Amanda Cool, Smithers Material Science and Engineering Division | Women Breaking the Mold 2023

Accurate data is non-negotiable at Smithers, a compliance and testing firm that works in a range of industries, including the tire manufacturing and testing space.

And Amanda Cool, as supervisor and test engineer in the chemistry lab and tire service department, keeps such data as empirical and as clean as possible.

Cool has five employees who work for her, and she also serves "as a backup for her team members" as necessary.

"I enjoy learning new methods and seeing how materials are always changing and improving," Cool said. "I also love seeing my team's joy and excitement when a new method is validated and works as intended, and I find great satisfaction in helping my team troubleshoot when things are not going according to plan.

"Lastly, getting to know our clients and building strong, trusting relationships with them is very rewarding."

Specifically, Cool oversees the wet chemistry and chromatography duties in the chemical and spectrometry labs.

She ensures "smooth and high-quality execution of client testing projects" and manages a team of chemists.

She is responsible for all dynamic mechanical analysis testing for customers and for developing and launching new material characterization and benchmarking services—and identifying opportunities for expansion.

Establishing a diverse talent pool from which to choose employees is the biggest obstacle to increasing diversity of thought in any company, Cool said.

"We welcome anyone that is well-qualified, but it is hard to find diversity in the marketplace for rubber and plastics," she said.

Her advice to women in what is traditionally a male-dominated rubber industry is to take risks where applicable.

"Knowing your audience is key," Cool said. "Go out for drinks, and get to know the people you work with personally. You may have to work harder to get where you want to go in your career, but once you have the respect of your colleagues, the support will be there.

"And don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Throw your work boots on and work the floor with the men who may have doubts.

"And bringing in donuts occasionally doesn't hurt."

Cool has a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Akron.

When she took over each department at Smithers in March 2022, she made sure her teams knew her objectives up front.

"I am an ex-military spouse, so the phrase 'no man left behind' is often on my mind," she said. "If a teammate needs help, it is all hands on deck."

Cool added she does not believe in micromanaging her charges.

"No one comes to work to do a bad job, and as long as you give your team room to grow and the guidance they need, the work will get done and the bonds will be built within the team," she said.

Cool joined Smithers in 2015 as a physical and chemical testing technician. She held the roles of quality assurance specialist and DMA test engineer before being promoted to chemistry lab supervisor.

Prior to joining Smithers, she worked as a laboratory technician at Radici Group.

"Accurate data is a non-negotiable priority here at Smithers," Jim Popio, vice president of North American operations, materials science and engineering, told Rubber News when Cool was promoted last year. "With her experience on the quality assurance side of the business, Amanda has a deep knowledge of quality management systems and the collection and delivery of accurate data. Her passion for precision will be a great asset to our clients and her new role."

Located in Akron, the Smithers rubber and polymer testing laboratory offers a full suite of material testing, chemical analysis, and sample preparation services for clients across a number of industry segments. The lab shares space with the company's product testing laboratory and has a sister lab in the United Kingdom.

Years with company: 8
Years in rubber industry: 8 years in rubber, 2 years in plastics

Each day there are new challenges. Whether I'm helping a client address an issue with their materials via laboratory testing, learning new technology, or coaching my team to work as a unified whole during stressful times, there's always something keeping me on my toes.

I'm always asking questions. Processes that are kept in place for long periods can usually benefit from a fresh set of eyes to evaluate whether the process is still effective, how the process is adding value or if there's a way to make the process better. I encourage my colleagues to think the same way, so we can continuously work together to better serve our clients.

Leadership is about having self-control, self-awareness, conflict resolution skills and compassion. A leader needs to be able to be their team's biggest advocate while also holding their team accountable. My employees know that I have an open-door policy and am always available to listen, coach and mentor, but I also expect work to be completed on time to give our clients the best experience possible. My team also knows that I will not ask them to do anything that I would not do myself. I take the time to get to know each of my team members and co-workers personally.

I started my career in a quality control position in the plastics industry. After two years, I decided that I wanted to branch out into more polymers. Once I began my career at Smithers, I was introduced to many of the polymers I had only learned about in college but had not worked with as much as I would have liked. I find it fascinating how a minor change in a rubber formula can completely change the characteristics of the material.

I think the most rewarding part of my career thus far has been becoming a supervisor at Smithers. Our labs have the capabilities to test many different physical and chemical properties of polymers as well as tire benchmarking. It is very interesting to see the different applications and testing performed to help clients with their materials.

Never give up! If you feel like you aren't being heard, speak louder—and know the audience you are speaking to.

I have been advocating for myself since I started my career. I get to know my audience before I come to them with my ideas. I listen to constructive criticism, so I can reevaluate my ideas and make changes if needed. I also continue to learn new departments within my company. I started as a test technician in our physical testing laboratory in Akron, and once I felt ready to learn more, I transitioned to quality assurance for our medical device division, where I helped maintain GMP compliance for the lab. I then took over all dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) testing for our physical testing laboratory before being promoted to supervisor of the chemistry department and Tire Service department.

I don't think of how things happen in life or work as failure—just redirection onto a better course. But before I became more self-aware and learned better self-control, it was easy for my temper to make an appearance when things were not going as planned or additional stress was added to a situation. I have since learned to remove myself from stressful situations long enough to reevaluate, reflect and not dwell on the situation. When I am encountered with a situation that isn't according to plan, I try to stay optimistic, reach out to mentors for coaching when needed, and get the job done.