The path to leadership in manufacturing and construction-related industries is rarely a straight line. For women and young people considering careers in these fields, the journey of Sandra Garby, co-founder, president, and vice president of operations for Vizinex RFID, offers practical lessons in resilience, adaptability, and professional growth. Her story resonates strongly with the broader trends of young homebuyers return people under 35 re entering the workforce and seeking stable, rewarding career paths in industries that have traditionally been male-dominated. Garby’s experience demonstrates that success in manufacturing and technical fields is achievable for anyone willing to embrace continuous learning and calculated risk-taking.
From Engineer to Entrepreneur: A Career Built on Adaptability
Garby’s professional journey did not follow a predetermined path to the president’s office. After graduating with a degree in Ceramic Engineering, she began her career as a technical service engineer at Heraeus Inc., developing thick film materials for the hybrid microelectronics industry. Her role involved working directly with customers to approve new products and troubleshoot problems, building a foundation of technical expertise and client relationship management that would serve her throughout her career.
The Pivot to Business Management
Garby’s plans of advancing through the engineering ranks took an unexpected turn when she became interested in the business management side of the company. She wanted to understand why certain decisions were made about projects, which customers to pursue, and what investments to prioritize. Rather than staying strictly within her technical lane, she pursued an MBA and eventually took a role at Engelhard Corporation running their Electronic Materials Systems business unit.
This transition from purely technical work to business leadership is a pattern worth examining closely.
- Technical expertise opens doors. Her engineering background gave her credibility and problem-solving skills that proved invaluable in management.
- Business acumen creates opportunities. The MBA equipped her to think strategically about markets, investments, and organizational priorities.
- Cross-functional experience builds resilience. Working across technical and business domains made her more adaptable when the unexpected happened.
Entrepreneurship Born from Adversity
After nine years at Engelhard, Garby was laid off during a company downsizing. This setback, rather than ending her career trajectory, became the catalyst for her entrepreneurial journey. A former colleague approached her about bringing a flexible circuit technology to market, and together they founded RCD Technology.
While RCD secured venture capital investment and landed major contracts, the company ultimately struggled to gain market share and shut down operations in 2012. However, the management team believed strongly in one product line: the hard asset tag. They purchased the assets associated with that product line and launched Vizinex RFID. The platform allowed them to optimize products for specific customer applications, and the company achieved significant growth over the following eight years.
Navigating Male-Dominated Industries with Confidence
Garby’s experience as a female leader in manufacturing and technology provides valuable perspective for women entering similar fields. When asked about being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she offers a refreshingly pragmatic response: running day-to-day operations, the only thing that matters is staying on track to meet customer expectations. She finds that being responsive, communicative, and confident in your work transcends gender dynamics entirely.
Overcoming Explicit Barriers
Garby recalls two specific challenges early in her career, both at Heraeus in the late 1980s. The company had a sales office in Japan that requested technical support specifically for the product line she handled. Her boss was advised not to send her because customers would likely not accept a female technical expert. While disappointed, she recognized this as a cultural issue and did not let it affect her self-perception. She was assigned the West Coast as her primary territory instead, which she ultimately considered the better outcome.
The second incident occurred at a trade show where she had to confront an individual who questioned her role at the company. These experiences, while discouraging, did not define her career. They instead reinforced her determination to succeed on her own terms.
Unique Advantages of Diverse Perspectives
Not all of Garby’s experiences as a woman in manufacturing were negative. She observes that men sometimes open up more to women, letting their guard down in ways that can help establish trust and build stronger professional relationships. This dynamic proved useful when building business connections, gaining competitive intelligence, and developing long-term client partnerships. The broader conversation about women in concrete leadership ACI vice president Maria Juenger highlights similar themes of how diversity strengthens technical industries through inclusion and varied perspectives.
Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones
Garby’s career trajectory illustrates how professional setbacks, when approached with the right mindset, can become foundations for greater achievements. Her layoff from Engelhard, the failure of RCD Technology, and the early career barriers she faced all contributed to the skills and perspective she brought to Vizinex RFID.
