Kull, Melbostad honored with STEP Ahead Award

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – The Manufacturing Institute has announced that Marcia Kull, vice president of marine sales for Volvo Penta of the Americas, and Lori Melbostad, president of Premier Marine, Inc., have been named two of the top women in U.S. manufacturing in 2016.

Last year, the Manufacturing Institute honored Chaparral’s Ann Baldree and Regulator’s Joan Maxwell with the STEP Ahead award.

Kull, Melbostad and the other honorees will be recognized at the 4th Annual Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award at a gala dinner on Apr. 21 in Washington, D.C. The STEP Ahead Awards celebrate those women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers in all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.

“These 130 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, executive director, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through a positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole. The STEP Ahead 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 leadership for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent.”

In its write-up about Kull, the Manufacturing Institute said, “Marcia’s primary responsibility is generating sales in a competitive territory that covers Canada to Panama and the Caribbean, but she is known at Volvo Penta as a positive change agent – one who is not afraid to seize the moment and mix things up when change is needed most.”

In its write-up about Melbostad, the Manufacturing Institute said, “Lori is a visionary executive leader with over 20 years of experience in the marine industry. She has an extraordinary cross-functional management background and has been involved in all aspects of manufacturing, sales, and product development. She has demonstrated her skill as a catalyst for positive change and has offered the leadership to provide continuous improvement.”

To see a full list of honorees, visit the Manufacturing Institute website.

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One Comment

  1. Congratulations to both of these outstanding women. I have had the honor of working for and with both of them during my career in the Marine Industry. They are two of the most hard working, talented, dedicated and innovative leaders that could receive this award. Thanks to both for you help and guidance.

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