Although the lifting sector is male dominated, women are increasingly occupying this niche market. We interviewed Katie Abbott who tells us her story and how, sometimes, being a woman can be an advantage.

Katie followed the steps of his father who worked in the lifting sector.  From a young age, she experienced the thrill of this industry and learned to navigate in this male dominated world.

However, Katie built her own path with her own hands, or rather thanks to her own skills. She didn’t miss the opportunity her boss gave her. Starting from the bottom, she quickly made a name for herself.

Katie currently has various roles within the Cloverdale Equip dealership. From Marketing Manager, she moved up to the Administration. This is the power of women. They are extremely versatile and can easily occupy and perform multiple roles at once.

She describes herself as a sociable and communicative person. These qualities fit perfectly with her roles in the company because she is in contact with many people. She has always believed that this allows to achieve professional and, above all, personal growth. When we interaction we lay bare and have the opportunity to smooth rough edges and improve some aspects of our character.

Although Katie works in an environment dominated by men and huge machines, she has never renounced her femininity. She has always shown it with pride.  She has always been proud of who she has become.  Her team respects and supports her because they consider her as a resourceful and capable colleague. She has not noticed gender inequalities. The job has to be done perfectly. What makes the difference is not who does it but how it is done.Cloverdale Equipment Co has always been working in the lifting sector. That’s what we do best. “Every day I strive to bring something new to improve things”. This is Katie’s motto.

Katie goes on to say that she must be perfectly organised. This happens almost every day when her personal and professional life collide. She can’t leave out any detail.

At the end of the day, she is glad to know that her colleagues respect her for what she does. However, it happened that someone made fun of her or tried to belittle her as a woman. These behaviours must be strongly condemned. After having fought hard for equal rights, every working environment must be based on meritocracy, starting from those who are mostly male dominated.

Katie’s advice to other women is to make your own way and to use your brain and the skills you’ve honed through study and hard work.  This is the biggest reward we can ever get. Behind a really well-done work, there is no man or woman, but someone who has done their job perfectly.

You have to stand out from the crowd because of your skills and inventiveness. You have to be appreciated for the experience you have acquired over time and shaped with your own hands.

Let’s abandon the belief according to which being beautiful is enough. Beauty is nothing more than a container that must be filled with meaning if you want to enhance it.  On the contrary, it represents a weight that women struggle to drag around without ever completely freeing themselves from it.

Thank you Katie for your availability and to Cloverdale Equipment for believing in her and in the Magni brand.