Shelly Wiseman started her career 25 years ago at Strongwell Corp. as a contract employee. Her career trajectory was led by her desire to learn and lead, and she felt the pultruder of fiber-reinforced composites and its product offerings provided a new frontier for alternative building materials.
Her first full-time role with the Bristol, Va.-based company was as an administrative assistant.
"Eventually, her mastery of ISO documentation protocols advanced her into the position of ISO document controller. Her knowledge of pultrusion machine operations, shipping and delivery logistics, plant loading and inventory elevated her to the positions of planner and master scheduler for our Virginia operations group," according to Wiseman's Women Breaking the Mold questionnaire.
Wiseman then led the purchasing department as a purchasing manager. Now, as the materials manager, she handles production logistics planning and assigns the correct raw materials with production machines in accordance to promised ship dates for more than 40 machines for two facilities.
"Shelly has spent the past 25 years working in multiple positions throughout our operations group to find new ways of accumulating and sharing legacy knowledge silos with all-new and existing team members. This has created better cohesion amongst supporting team members and written processes," her survey said.
Wiseman also received the 2023 Woman of the Year from the Southwest Virginia Alliance of Manufacturing for the management category.
Wiseman said she looks up to and strives to emulate her father. He worked for an automotive production company for his whole life, eventually becoming its plant manager and then regional manager. "He found a way to balance home/work and lived a life of integrity," said Wiseman, who added that her husband, Heath, shares many traits with her father regarding empathy and dedication to family.
In her spare time, Wiseman is involved with her local Down syndrome support group; Bristol Champions group, dedicated to sports access for individuals with disabilities; and local church as a hospitality lead. She is also enrolled in the Virginia Economic Development Partnership's Supply Chain Optimization program.
Looking toward the future, Wiseman said she wants to become a better mentor "to help others achieve their goals and then to be there to celebrate with them."
