Meet Kari Adkins, the IT and Software and Electrical Controls Director at Friesen’s Incorporated. Friesen’s Inc designs and manufactures custom automated processing equipment for top fortune 500 food producing companies like Smithfield, Kraft, Hormel, BoarsHead, and Nestle. All Friesen’s products are designed according to the customers unique requirements, meaning they rarely build the same thing twice!
Adkins has been at Friesen’s for 9 years and to this day her favorite part of the job is working with automation. Adkins revived her degree in Information technology, took her first job in the industrial industry and has never looked back. She equates her love for the industry to the thrill of overcoming challenges. Adkin says:
“I want to stay in the automation industry. I want a fast-paced technology that allows me to stay on top of the latest and greatest innovations. I like challenges and being able to see the results”.
Overcoming challenges is exactly what her colleagues know her for. In recent years Adkins Designed a system with integration software for in-motion weighting with a print label application. Her system has the ability to measure accuracy within 1 gram. The system has since been featured and NTEP certified. (NTEP is a national certification by The National Weights and Measures. It is required for any weighing device that measures and sells based on the weighment it took. An example would be gas pumps, you pay per gallon. They have to be certified in order to sell the consumer gas. This certification process puts your device through a series of test to make sure that your device is accurate and can maintain accuracy over a period of time. )
Adkins understands that that the manufacturing can be uniquely challenging for women but has this to say:
“For women thinking of joining the industrial sector: Don’t be afraid of it because it is male-dominant.If you like a challenge and you want to specialize in your profession, it is a great industry to be in. For woman in the industry, stay on top of the technology and open your minds to new ways of accomplishing tasks. Don’t be afraid to try new things and don’t fall into “the rut”.”
SigmaNEST is excited to honor Kari Adkins as an “Outstanding Woman in Manufacturing” Her accomplishments speak for themselves and go-getter attitude is valued by so many!
Would you like to nominate a woman for her accomplishments within the industry? Nominate her here!