Key Strategies for Career Resilience
The following table summarizes the strategies Garby employed to navigate career transitions and turn challenges into opportunities.
| Challenge | Response | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff from Engelhard Corporation | Evaluated entrepreneurial opportunity with former colleague | Co-founded RCD Technology and gained venture capital experience |
| RCD Technology business failure | Identified viable product line and purchased assets | Launched Vizinex RFID with optimized business model |
| Gender-based exclusion from Japan assignment | Accepted the decision, focused on strengths | Gained valuable West Coast territory and proved capabilities |
| Trade show confrontation about role | Assertively clarified position and responsibilities | Established professional respect and boundaries |
| Transition from engineering to business | Earned MBA while working full time | Built cross-functional expertise that enabled leadership roles |
The Value of Manufacturing Process Innovation
Under Garby’s direction, Vizinex RFID implemented process improvements and automation that doubled manufacturing capacity in a single year. This achievement underscores how technical expertise combined with operational leadership can drive tangible business outcomes. For those exploring a complete guide to starting a career in manufacturing and skilled trades, understanding that leadership effectiveness ultimately depends on delivering results provides a clear north star.
Essential Advice for the Next Generation
Garby’s advice for young men and women starting their careers distills decades of experience into actionable guidance. Her recommendations apply across industries but carry particular weight for those entering manufacturing, construction, engineering, and technology fields.
Find a Mentor Who Challenges You
Garby credits her first boss at Heraeus as instrumental to her growth. He challenged and supported her development, even after she moved on from the company. She acknowledges that not all bosses will be like that, which makes the search for mentorship a proactive responsibility. If your direct supervisor is not invested in your growth, find a mentor elsewhere in the organization, industry, or professional network.
Set Goals But Stay Open to Unexpected Paths
Garby never planned to start her own company. When the opportunity arose after her layoff, she evaluated the risks and benefits and chose to take the chance. This openness to unexpected opportunities, combined with a foundation of technical and business skills, allowed her career to evolve in directions she could not have predicted as a young engineer.
- Build foundational skills early. Technical competence gives you the confidence to evaluate opportunities from a position of strength.
- Develop a framework for risk assessment. Not all risks are worth taking, but avoiding all risk guarantees stagnation.
- Say yes to opportunities that stretch your capabilities. Growth happens at the edge of your comfort zone.
- Maintain professional relationships. The colleague who approached Garby about starting RCD was someone she had worked with previously.
Do Not Fear Failure
Garby’s most direct advice is perhaps the most important: if you go through your life without ever failing at anything, you are likely not reaching your potential. The failure of RCD Technology could have ended her entrepreneurial ambitions. Instead, it provided the clarity to focus on the product line with the most promise and build a more successful company around it. This lesson applies broadly across industries. Professionals in construction-related trades, engineering, and technology all face projects that do not go according to plan. The difference between those who advance and those who stall is often simply the willingness to learn from failure and try again.
The Confidence to Lead
Garby emphasizes that confidence is not about never experiencing doubt. It is about maintaining professional competence and communication standards regardless of the situation. When interacting with vendors about raw material specifications, customers about orders, or team members about process improvements, she focuses on responsiveness and clarity. This approach neutralizes many of the interpersonal challenges that can arise in male-dominated environments. For those considering careers in trades or technical fields, understanding the importance of proper paint vs stain for interior woodwork professional advice on selection preparation and application and other hands-on skills can provide a practical foundation that builds confidence through competence.
Building a Career on Your Own Terms
Sandra Garby’s career story offers a blueprint for women and young people entering manufacturing, construction, and technical industries. The key takeaways are both practical and philosophical. Build deep technical skills but complement them with business understanding. Seek mentors who challenge you rather than simply supporting you. Stay open to opportunities that were not part of the original plan. And never let the fear of failure prevent you from reaching your potential.
The construction and manufacturing industries need diverse talent at every level. As Garby’s experience demonstrates, gender and age are not predictors of leadership success. Responsiveness, technical competence, communication skills, and the willingness to take calculated risks are what truly matter. For young professionals considering these fields, the door is open. The path may not be linear, but as Garby shows, the detours often lead to the most rewarding destinations.