Despite being told repeatedly by male leadership that she was not leadership material, Lori Knous was a manager by age 30 and a director by age 36. She has thrived in her different leadership roles in continuous improvement, engineering, quality, operations, and business development. She currently serves as general manager of Akron labs for Smithers.
Knous began her career as the first female employee of the Phelps Dodge Industrial Mining Complex.
"I had to prove myself to everyone and earn their respect," Knous wrote in an email. "I could not make a mistake or be weak. Being in the mining industry was a demanding job with non-traditional requirements in harsh conditions. I had to be able to climb high ladders to check tank levels and handle snakes and javelinas in the mines like everyone else."
She has participated in ASTM, ASQ, SAMPE, and SAE throughout her career. She also spent several years teaching engineering courses such as 3D modeling with Solidworks and Material Science classes at Kent State Tuscarawas while working full-time and raising a family.
"From a young age, I wanted to be a teacher or professor because my parents were teachers," Knous said. "After substitute teaching while in college, I realized that I preferred engineering and that teaching might not be a career for me. However, teaching part-time allowed me to do both careers.
"I still have students that see me in public and say hello. They remember me and attending my classes. That type of recognition makes me realize how rewarding it is to teach and influence students in their growth and development."
A few key projects Knous has been involved with include operationally focused projects and some new service line introductions. With a background in lean practices Knous has worked with internal operations leaders and lab associates to identify processes that could be made more efficient.
"I find lean projects extremely rewarding as they're typically focused on a bite-size challenge that a full team works on together over a short period," Knous said. "At the end of the event, there is a tangible improvement, and everyone can see the results. These small changes all add up to better overall processes and efficiency, which in turn supports the business."
In 2023 and 2024, Knous worked as part of a joint-venture with Stackpole Engineering Services to develop a new service line called Virtual Tire Lab. It was a brand new offering that brought together the expertise of her team as well as Stackpole's to develop a unique set of tire models that can be used in early vehicle engineering.
"With a trend toward virtual engineering and development, it was exciting to launch this new service to the tire industry," she said.
An engineer at heart, Knous has a keen eye for process improvement and problem-solving. She is especially passionate about helping people grow to their potential and always seems ready to invest significant time and energy mentoring and elevating her team members.
"I tend to look for people who are willing to learn, quick to pick up new skills, and are team players versus those who just have the desired qualifications. The desire and ability to learn while collaborating well with others goes a long way toward reaching their potential," Knous said.
In addition to her impressive career, Knous is a prolific volunteer. She has served as a STEM mentor and volunteer, a Girl Scout troop leader, and is alumni president of Pi Beta Phi. She also leads children's and teen programming through her faith community.
Years with company: 2.5
Years in rubber industry: 9.5