Holly Mitchell, Advanced Rubber Products | Women Breaking the Mold 2024

Holly Mitchell, general manager of Advanced Rubber Products, definitely didn't take a traditional path into the rubber industry.

Her entry into the business world itself, in fact, took a bit of time.

She was a senior in high school heading for valedictorian, but made some poor choices. She got pregnant and ended up dropping out of school. So she and her husband got married, and started their family.

They raised two children, but Mitchell didn't put away her dreams of having a career. It took her seven years to earn a four-year degree in business administration, evidence that perseverance can pay off.

"What I would say to the women is there are consequences for your choices, but they don't always have to end negatively," Mitchell said. "It can be something where if you are persistent and you stay the course, you can make a difference down the road.

"Your current situation doesn't have to define you. You can work hard and make changes that can change the outcome."

From there, you can credit her love of the Buffalo Bills to lead her to Advanced Rubber Products, located in Wyoming, N.Y., about 40 miles east of Buffalo.

At this point she was working for a company as a cost analyst. She and her husband had season tickets to the Bills games, and one of their friends they tailgated with was the son of the GM and vice president of Advanced Rubber Products.

The friend related to her a problem they had where they couldn't figure out the solution. Mitchell started offering her insights.

"It seemed like every home Bills game. I was helping him with his issue and my husband turns to me and says, 'I think he's interviewing you,' " she said.

Eventually they did bring her in for an interview, and she joined the rubber molder in 2007, heading up production inventory control. With ARP, a division of TMP Technologies, a small operation—total employment is roughly 45—they had to wear a number of hats. So in addition to her normal duties, she also took on the roles of the sales and safety managers.

"I would tell other females don't be afraid to try anything that the employer asks you to do." Mitchell said. "You never know what your niche might be, what you'll find that you're good at, that you like, even when you're not sure going in. So I tried everything, learned a lot, became a sponge and soaked up as much as I could from my mentor."

That mentor was Bob Flowers, the VP and GM whose son Mitchell had counseled during those Bills game.

Because ARP's operation is in a rather remote, rural area—the town literally has more cows than people—she and Flowers would spend time at lunch walking the railroad tracks near the plant, with Flowers imparting his wisdom and knowledge to the challenges that were going to occur.

When Flowers retired, Mitchell was promoted to GM, but still oversaw production inventory and served as sales manager. But as ARP continued to grow, she was able to promote those in such roles as press operators to jobs with more authority. Now she's reached the point where she's strictly the GM, with a full team to handle the day-to-day activity.

"We want to always have opportunities for people to better themselves and to grow, and to see that there's ways for them to improve," she said. "My take on it is if someone has a good attitude and they're a hard worker and show up every day, we can teach most of what we do here. So I'll take the employee who fits our team, fits well in our culture and then we'll teach them the business side."

Going from peer to manager was difficult, Mitchell acknowledged. So she aimed to lead by example, not asking anything of the team members that she wouldn't do herself.

"I admit when I'm wrong. I know I make mistakes," she said. "People are going to make mistakes. So own your mistakes and learn from them. Especially as a peer going to manager, I was just very open and honest with them."

Mitchell also strives to make sure the staff has the tools they need to succeed, and to step in and help when they're swamped. She also concentrated on building bridges with those who had been at Advanced Rubber Products longer than her, noting that two workers have been there 44 years.

"I'm younger and I'm female. But I was able to build relationships with them prior to this, which I think helped, and they know that my intent is good," she said, "and my goal is to see the company succeed. And that only happens when the team members succeed. So how can I help?"

Mitchell also has a theme for every fiscal year, which starts each Nov. 1 for the molded goods firm, which is a big supplier in the electric utility market.

For this year, the focus is on "remember our why," she said.

"We want to be a supplier of choice and we want to be an employer of choice," the ARP GM told Rubber News. "Sometimes when you grow, you forget the little things, the people who helped you along the way. You need to treat employees with respect.

"... You know that teamwork is very key, and we want to be a family company, which sometimes you can lose sight of as you grow. As we start to have new customers and three shifts of operation, I want to still know every employee's name, and know their kids, their dogs. I'm still the manager, so I have to maintain that professionalism. But that doesn't mean I can't say good morning to everybody and hopefully leave them with a smile by the time we're done talking."

Mitchell said she hasn't personally witnessed any women being treated improperly during her 17 years in the rubber industry, something she attributes to the area where she grew up and now works.

"Around here with the farming community, everybody's out there doing the work. When you're harvesting, you're side by side. Your sons and your daughters are out there," she said. "So I don't know if it's the area that I live in where we haven't had that a lot, or if I've just been assertive enough throughout my career, and that I'm comfortable in those environments."

Her advice to any women who might be going through that is to make sure you think before you speak. Know your data and the facts you want to communicate.

"We certainly don't want things to go backwards," Mitchell said. "We've made a lot of improvements in this area, and I think it's come from the courageous women who have forged the path for us and done their part to take a stand. And the last thing we want is women who are stating opinions and not facts."

Rather than be visible and outspoken about women's rights, Mitchell also prefers to have her performance take on its own merits.

"I just want to let my actions speak. That it doesn't matter who I am, what I look like. What matters is can I do the job?" she said. "Am I a good team member? Let's get everybody in the boat and rowing in the same direction."

