Metal. It's an industry that tends to carry a stigma of being too old school or simply stuck in the past, rather than one considered to be a building block of the future.

But the truth of the matter is this industry is at the epicenter of exciting things, the success of which relies on many diverse perspectives and ideas.

It's the people that truly make the metal industry. And those people come from different backgrounds and experiences. They each have different perspectives of metal and the role in plays in society today.

Innovation, problem-solving, and creativity thrive when a workforce is comprised of people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences

These are the stories that embody that reality, told by the individuals that experience it every day.

“One thing I learned a long time ago is that these jobs are taught on the floor … there is no college that will teach you how to run a slitter or a cut-to-length machine …” - Tim Monhollen.

Tim Monhollen is an operations manager in Atlanta. He knows what it takes to build a successful career in metal. And it centers on hard work.

“Being a woman in the metals industry, you need to put the work in, but you also need to advocate for yourself.” - Sarah Moran.

Sarah Moran has been advocating for herself and for women pursuing a career in metal for quite some time. Organizations like AWMI (Association of Women in the Metal Industries) have been instrumental to her career, and she prides herself on paying it forward.

Like Sarah, Michelle McCabe didn't exactly envision herself pursuing a career in metal. This even though she grew up in 'Steel Town' Hamilton, Ontario.

But today, she is a strong advocate for women in the metals industry and is for helping others “take ownership of their career.”

And of course, those who are in metal today never quite grasped just how essential this metal is in our everyday lives. That is, until they began working in this industry.

As Jason Pounders describes, “Metal is all around us … it's everywhere. It's an exciting time to work in the metals industry.”