International Women’s Day, which has been celebrated since 1911, is a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women’s equality. Whilst gender equality has certainly improved in the materials handling industry and beyond, it is still a long way from perfect. Only 26% of the transport and storage industry workforce is made up of women, dropping to just 16% in the construction industry. This demonstrates how important it is to encourage and support women both already in the industry and those considering joining it.

In support of International Women’s Day, a few of the women from Dawsongroup material handling have shared their stories.

Tamara Ebsworth, Area Sales Executive for Central England and South Wales

Although Tamara is a recent addition to the material handling team, she has worked in the industry for more than a decade. In that time, she has seen many changes, not least the role of women. When Tamara first started as a junior administrator, she didn’t know of any saleswomen working with forklifts – now, she is one.

“Customers want people they can trust and get good advice from,” said Tamara. “I know the trucks, and my customers know they can rely on me for knowledge and experience.

“There’s still a long way to go in the industry, but that will come with time as there are more and more successful women in the industry. Social media will help as it allows you to connect with different people and you can see that women can do this kind of job and excel at it.

“I’d like other women in the industry to know that if it’s something you want to pursue you can definitely do it. Women are just as strong as men, and we can do just as much. The world is changing for the better, so stick with it.”

Steph Best, Management Accountant

Steph has worked for Dawsongroup material handling for almost sixteen years, working her way up from credit controller to assistant accountant and, last year, to management accountant. She oversees the finance department, delivering accounts and reports on a regular basis to keep the business on track. The people that Steph works with are a key factor in what has kept her at the company so long, alongside her enjoyment of learning. She recently completed a Business Mastery qualification, she has Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualifications, and she is now working towards accreditation with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

There has been a considerable amount of change in the industry since Steph first started.

“It used to be quite old fashioned and authoritarian,” said Steph. “Women were usually only in admin roles. It has definitely changed since then, and now women are in sales, service, and management – every part of the business. We still need more women in those areas though. We need to get away from the stereotype that this industry is just for men.”

Louise Crowther, Service Desk Team Leader

Louise has been in the fork truck industry for more than 20 years and knows a lot about it. She joined the material handling team in January 2021 as service data analyst and was promoted to team leader in August 2022. She works closely with the field service team leaders and James Birkitt, Head of Operations, ensuring the customers are kept happy and facilitating interactions between the engineers and customers.

“The industry is changing, with more women being account managers and service managers now,” said Louise, “but the service side is still a long way behind. Many people see engineering as a male role, which it doesn’t have to be. We need to get into schools to explain what we do and encourage more young women to consider the materials handling industry as a career option.”

Sarah Black, Area Sales Executive for Waste and Recycling

Sarah found it difficult when she first joined the forklift industry after leaving school as it was so male dominated. She soon found her feet, though, and progressed from a sales admin role with a forklift fork manufacturer to field sales with Dawsongroup material handling. She now focuses on the waste and recycling industry; she has learnt a lot in the first year and knows what to look for on site visits to supply the right specs and solutions for her customers.

Across the industry, both with customers and colleagues, Sarah now sees more women and she’s happy that it’s becoming more equal.

“My advice for women either in the industry or thinking of joining is to be confident,” said Sarah. “Never give up, keep on doing what you want to do, and have the confidence that you’re good enough to do the job well. I want to encourage more women into the industry as it’s exciting, you learn all the time, and there’s a lot of benefits. You also have constant support from the other women around you. It was difficult at first, but it worked for me, and I’d recommend it as a career.”

Judy Beilby, Hire Fleet Controller

Judy joined the Dawsongroup material handling team in 2017 after working for a car hire company for seventeen years. She runs the hire desk smoothly and efficiently, working closely with the sales team to support them with new and existing deals. The biggest buzz she gets from her work is taking a brand-new enquiry from a customer on the phone and turning it into a hire.

“Pride is the first word that comes to mind when I think about being a woman in the material handling industry,” said Judy. “I have never thought of my gender as a disadvantage but more of an opportunity to break barriers and change the perspective of what women are capable of. It is becoming more common to see more woman in traditionally male-dominated roles, for example our sales team – this was very male dominated in my first years at Dawsongroup, but now three women have joined the team, and this makes us far stronger out in the field.

“As a woman, I feel a sense of pride to be in a position to help break gender norms and stigmas in this industry, as well as a responsibility to show that a more diverse workforce leads to higher productivity, creativity, and success.

“Contribution and teamwork are the most exciting things about my job. I enjoy working with others to find solutions to problems and work towards goals. I always feel that my opinions and ideas have value and that I’m a part of the team. Even after six years, I still learn something new every day.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Dawsongroup material handling or the many different jobs available, contact us or check out our careers.