Blog

Spotlight on Women in Manufacturing: Angie Martin, Continuous Improvement Manager, Dot’s Pretzels

Tell us about Dot’s Pretzels.

Dot’s Pretzels is a one-of-a-kind family snack created many years ago by Dot in her home kitchen. Our pretzels are twists dusted with our top-secret seasoning blend that gives an undeniably amazing flavor – salty sweet, and tangy. You can find our manufacturing locations in North Dakota, Arizona, and Kansas.

How has Redzone helped you develop and advance your career?

I was introduced to Redzone right out of the gate at Dot’s – we started the install during my first few months on the job. As a Continuous Improvement Leader, it has been invaluable to help me understand where the opportunities are to improve our efficiencies and reduce downtime. It also helped us establish a baseline in the new plant that we started up with Redzone at the end of 2020 and allowed us to accelerate the start up of packaging lines. Redzone is now a mainstay at Dot’s – we’ve implemented the software in 75% of our facilities, which has enabled us to have a common language across plants, employees, and leadership. We’re excited to get the last facility up and running over the next few months.

Can you talk about your experience as a female leader?

I’ve worked in manufacturing my entire 20+ year career. I’m proud to say Dot’s boasts more women in leadership than most companies – in my previous roles, it wasn’t uncommon for me to be the only woman in the room. It was intimidating to me at first, but I learned not to be afraid to make my point. I think women are better at trying to find a middle ground when conflict arises, and it’s easier for women to set aside egos.

I’ve mentored many young women through the years, serving on a board at my college alma mater and working with women in engineering, supply chain, and operations management to help prepare them for obstacles or issues they may face when starting a job in a male-dominated workforce. It’s been fun for me to watch these young women flourish. I remember one, in particular, was shy and quiet in meetings at the beginning of her career. She had great ideas but never shared them. I spent a lot of time helping her prepare for presentations and meetings to raise her confidence. She became a powerhouse and started commanding a room of 20+ men!

I also let them know that they have to develop thick skin to thrive in a manufacturing environment. I was lucky to have a tough female manager in my first job. She didn’t take flack from anyone, and she always tried to approach things with data and logic, which is something that I now carry on in my day-to-day life. And Redzone enables me to have the information to eliminate the unnecessary emotions that can be attached to production issues.

Are there any misconceptions about working in the industry that you’d like to debunk?

It’s no secret that manufacturing is viewed by many as a less-than-desirable job. I can tell you that through the years, I’ve had the chance to work with brilliant, hard-working people who are also just a lot of fun. This job isn’t for everyone, and can be distinctly tough for women, but if you have the desire to be a part of something with tangible results that you can see being produced every day, you should consider manufacturing. Food manufacturing, especially, as people will always need to eat!