The Women's Leadership Networking Reception was held yesterday evening and had a great turnout. Kurt Riesenberg, SPFA Executive Director, stopped in to introduce himself and welcome everyone, then officially turned the event over to the women. "Thank you all for coming. Hopefully, we can make this grow every year, continuing on the upward track we've been on since the debut of the Women's Leadership Networking Reception two years ago."
The women at the reception shared some thoughts about women in the SPF business and tips for succeeding, in addition to some general feedback about Sprayfoam 2016.
>Laura Reinhard of Honeywell: "The amount of women you see here is a testament to women in this field. It's nice to see it's not a man's world! Now you see more women in the industry, and the industry is growing." Laura also mentioned that a Honeywell webinar, "Debunking the Myths of Spray Foam," has now had more than 250,000 views, which shows that architects want to get educated about SPF -- another good sign for the industry.
>Rose Huntington of I&S Insulation: "As a business, we are very interested and involved in the education process and like to keep up with all the new innovations at the seminars. We also like meeting other contractors who may be experiencing similar challenges and discuss new products with vendors."
>Tiffany Flam of Biofoam Inc.: "This year, there has been more international presence than I recall in previous years. I have met people from all over the world, such as Nigeria, U.S. Virgin Islands, Turkey, Ecuador, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, and Cayman Islands. SPFA is the centerpoint for international information!" Tiffany also said it is nice to "see the enthusiasm of the people entering the business."
>Jennifer Prytz of Graco in Minnesota: "I am looking forward to seeing what [Sprayfoam 2016] is all about. It is my first year to attend."
>Pamela Hibbard of United Thermal Systems in New York: "This show is good so far!"
>Chelsea Whitley of Spray Foam Systems recommended WBE certification, which is for women-owned businesses. "It is a pain to become certified, but it's worth it!" She said this qualifies them as a "minority" and helps them secure more military and government jobs.