From her limited perspective, Mitchell does think women have made progress in the rubber industry. She sees more women in management and positions of authority, such as vice presidents and higher managerial roles.

She brings a lot of students through ARP, and she tells them that the only thing holding them back is themselves.

"If you don't have a goal and reach for it, or strive for it and take the necessary steps, then that's what's holding you back," Mitchell said. "They have come so far to level the playing field that now it's really up to the individual to set their goals and take the necessary steps to attain them."

Mitchell does urge women to make sure their work-life balance is in check, however they define that.

"I know there's a lot of women who are very career oriented and they want to climb the ladder, and family may not be for them. That's fine. And by family they may be thinking children. But families are more than just that. Families today are different than years ago. It could be the friends you hang with.

"But just make sure that you have a support system outside of work, whatever that looks like for you, and that you are able to disengage from work at some point and enjoy that support system."

Years with company: 17

Years in rubber industry: 17

I grew up playing basketball and have always been drawn to exercise that incorporates a bouncing ball rather than just sweating for the fun of it. I am also a very competitive person who loves a challenge. Little did I know 17 years ago just how challenging processing rubber can be!

However, once you learn the nuances of each material, it's exciting to work together as a team to increase efficiency and meet our customers' production requirements. This was especially rewarding during COVID when ARP was an essential employer and manufactured over 1 million rubber components for the OEMs who produced respiratory safety masks for the health care industry.

Our number one industry is the electric utility market, where we mold distribution and transmission insulators for installation on utility poles throughout North America. It was an exciting day last summer when I was driving home from work and noticed that our products were being installed in my hometown! We're helping to keep the lights on every day in large cities and small-town USA!

Lou Holtz said "Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."

As GM, I strive to understand the employees at ARP and where they are in this process. Does the team member need more training to increase their ability to perform the job? What best motivates the team to work together to achieve our goals? Is our leadership demonstrating a positive, can-do attitude that translates into a culture of winning?

Once areas for improvement are identified, I can provide support and the necessary tools to help them reach their individual goals. It is only through individual growth and sustained teamwork that ARP will meet its strategic goals.

When I was promoted to GM in 2015, my co-workers gave me a Lighthouse portrait to hang in the new office. The quote beneath the stormy seas was from Warren G. Bennis: "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."

One short sentence that resonated with me immediately. As the lighthouse, what was my vision for our division? Did I have the capacity to lead the team through the impending storms that accompanied growth?

Fortunately, I had an amazing mentor who I had the privilege of learning from for the previous eight years. I also had an awesome management team and together we evaluated where we were and where we wanted to be in one, three and five years. Strategic goals were established and metrics used to measure our progress.

Each year I challenged the team with a new theme that helped refine our vision just a little more. But the most important thing once the vision was established was for me to lead by example throughout the journey. From scrubbing toilets to manning trade show booths for eight-plus hours on a concrete floor, I did not ask anything of my team members that I was not willing to do myself. Getting the team to understand our vision and buy-in to the process on a regular basis has been crucial to our success.

Last fall, I listened to Simon Sinek's book "Start with Why" and immediately adopted "Remember the Why" as ARP's theme for 2024. The concepts outlined in the book challenged me to return to basics not only in my personal life but at ARP as well.

In simple terms, we know what we do, make rubber parts for our customers. We know how we do this, inject rubber into our customers' molds to create a finished part. We need to remember our why, which for ARP is to be the supplier of choice in the markets we serve and an employer of choice in the communities in which we work and live. The book gave excellent examples of companies whose successes and failures reinforced the importance of leaders communicating their purpose and why they existed as a company.

I'm just getting started with podcasts, but considering my love of sports and my sister's challenge to embrace my feminine side, I occasionally listen to Women Leaders in Sports. They interview females making a difference in the sports world and provide insights on how to be a leader in a very competitive environment.

One of my first roles at ARP was production and inventory control. I was responsible for reviewing customer orders, outlining the necessary materials for procurement, scheduling production on our presses and controlling our inventory levels within a specified range.

The ARP team won't ever let me forget my first big blunder, when I rushed through the evaluation process and in lieu of ordering 100 pounds of rubber for a very small component, I ordered 1,000 pounds! Instead of a six-month supply, we produced enough gaskets for the next 7 years!

My team loved to remind me to "slow down" often that first year…and it became quite the joke over the next seven years. I immediately learned to slow down and make sure I have all the correct information before I proceed and to always double check my work!

I love spending time with my family and dogs. Up until a few months back, I was smack in the middle of five generations and loved every minute transitioning between hunting for monsters with our three granddaughters to spending time watching the hummingbirds with Grandma Mac.

I prefer outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, 4-wheeling, swimming, shooting hoops, etc.) but cozy up almost every night with a good book on the love seat next to my husband. Unless the Bills, Sabres or Yankees are on TV, then there's not much relaxing involved!

When all is said and done, the only thing people will remember is how I treated them. Was I kind to everyone no matter who they were, what they looked like or what they believed? Was I fair in my business dealings, generous with my time, fun to be around, compassionate when possible and firm when necessary? Was my work-life balance in check? Was I reliable and a great example to others who knew me? Did I help create fun memories that made the stress of work a little bit less?

To bring it all full circle, was I motivated in the right direction to use my abilities to the best that I possibly could? If the answer is yes, then I would consider a day/week/year/life successful!