BUSINESS NEWS
The more things have changed for Fuller Industries Inc.’s new Vice President of Operations Phyllis Jones, the more they’ve stayed the same.
Jones assumed her new role about a month ago, moving from the Dallas, Texas, area. There she was a senior director of operations for the ZEP Company, another leading cleaning product maker, overseeing sites in Texas, Arizona and Canada.
“I am getting settled in and am hitting the ground running,” said the St. Louis, Mo., native. With a laugh, she said she hasn’t seen much of the community yet as she is still getting her bearings at Fuller.
There was some culture shock moving from a metropolis like Dallas to a smaller city like Great Bend and she didn’t know what to expect. “But the people have been surprisingly friendly. They’ve been very welcoming.”
She was familiar with the name Fuller, but not everything the legacy manufacturer did. She was impressed.
“There is a slight overlap in products between Fuller and ZEP,” she said. She appreciates the niche Fuller is filling with its mission of moving to more environmentally friendly commercial cleaners and janitorial products.
“Phyllis brings a wealth of experience to the Fuller team,” said Joe Mann, Fuller vice president and general manager. “Her hiring was part of our continuing effort to bring in the best and brightest here as we position ourselves for the future.”
Jones, who is a chemical engineer, got her undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala. She earned her two master’s degrees at Webster University in St. Louis.
She will manage Fuller’s day-to-day operations and ensure they are efficient and cost-effective, Mann said. This will include planning, coordinating and directing activities.
“I am looking forward to the challenge,” Jones said. “It is exciting to be where the focus is on expansion and utilizing the latest in technology.”
Right out of the gate, she is working with Fuller’s integration of the operations from a sister factory in Canada at the Great Bend facility. This involves the installation of new equipment and the hiring of new personnel.
Jones is a sports enthusiast, having been a multi-sport athlete playing softball, basketball and volleyball. She also enjoys watching basketball from the high school level to the pros.
In addition, she loves going to the movies, especially romantic comedies, and binge-watching television.
She has four grown children.