Her Story
About Holly
Holly Houser is a dedicated production professional based in Jonestown, Pennsylvania. A 1993 high school graduate, she began her career that September at the Hershey Company's Paul Meyer Warehouse in co-packing and transitioned to the main plant in 1997, remaining there until 2012. She later worked in manufacturing and co-packing at the Worrell Corporation and produced Starbucks Frappuccino at Dairy Farmers of America. Houser attributes her success to setting daily goals, being dependable, honest, reliable, and a hard worker who mentors others. She values honesty, responsibility, dependability, and compassion in both her professional and personal life. Outside of work, she sponsors a child through Compassion International in the Philippines. Houser is preparing to begin a new role as a machine operator at Pratt and Whitney, where she will contribute to the production of commercial and military airplane parts through tasks such as small-scale welding, soldering, and machining. She advises young women entering production to stay positive, seek mentors, learn continuously, and cross-train whenever possible.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Holly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a goal in mind and aiming for that every day, trying to succeed and be better every day. People know that you're dependable, honest, reliable, a hard worker, someone they can come to with questions or for help, and be someone they can look to for guidance.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to learn everything you can because the more you learn, the more money you can make. Cross-train on everything and have the mindset to learn as much as possible.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
This is the path that you want to take. Don't let people deter you. Find a person that can mentor you and guide you through the process. Stay positive. Everybody started out at the very bottom. Learn, absorb, don't be afraid to ask questions, especially if you don't understand something. Everybody learns at their own pace and own way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is finding another job that pays decent because of mortgage, utilities, and all those expenses. It's hard to find a well-paying job in production, especially in a small community where there aren't many production jobs. You have to look in different areas and find something matching your experience and qualifications.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, being responsible and dependable, someone that's going to be there for you in the good and the bad, have your back when people are talking about you. People need to be more compassionate.
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