Workforce and Education

Michelle Barnhart knows firsthand that disabled workers can thrive in and contribute to manufacturing firms—she is living proof of it.

Not only did manufacturing give her a first shot at a rewarding career as a high school grad, but it gave her another opportunity for success after an injury off the job left her paralyzed.

• “I often say that manufacturing saved me multiple times throughout my life,” Barnhart reflected.

Finding her path: After graduating from high school, Barnhart didn’t see a clear path forward. Through a local unemployment office, she was placed as a second shift contingent worker at a local ink manufacturer.

• What could have been a temporary role quickly became a permanent pathway as she found herself thriving on the shop floor. Over time, she moved up the ranks to become a first shift team lead.

An unforeseen change: Years into her career, Barnhart’s life changed in an instant. An injury in her personal life left her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, facing an uncertain future.

• But her company supported her, helping her transition into an order entry and customer service role so she could stay in the industry she loved.

A career shift: But the manufacturing floor kept calling. While searching for a job where her wheelchair was not a barrier to shop floor operations, she found The Timken Company, a global technology leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion.

• Though she started as a floor supervisor at Timken’s Keene, New Hampshire, facility, Barnhart soon switched to a role in human resources, a decision shaped by the support she received from her employer’s HR team after her injury.
• Now in her 10th year at Timken, she serves as HR manager at the company’s Lincolnton, North Carolina, bearing plant.

A recognized leader: Barnhart’s outstanding leadership at Timken earned her recognition as a 2026 STEP Ahead Emerging Leader by the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education affiliate.

• The awards honor 145 outstanding leaders in manufacturing, from the shop floor to the C-suite, who are helping the next generation see themselves in modern manufacturing careers.

Leading with inclusion: Barnhart’s leadership at Timken has included establishing the Celebrating Allies Network, a grassroots employee resource group at Timken that supports individuals with physical and mental disabilities, as well as caregivers, through informational and intersectional programming.

• In 2025, CAN reached more than 475 Timken employees across the U.S.
• “Inclusion drives performance. It really is a pretty simple formula,” said Barnhart. “When people feel valued, when people feel supported, they’re more engaged. When they’re more engaged, they’re more innovative. When they’re more innovative, they’re more committed. And this directly ties back to safety, quality [and] delivery.”

The next generation: A devoted mentor of many younger employees over the years, and one grateful to her own set of guides, Barnhart is going further in supporting the next generation of manufacturing workers by pursuing a Ph.D. at Capella University.

• Her research focuses on the barriers to manufacturing employment for people with physical disabilities from the perspective of frontline supervisors.
• “We’re trying to come up with unique or creative ways to fill [open manufacturing] roles. Certainly we need to be looking into the disability population, as that is one of the higher unemployment rates across the U.S.,” said Barnhart.

The last word: “If you do not see yourself reflected in this industry, that is the exact reason why you need to join. You belong here. We want you here,” said Barnhart. “Give it a chance and see if it can save your life as it did for me two times over now.”