Behind the Scenes: How Edgewell's Manufacturing Team Makes Your Favorite Products a Reality

When most people think of Edgewell’s brands, they likely think of our products on shelf and online, the catchy advertising, iconic logos or creative merchandising that’s done to capture a consumer's interest. But what does it take to get that product onto the shelf? How many people in supply chain have worked to ensure that product is available? You’d probably be surprised!

Of Edgewell’s 7,000+ teammates, approximately 74% work in a supply chain function with the purpose of ensuring that the right products get to market when and where our consumers need it.

In Dover, DE we manufacture Edgewell’s feminine care brands, such as Playtex Sport tampons, Carefree liners and Stayfree pads. We have over 500 people who work all hours to transform raw materials into our finished products. We have always understood, and I think the pandemic strengthened this belief, that our product is essential. If it’s not available, it will negatively impact womens’ lives. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.

As the Director of Operations for Edgewell’s Feminine Care category, I’m also acutely aware that I am responsible for the livelihood of the 500+ people that work in our Dover plant. My focus is to ensure we make the highest quality products and deliver them to our consumers at a cost-effective price. We must do this while also ensuring the safety and well-being of our teammates. A huge accomplishment this past year is that we have been able to hire and retain more talent, which allows a greater work-life balance for our team. In addition, we have continued to focus on our corporate purpose and values, and how that enables us to perform better as a team. This year we began the rollout of our Purpose, Values and Behaviors Teambuilding sessions and will finish the plantwide rollout in October. While we have many technical accomplishments we can celebrate, making sure our people are protected, find a sense of fulfillment in their roles and see growth opportunities for themselves is what we celebrate the most!

Edgewell Operations, Quality and R&D Leaders from our Dover, DE Location

I have worked in operations for over 25 years and the focus has not always been on our teammates, and my time hasn’t always been easy. Being a woman in operations has meant that many times I am the only woman in a room full of men. My strengths, including leading with empathy and harmony, were not always recognized as strengths because they were so different than many of my male peers. As I navigated those rooms and eventually came into a position where I was able to lead large teams, it has been important to me to cultivate a diverse workplace. I want to make sure that people can see someone like themselves in their leaders – whether it be their gender, race, sexuality, etc. I’ve been at our Dover location for the last six years and I’m really proud of how the leadership team has evolved at Edgewell over the years, and I look forward to a continued evolution.

The next time you’re in a store or browsing online and you see a product of ours, I hope you think about the hundreds, potentially thousands, of people that it took to get that item there. I know we think of our consumers when we’re making it!

If you’re interested in learning more about Edgewell and its opportunities, find out more at Edgewell.com