On Feb. 5, The Manufacturing Institute and its STEP Ahead initiative partners recognized 122 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. Carol Peters, production manager of A. O. Smith’s commercial water heater plant in McBee, S.C., was recognized by The Manufacturing Institute, Deloitte, University of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers with a Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Award for her excellence and leadership in manufacturing. 
“Carol has been a huge part of this facility’s success; her knowledge, experience and expertise have been instrumental in the completion of several major projects. Her passion for excellence, her drive and motivation, and the high standards she sets for herself and her team are motivating and inspiring to everyone she meets. She defines ‘excellence,’ ” said Shawn Schmonsky, human resources director at A. O. Smith, on why he nominated Carol for the STEP award.
According to The Manufacturing Institute President Jennifer McNelly, “These 122 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing. We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”
