Michelle Stofan,
Vice-President Garner Products.

In recognition of International Women’s Month, the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SVMA), would like to recognize some of the Women in Manufacturing in the Sacramento Region and share their stories with the region’s manufacturers.  If you know of a woman in manufacturing, or a woman contemplating her future in manufacturing, please share these stories, and inspire the next the generation of manufacturing excellence.

Michelle Stofan serves as the Vice-President of Garner Products, a role she has served for 20 years.  Garner Products is a 60 year old, family-owned company that  designs, manufactures and sells data destruction equipment that delivers complete, permanent, verifiable data elimination.

Prior to her leadership role at Garner Products, Michelle was a prosecutor at the district attorney’s office as well as providing insurance defense and transactional law legal services.

Michelle’s favorite part of her job is the variety of challenges that she faces daily including international trade, human resources, contractual issues and marketing.   These hands-on responsibilities have supported the rapid growth of Garner Products.  In 2019 Garner Products was awarded the President’s “E” award for Exporting Excellence.  To date, Garner Products are “Made in the USA” and sold to businesses and governments in over 100 countries.

Michelle noted that being a “Woman In Manufacturing” is not a challenge, but a privilege.  Every day is another opportunity to work with a talented and skilled team who come work with innovative solutions and turn these ideas into tangible products that solve customers’ problems, AND keep our personal data secure.

Michelle added that her word of advance to women interested in manufacturing, “Don’t be intimidated, step outside of your comfort zone.”  In 2022 Michelle challenged herself and enrolled in a 7-week computer numerically controlled programming and machining class at Sierra College so that she could better understand the challenges that her machinists face every day.  “It is incredibly satisfying designing and making parts out of chunks of aluminum.”

SVMA president, Kevin McGrew shared his thoughts about Michelle.  “Michelle and Garner Products were founding members of SVMA in 2018.  Michelle has always been at the table, advocating for the small manufacturers (less than 50 employees), which represent 94% of the region’s manufacturers.