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Erica Owensby

Group Leader | Dayton, Ohio

Erica Owensby knew that her old job sorting uniforms at a clothing manufacturer was a dead-end gig.

"There was no room for advancement there," she says. "I wanted to do something different, to move forward."

So Owensby applied for a job as a machine operator at Cobasys, a company that makes hybrid batteries for cars. "I hadn't heard about hybrid batteries before," she says. "I thought it sounded cool."

The work also gave her the career growth that she sought. Four years into the job, the native Daytonian and member of IUE-CWA Local 84755 moved up into a supervisory position as a group leader. She now trains new employees and helps make sure that the shop runs smoothly.

"Our jobs are the jobs of the future," says Owensby, whose husband was recently laid off from his job making seats for GM cars. "A lot of companies have closed down, but we seem to be holding on. I thank God we're still able to produce our batteries."

last revised 6/11/2009