3rd STEP Ahead Award Recognizes 130 Women for Excellence in Manufacturing

RACINE, Wis., Feb. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Manufacturing Institute announced today that it will award Juliana Van Winkle with the Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award and Brittany Gianesini with the STEP Ahead Emerging Leader Award.  Ms. Van Winkle is Quality Systems and Supplier Quality Engineering Manager, operating out of Modine's headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.  Ms. Gianesini is Human Resources Supervisor for Modine's Buena Vista, Virginia manufacturing facility.  These STEP awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production throughout their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite. 

"We are thrilled that the Manufacturing Institute recognized Juliana and Brittany's significant contributions to Modine," said Thomas A. Burke, Modine's President and CEO.  "Juliana has been with Modine for twelve years, more than half of which she spent in various engineering and quality positions in Modine manufacturing facilities.  In her current role, Ms. Van Winkle is responsible for ensuring the quality and leading the continuous development of Modine's broad supply base.  Ms. Gianesini joined Modine's corporate Human Resources department in 2011, and since 2013 has worked directly to support the diverse human resources needs of one of our busiest manufacturing operations.  These STEP awards acknowledge Juliana and Brittany's hard work, dedication and constant pursuit of excellence in the critical field of manufacturing."

"These 130 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing," said Jennifer McNelly, president, The Manufacturing Institute.  "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.  The STEP awards are part of a larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry that focuses on the attraction, development, advancement and retention of high potential female talent."

A recent study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute found that 80 percent of U.S manufacturing companies report a moderate to severe shortage of qualified applicants for skilled and highly skilled production positions.  STEP Ahead is designed to help improve the retention of existing female talent and highlight role models that can help raise awareness about careers for women in manufacturing.  Currently, women represent 25% of all manufacturing employees but 51% of the potential workforce.

On March 26, The Manufacturing Institute will recognize 130 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program will highlight each Honoree's story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.

About Modine

Modine (NYSE:MOD), with fiscal 2014 revenues of $1.5 billion, specializes in thermal management systems and components, bringing highly engineered heating and cooling technology and solutions to diversified global markets. Modine products are used in light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, off-highway and industrial equipment and refrigeration systems. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (USA), with operations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.  For more information about Modine, please visit www.modine.com and www.modinehvac.com.

About the Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is the 501 (c) 3 affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge information and services to the nation's manufacturers. The Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification, and development of world-class manufacturing talent. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org

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SOURCE Modine Manufacturing Company

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