Women in Manufacturing: Tyson Foods

Check out other Women in Manufacturing stories:
Demco Products
GKN
Safco Products

Danielle Massukado is an FSQA Manager at Tyson Foods, The Hillshire Brands in Storm Lake. A veterinarian working in the Food Industry for the last 20 years, Massukado has experience with beef, pork and poultry plants.

A mentor in her early career encouraged Massukado to make the world a better place through her skills acquired at Vet School, which sparked the idea to improve Food Safety and Quality of Animal Protein offered to the world.

“Being a woman in a male-dominated field can pose challenges, but it’s not as intimidating as you think – diversity makes good business sense,” says Massukado. “(The best part is) leading the way through my work in developing solutions to some of the greatest challenges around it – and by inspiring and encouraging more women to join the manufacturing workforce, since we are an important part of the solution to the industry’s workforce needs.”

“There are many opportunities in manufacturing business besides line paced jobs, and you can build and make a career out of it,” she shares. “There is so much room to grow.”

Tyson Foods HR Coordinator Genesis Miranda has worked her way up in the company, starting on the production line and moving up to her current position.

Miranda came to Tyson when she moved to Storm Lake and needed a steady income.

“I quickly learned that the manufacturing industry isn’t a scary place,” she says, “but rather a job that can become a career. When I realized that, I knew I wanted to grow within the company, and that is why I am in HR.”

When asked the best part about her job, Miranda shares, “I meet so many people with different walks of life. Every one of our Team Members has a different reason for why they come to work every day. But the best part would have to be helping those individuals realize that they can do so much more here.”

“Some of the people I admire most work right here, alongside me, continuously developing themselves and advancing in their career because they’re willing to put in the work.”

“GO. FOR. IT!!!” is Miranda’s message to those looking at manufacturing as a career option. “There are so many paths you can take towards success in this field of work. Although you may have to put in some work and ‘roll up your sleeves,’ this is a great place to advance in a multitude of different careers – not just HR!”

Kimberlie Bumgardner is the Environmental Manager at Tyson Foods. She’s worked in the environmental industry for 26 years in a variety of industries.

“I love spending time outside and traveling,” Bumgardner explains. “This career choice has given me the opportunity to do both. There are also many other positions that allow for a more regular schedule with minimal or no travel such as the position I am currently in with Tyson. The diversity of positions and promotions that are offered is why I have remained in the environmental field and manufacturing for so long.”

Bumgardner finds value in helping the people and companies in the manufacturing industry to find “comprehensive, creative and cost-effective ways to effectively maintain regulatory compliance and expand toward operating in a sustainable manner.”

She shares that there are opportunities for promotion, especially for those willing to put in the work and learn new things.

“Many manufacturers invest in their employees by providing training and higher education as they want to encourage hard-working, highly-motivated employees to stay with the company and become leaders in the industry.”