“ I think women , culturally , have been more driven into service industries , and I would encourage women to step outside that box . Be prepared to experiment and take the risk .”
Growing up , Lorie Symon doesn ’ t remember being asked if she wanted to be an engineer . The Aerometals president , who has always been systems and math inclined , recalls being asked instead if she wanted to be a nurse or accountant . She chose accounting , but nonetheless found her way to the field of engineering . “ I got there just by a totally different path ,” she says .
The El Dorado Hills-based Aerometals , Symon says , is an aerospace manufacturer that “ makes parts for things that fly .” ( Symon says she prefers simple , clear communication as she ’ s become accustomed to breaking down engineers ’ complex language and concepts .) “ We have a niche that we do for the Department of Defense in that we make very high-difficulty assembly parts in low quantities for older platforms ,” she says . “ Maybe they ’ ve stopped servicing a particular aircraft , but the Department of Defense is still flying that aircraft , so they need those parts . And that ’ s where we step in .” Aerometals specializes in prolonging the lives of older aircraft for companies like Boeing .
A Texas native , Symon received her bachelor ’ s in business administration in accountancy and taxation from the University of Houston and relocated to California for her husband ’ s job in 2001 . Symon , who joined Aerometals as controller in 2007 and was also executive director and vice president before becoming president in 2019 , drives Aerometals ’ strategic vision , company culture and business development .
During her first year as president , she began planning to expand the company ’ s products to the international market . “ I spent a lot of time on the Asian continent in 2019 ,” Symon says . “ Of course , 2020 brought international travel to an end for now , but hopefully we ’ ll pick back up . Becoming an exporter is a great way to help the California economy .”
Symon says she is dedicated to attracting , retaining and managing new talent because machinists are such a rare commodity . “ In manufacturing ,” she says , “ your people are your most important resource and asset .” The company invests up to two years to train and shape journeyman machinists to produce Aerometals parts .
Inspiring and recruiting young women is important to Symon , given the limited direction she had during her youth . She says that just 10 percent of Aerometals ’ 160 employees are women , a percentage she hopes to see gradually increase through her work with young women . “ Any opportunity I can get to speak to high school girls to encourage them to go into engineering or the sciences or manufacturing I take , because , knowing what I know now at the age of 54 , I should have been an engineer ,” she says . The first step in the process of hiring more women , she says , is making them aware that STEM-based careers are an option .
Symon considers her greatest accomplishment her commitment to creating a “ family like culture ” and “ work-life balance ” for Aerometals employees . Adopting a schedule where employees work Monday through Thursday 7 a . m . - 4:30 p . m . and Friday 7 a . m . -noon cuts down on absenteeism and allows employees more room for outside activities .
As a mother of four , Symon values balance herself . “ I worked really , really hard at my own career ,” she says . “ Obviously , here I am . But I also worked really hard at being a parent . And I think having lived that work-life balance myself is why it ’ s so important to me for the culture of our company .” Beyond efficiency , Symon sees the impact on employees ’ day-to-day happiness and satisfaction . “ People that walk through our facility will comment on how well our employees get along . ( Our culture ) creates a nice atmosphere to come to work every day .”
Vanessa Labi is a writer who specializes in culture , arts , lifestyle and personal essays . She shares cultural commentary , introspective pleasures and bummers , and links in her newsletter , The Vessel ( VanessaLabi . Substack . com ). On Instagram @ vanessa . labi .
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