plastics, steel or paper industry.

Speaking about being nominated as an honoree, Singh says, “Growing up I never dreamed that manufacturing was in my future, and yet the essence of heavy industry from my hometown must have leeched into my bones. Seeing the potential of manufacturing and its adaptability in times of change never ceases to amaze and inspire me.”

Based in northeast Illinois, Menges Roller Company serves the plastics, paper, non-wovens and steel markets with high-performance industrial rollers. The company specializes in heat transfer rollers, large process rollers, and precision other rollers designed to help plants run faster and waste less.