Dedicated and Driven: AlphaUSA’s Shelly McMahon

November 2019

Today, she is the Vice President for Material Management but that was not the position Shelly McMahon first hired in at AlphaUSA. She has had a long-history as a dedicated employee and hard worker. 

She has been employed with AlphaUSA for more than 19 years and “I have loved just about every moment,” she said. “Alpha is truly a family company and a great one to work for.  This company has offered me many opportunities.”

When she started her career at AlphaUSA in August of 2000, she was answering phones as the receptionist.  “I quickly proved myself and moved onto becoming a Customer Service Representative,” she noted.  “From there, I moved into the EDI Coordinator position and then Program Management.”

In 2008 she was asked to work in purchasing.  “I, again, proved myself with my abilities and worked my way up into the Purchasing Department,” she recalled. “While working full time, my husband and I are raising our three children.”

Her oldest son turned 16 in March, her daughter turned 11 in February and her youngest son will be turning 6 this December. “It’s a handful balancing work-life but it’s worth it,” she said. “I love working for AlphaUSA and I love my family.”

In addition to her duties as VP of Management, this past year, she was named Vice Chair of the East Michigan Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), which is the full-service trade association representing the $137-billion metalforming industry of North America.

The East Michigan District has an active base of metalforming company members in and around Detroit, Michigan.  The district programs offer excellent opportunities to network locally, build useful business relationships and expand professional expertise. “As the Vice Chair, I help organize events and build membership participation/numbers,” said Shelly.

She is also a member of Women in Manufacturing (WiM) which originated from PMA. WiM is the only national trade association dedicated to providing year-round support to women who have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry. “This is another great organization with excellent networking opportunities and ways to expand professionally.”

Another organization Shelly is involved in is Association of Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI), an organization of professionals to promote and develop the growth of women in the metal industries. AWMI believes that women in similar industries can benefit themselves and their companies through relationships, education and shared knowledge. “Again, another great organization for networking,” she noted. “I love to get out there, meet new people, build relationships, learn about our industry and networking is one of the best ways.  All three of these organizations offer great opportunities.”