While women in woodworking are becoming more common, Heather Hull-Scarpelli stands out for the less-traditional role she holds in the workplace – that of a technical sales specialist.

Involved in the woodworking industry for approximately 12 years, Hull-Scarpelli learned the market from the ground up, first as a receptionist, then as a scheduling coordinator for Stiles Machinery.

“I would process the FSRs’ [field service representatives] paperwork and discovered that what they were doing was something I was very interested in. I started reading manuals in my spare time and would go out in the showroom with FSRs to see how each machine worked. I took a few electrical classes at the local community college and was able to prove that I could do the job,” she says.

In 2007 Hull-Scarpelli became a field service representative troubleshooting and installing equipment. Today she is using that knowledge and experience in her new role as an E-Tech Sales Specialist on the west coast.

As an E-Tech Sales Specialist, her job at Stiles Machinery is “to be the solution,” Hull-Scarpelli says. “E-Tech is short for Enhancement Technologies – I tell my customers that my goal is to enhance their machines, enhance their production, and enhance their facilities.”

Her experience as a field service representative, aids in these endeavors. “A large part of my job also is to promote our Rebuild department,” she adds of the company’s ability to reconstruct gluepots, motors, drill blocks, etc. “We are not limited to our own brand of equipment. In fact, it doesn’t matter what brand of machinery you have, we can help you.”

Always eager to share her knowledge, Hull-Scarpelli also serves as an adjunct faculty member for Stiles Education.