The power of women in the workplace

After Ronnie suffered a serious heart attached in 1991, his wife, Estlean Cook, knew she had to make a choice-sell the business they jointly owned or take over the management herself. Ronnie's quadruple bypass surgery meant he had to be out of the business for an exteneded period of time and would probably never return to the stressful day-to-day management of the 20 year old Greenville manufacturing facility.

Cook took management control of the facility, with an impressive clientele of companies like Michelin, Ross Controls, Stone Air WABCO and Lockheed. And she is successful, through a skillful use of trained and experienced consultants and personal determination. "It was the right thing to do," said Cook, "and it pushed me to find out that I could do it."

Cook believes that being a female entrepreneur in a non-traditional manufacturing role stands out from the crowd and is remembered much more easily. She admits that convincing some of her seriousness was difficult, but the problem has subsided over the years as she has proved herself to her customers.

The Competitive Review, Fall 2003