She attended the Career Center in high school from 10th through 12th grades, then referred to as Vo-Tech, in Drafting Class. The class, now known as Pre-Engineering, was taught by William Busche. The class is still taught in the same room today, but it looks quite different now.

“We had just received the computers and had to teach ourselves how to use CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) because Mr. Busche didn’t know how to use them,” Toscano recalls.

During her time in Drafting Class, she sat next to Brad Bielawski and the two quickly became friends.

“I believe it’s because we were both passionate about the subject. We were both among the first inductees into the Vocational National Honors Society at the Vo-Tech,” Toscano continued.

The Washington State ferry featured at Seattle Mariners’ baseball games this year.

After high school, Toscano was working in a job where she was able to apply what she had learned at the Career Center. One of their clients at the job was Whirley-Drinkworks! in Warren.

When she found out she was having a baby and needed insurance, she decided to apply at Whirley.

Bielawski, her friend and classmate, went directly to Whirley after high school. He started out as an equipment designer, working under Dave Klenck. Toscano started as a mold designer, designing the molds that make the cups that Whirley is famous for.

Toscano eventually moved to the Product Engineering Department and when that department needed a new designer, the first name that popped into her head was her old friend.

“I recommended Brad for a move because of his exceptional creativity. Having experienced his innovative thinking firsthand during our high school drafting class, I knew we possessed the skills necessary to design the next generation of products for our company.”

PIctured are Ruth Toscano, Brad Bielawski and William Busche, Vo-Tech teacher.

On March 26, “Good Morning America” on ABC did a report from T-Mobile Park in Seattle, home of the Mariners baseball team, on the opening day of baseball season. The reporter showed what he called “the best souvenir food container in baseball.” It was a plastic model of a Washington State ferry and it was filled with chicken tenders and French fries with dipping sauces on each end.

This product was created and designed by Toscano’s team at Whirley Drinkworks!. It was a proud moment for her when she saw her team’s hard work come to fruition and now be highlighted on national TV. It also highlighted a part of Whirley that not many people know about. A growing part of the company that is about much more than just cups.

“People always say to me ‘Oh you make the cups.’ Yes we do, but we do so much more than that. Whirley and our Family of Brands is a promotional advertising company for the food and beverage company.” Toscano said, full of pride.

A tour through Toscano’s and Bielawski’s department in Whirley showed exactly what she was talking about. There was a tall shelf on one wall that displayed some of their past products. There were products made for Disney, Universal, Tim Hortons, Major League baseball teams, NHL teams, and so much more. There was a Zamboni machine that held Timbits, a hockey stick that held beverages, an Iron Man Infinity Gauntlet cup holder and, of course, the Seattle ferry boat.

Toscano showed a lesser known Disney character called Figment, a purple dragon who is the mascot for the Journey Into Imagination attraction at Epcot that debuted in 1983. He was designed into a popcorn bucket that was sold at Disney’s Epcot Park.

Word got out ahead of time that the Figment popcorn bucket would be debuting at the park and when that day arrived, people waited in line for seven hours to get their own. That bucket was designed and first created right here in their Warren office.

Bielawski is now the Industrial Product Designer II and the customer’s vision starts with him. He designs the product, often using a Haptic device. This pen simulates the feeling of touch, allowing him to feel, manipulate, and sculpt a virtual ball of clay in 3D. With this device, you can actually feel that ball of clay on the screen.

After the product is designed, the team creates a prototype using their own 3D printer in the office. They are then able to show the customer their vision in a working model. This has much more of a ‘wow’ factor than just showing a design on a piece of paper.

“As a kid, I wanted to be an architect because of its blend of art and engineering,” Bielawski said. “Life didn’t quite work out that way but Industrial Design has much of that same flavor. And now, in a way, I’ve come full circle, reimagining some of my favorite architectural landmarks as sippers, ice cream bowls, and popcorn buckets.”

Toscano is now the Director of Engineering, managing a team of 13 people. She oversees the product engineering team, which includes industrial designers, plastic engineers, project managers, and equipment designers. She also manages the machine shop which includes CNC machinists and mold maintenance technicians. Additionally, she oversees Whirley’s Intellectual Property (IP), which includes managing the company’s parents and leading the R&D team.

On the wall next to Bielawski’s desk, there is a photo that was cut out from the Times Observer all those years ago of Toscano and Bielawski as Career Center students with their Drafting teacher, Mr. Busche. Neither of them dreamed then that they would spend their careers together at Whirley.

Bielawski has been at Whirley for over 32 years and Toscano has been there for over 31 years. Time moves fast and there is always a new project to work on. Holidays can be an especially busy time and with a six month lead time, they work out of sync with the calendar. Bielawski just finished up a Halloween project and when October rolls around, he’ll likely be working on Easter.

“It’s like seasonal jet lag,” Bielawski observed.

About her time at Whirley, Toscano says, “Working at Whirley has been a transformative experience for me. The company truly sees the potential in each person and is committed to investing in our growth. Through their dedicated coaching and mentorship programs, I’ve been able to develop my skills and advance into a role that perfectly fits my abilities. Whirley’s support has not only helped me grow professionally but has also made a significant impact on my personal development.”

Toscano has also found her way back to farming. She built a house on her family’s property in Pittsfield and now raises beef cows.

“I have discovered that raising beef cows brings me immense joy and serves as a great stress reliever from my job. There’s something soothing about tending to animals. It truly helps melt away the stress from the job.”

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