By Diane C . Walsh Editor , COMMERCE

Take Triangle Manufacturing in Upper Saddle River , for instance . When CEO Dax Strohmeyer started at the family business founded by his grandfather , he said “ you could count on one hand ” the women working in the plant .

Over the past two decades , however , as Strohmeyer succeeded his father , Neal , as president of the medical device manufacturer in 2010 and became CEO in 2020 , the female ranks expanded . Now women account for at least 10 percent of the workforce and a significant number is in leadership roles . Among them most especially are Ashley Hagedoorn , director of operations , and Liseets Taveras , director of human resources , who both also sit on the executive management team .

Strohmeyer described them as “ incredibly talented ” women . He said Hagedoorn is not afraid to let the employees know she has high expectations . “ But she is also very supportive – the kind of leader of people you want to have in an organization like mine .”

Hagedoorn , 32 , started at Triangle seven years ago as a planner and rose to become a supervisor , manager and now director . She recently returned from maternity leave . “ I didn ’ t realize how much I missed her until she came back ,” Strohmeyer confessed .

While other companies were struggling to find talent in this post-pandemic era , he credited Taveras for recruiting and onboarding 50 new workers in the last year . Taveras is “ very progressive in her approach to HR ,” Strohmeyer said , adding that “ she puts our associates first always . She is constantly trying to improve the overall employee experience at Triangle .”

The new hires are key to the expansion Triangle is realizing . Strohmeyer is positioning the family business for growth and progress . Under his leadership , the company made the biggest capital equipment investment in its history .

“ There are a lot of good things happening ,” the CEO said as he proudly points to the great gender diversity at Triangle . “ Women are in every role we have . They ’ re everywhere and that ’ s great ,” said Strohmeyer .

The 42-year-old Taveras said when she joined the company seven years ago as a recruiter “ I

Ashley Hagedoorn

definitely saw myself entering a male-dominated world .” But she was excited as the prospect .

Personnel issues always captivated her . “ I ’ m intrigued by the process , the idea of finding the right talent for the culture and the environment ,” Taveras said . She concedes hiring 50 people last year as a challenge . To attract applicants , the HR director said she stressed the opportunities , like the wages and benefits and chance for advancement . For those changing fields , Taveras brought them on as trainees , who slowly got acquainted with the operation .

“ Triangle is a great place to work . Year over year it is trying to innovative ,” she said , adding that “ we try to challenge the status quo to keep everyone engaged .”

For Hagedoorn , every day at Triangle is different and that ’ s what makes it appealing . “ We work to overcome a challenge and support our customers and the end-users – the patients . It makes you feel good about the work you ’ re doing .”

As members of the executive management team , the women meet regularly with five other high-ranking colleagues to brainstorm issue and develop policy .

Liseets Taveras

Both women are graduates of Montclair University . Hagedoorn wanted a career in business management and worked at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Worldwide Express before deciding to return to Ramapo College for more schooling in project management . A Triangle planner she met in class convinced her to take a job there . When she accepted it , she knew nothing about manufacturing .

Now she wants to encourage more women to take her path . Taveras agrees . She started a Women in Manufacturing Networking Group at Triangle . To spark interest in the industry , the HR director said it would be best to expose girls to manufacturing opportunities at an early age . That ’ s why she likes it when her co-workers bring their daughters to Triangle for its special one-day program designed to let youngsters experience their parents ’ jobs .

Taveras ’ 14-year-old daughter participated last year and is now considering attending a vocational high school with a strong focus on STEM ( Science , Technology , Engineering and Mathematics ) classes . Her mom is cheering her on .

30 COMMERCE www . commercemagnj . com