Her Story
About Kate
Kate Jones is an Inventory Analyst-Outsourced Procurement Specialist at Wheeler Machinery Co., where she manages vendor relationships with more than 300 allied suppliers and oversees the outsourced procurement of OEM and aftermarket Caterpillar and allied machine components. With roughly three years of experience in the mining and construction sector, her background spans demand forecasting, inventory analysis, stocking-trend evaluation, blueprint review, and custom parts orders, much of it built on strong Excel and SQL skills developed while supporting large-scale mining operations. Before joining Wheeler Machinery, she gained hands-on experience across several roles in the underground mining supply chain, including as a Supply Chain Coordinator at Barminco supporting multimillion-dollar underground development projects, a Parts Runner coordinating spare parts delivery for Nevada Gold Mines, and a Warehouse Team Lead at Sandvik, where she conducted complex inventory audits and personally recovered over $2.5 million in previously written-off inventory.
A 2021 high school graduate, Jones is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management at Truckee Meadows Community College while continuing to advance her career full-time, and she holds a CPIM certification as a Certified Planning Professional, which was sponsored by her employer. She credits much of her professional growth to the discipline her parents instilled in her and to her own ongoing commitment to self-improvement, noting that learning to ask thoughtful questions of leadership has been especially valuable in building her confidence and accelerating her development. Her guiding career philosophy centers on staying authentic, she believes professionals should never alter who they are simply to fit into a workplace, and instead should focus on continually finding ways to grow while remaining true to their values.
Jones is guided in both her professional and personal life by honesty, integrity, kindness, and family, and she places particular emphasis on treating others with compassion. She encourages young women entering the mining and supply chain industry to prepare for occasional discouragement, develop resilience, and stay focused rather than letting negativity affect their confidence. Looking ahead, she is optimistic about how responsibly applied AI and software tools can streamline supply chain processes and improve efficiency, while she also recognizes that recruiting and retaining a motivated workforce for physically demanding shift work remains one of the industry's most pressing challenges.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kate
01What do you attribute your success to?
I owe much of my success to the drive my parents instilled in me from an early age, along with my constant desire to improve myself. Learning to come out of my shell and feel comfortable asking questions has also played a major role in my growth. I've found that asking thoughtful questions, especially of leadership, shows curiosity, confidence, and initiative, and it has genuinely accelerated my professional development.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to stand firmly in my values and stay authentic. I don't believe in changing who I am, how I speak, or how I present myself just to fit into a workplace or land a job. Instead, I try to remain fully true to myself while always looking for ways to grow. I regularly ask myself what I can do better, how I can make today better, and how I can go above and beyond.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to women entering this field is to be prepared and to develop thick skin. You may encounter discouragement or people who question whether you belong, but I encourage you not to let those comments shake your confidence. Instead, laugh them off, stay focused, and never let others see that their negativity is getting to you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I see a lot of opportunity in how AI and software development are reshaping the workplace. Used responsibly, these tools can streamline processes, improve efficiency, and make our work more effective overall. At the same time, one of our biggest challenges is finding and retaining a motivated workforce, particularly for demanding roles involving long shifts and physically challenging work. It can be difficult to find people willing to consistently show up, perform safely and productively, and maintain a positive attitude.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, integrity, kindness, and family are the values that matter most to me. Kindness holds particular importance in my life because I believe there's never a good reason to be unnecessarily unkind to another person, and I think the world could always use more compassion.
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