by Sheila Helmberger
A Renaissance Woman -Twyla Flaws
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photos by Joey Halvorson
There’s a lot to talk about with Twyla Flaws. She lives in Merrifield in a home she built 11 years ago, and there’s a 10 point buck hanging on the wall that she shot herself hunting alone on her property five years ago. She belongs to a book club and enjoys learning new things, such as designing jewelry and even painting, something she tried earlier this fall. She also has a job she loves in a company where 90 percent of the employees are the opposite sex. You might think that could present some challenges at work. “Not a bit,” she says. “I’ve never had issues.” Twyla is the human resources manager at Clow Stamping Company in Merrifield. The company performs metal stamping and fabrication work for clients such as Kawasaki, John Deere and some 500 other customers. “It’s physical and highly industrial work,” says Twyla, “So it’s traditionally been an occupation men have gravitated to. But manufacturing has changed significantly over the years. Equipment has become high tech with the use of robotics, computer operated lasers and cad engineering and design. It’s challenging, rewarding, high demanding and high paying but a safe occupation,” She says, “There are a handful of women working our production and they’re good at what they do.” She would love to see more students, particularly women, take a close look at a manufacturing/engineering career. Twyla says she actually has her mother to thank for the job she’s had for three decades. “They were looking for a receptionist/secretary at Clow and my mother interviewed,” she says, “After the interview she came home and told me, ‘Holy Cow! I can’t do that Twyla Flaws, human resource manager at Clow Stamping with her horse, Obie and at work with Tim Yeager, (top) Kris Peterzen, Robin Loftis (middle) and (bottom) Oscar Shogren (left) and Bruce Rugloski. 32
SPRING 2012 | her voice
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2/3/12 12:04 PM