As a youngster, when Ashley Jordan tagged along with her dad to his Toccoa, Georgia, machining shop, it was a place to have fun and play with her sister in the front office.

 A self-described “girly-girl” who envisioned becoming a schoolteacher when she grew up, Jordan never saw herself as being part of — or even took an interest in — the family business, Meadowbrook Machine & Tool (MMT).

 “I couldn’t have imagined working in manufacturing,” said Jordan, who is the assistant office manager. “Now I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

 Jordan is the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s (GaMEP) August Face of Manufacturing.

 As a sector, manufacturing continues to play a vital role in the Georgia economy. And through the individual stories of Jordan and others in the series, the Faces of Manufacturing seeks to showcase how each of them — like the 365,000 Georgians who work in the industry — help their communities remain strong and economically viable.

Jordan’s journey to the industry is not atypical of a young woman who didn’t imagine herself in manufacturing.

“When I was younger, I thought manufacturing was for men,” she said. “In reality there are thousands of women in manufacturing, who work in all types of jobs, both on the plant floor and in office settings.”

As it turned out, Jordan — who was once fired by her dad as a teen for not calling in to report she would be absent from work, — had a natural talent for machining. It was a skill she realized she had after enrolling in classes at North Georgia Technical College.

Though she had already earned her education degree, the manufacturing tug pulled at her until she told her dad she wanted to go into the family business. Her dad, who always encouraged his children to follow their own career paths, advised if she was serious about it, she should enroll at the technical college.

Although it was an adjustment, she quickly found her rhythm, learning not only to read blueprints, but also to make t-slot cleaners and parts on many machines.

Jordan was even recognized statewide — placing second in a recent CNC Turning competition for SkillsUSA. The organization’s mission is to collaborate with industry, teachers, and staff to ensure America retains a highly skilled workforce in manufacturing.

Jordan has received other accolades as well and has been tapped to speak at the North Georgia Manufacturing Summit. She also has been featured in videos showing the contributions and opportunities young women have in the manufacturing industry.

She plans to use her teaching degree at MMT to create an in-house training program for employees to teach them about the use of the plants’ machines and the company processes.

She also wants to continue to be a voice and example for other women considering a career in manufacturing.