Jessica Farrell started in the materials handling sector when she took on the role of sales person with Union Machinery in Missouri at the age of 18. She liked it so much, she bought the company!

Union Machinery has recently transitioned to being 100% female-owned - possibly the first, but if not, certainly one of a few - with Farrell at the helm as president and her sister Jamie Emo in the position of vice president.

Together they go by the TikTok handle @forkliftsisters.

Union Machinery was founded in 1993 and services the Eastern Missouri and St Louis metro area. It is the exclusive Unicarriers Forklift dealer for the region and also represents Komatsu Forklift and Reaco Industrial Battery.

The business now boasts 35 staff with a management structure of men and women.

Farrell explains when the original owner of the business retired, he offered her the chance to take ownership of the company she had worked in for more than a decade-and-a-half. Farrell then offered her sister Emo the chance to also become an owner in the business.

Emo’s background was in video production and graphic design - which has come in handy for marketing the business - but it did mean a steep learning curve for her.

“I was stepping out of my norm entirely and entering an uncharted territory,” Jamie explains. “After a brief hesitation, I realised this job was a lot about making friends and self-promoting as well as simply promoting a great product line. Which are all things I have experience with. 

“Of course it took a while to learn the walk and talk of the material handling industry, but I stuck to it. Five years have gone by and I still feel like I am learning every day.”

With a high profile on social media, the @forkliftsisters have become industry known and they relish the reputation, but back this up with industry knowledge and service.

“I had to prove that I could do everything just as well as a man in the same position,” Farrell says of her career in the materials handling sector. “It wasn’t easy; people didn’t trust a woman in the man’s world. Not at first, but I kept going and stayed persistent. 

“Over time I built strong relationships and earned the trust of many large accounts and became known all across St. Louis.”

When asked what the materials handling sector can do to encourage more women to join it, Farrell believes the answer is “nothing”.

“I think the [industry does] typically support them,” she clarifies. “I just think more women need to be aware of these types of positions. I think women can sometimes work harder to prove themselves in an all-male industry.  And the harder you work in sales, the luckier you get!”