Page 12 - BusinessWest Difference Makers 2021

Carlson
Continued from page 26
is keeping people from touring
the facilities at
Like her father, Larry Maier, before her, Kristin Carlson
has made workforce development a passion and a big part of her life and work.
Peerless Precision in person, there are still virtual visits, where young people can meet not only Carlson, but her pit bull, Bruno. They can also see six women on the manufacturing floor (years ago, they would only have seen them in the front office or shipping and receiving). And they can see parts like the one that
“My parents told me that I couldn’t make anything of myself if I didn’t have a college degree; that’s not
a good message, but it’s also the message that was being pushed across the bo”ard back then — and still,
today.
goes into the thermal-imaging camera that captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in that boat.
And they can hear Carlson talk about other
things made in this region — from toys at LEGO and Cartamundi to ketchup bottles at Meredith Springfield to coolers at Pelican Products. Overall, it’s a powerful message, she said, but one that needs to be reinforced and told to new audiences every year, several times a year, if possible. That’s because those old myths, those old perceptions, die hard.
Parts of the Whole
Before ever telling the Boston Marathon bomber story, Carlson wanted to make sure she had her facts
straight.
“When I saw our customer’s logo on that camera
shot, I called him right away and said, ‘do you think there’s a possibility that that part in the camera that found the bomber is from our shop?’ — and he said ‘absolutely,’” she recalled, adding that additional research verified what she suspected.
She’s told the story many times since, because it conveys what many people don’t know, but should — that the precision-machining sector in this region is making a difference in the lives of people across the
country.
Likewise, Carlson is making a difference as well,
carrying on the work of her father in so many ways, and, as noted, becoming the face — or at least one important, perhaps unexpected face — in a sector with a rich history and, thanks to her efforts, perhaps an equally rich future. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
Congratulations
Kristin Maier Carlson
on being named a 2021 Difference Maker!
Your recognition is well deserved!
– Your friends at WMNTMA
www.wmntma.org | 413-219-6111
Congratulations Kristin
on being named a 2021 Difference Maker! You deserve this and we are so proud of you!
Love Mom, Ethan,
and the entire team at Peerless!
www.peerlessprecision.com
MANUFACTURING • AEROSPACE • DEFENSE • COMMERICAL OPTICS • MEDICAL
Congratulations Kristin Maier Carlson The MassHire Hampden County Workforce
System is proud of your success and honored to be your colleague.
www.masshirehcwb.com
28 FEBRUARY 17, 2021
DIFFERENCE
BusinessWest