From Intern to Plant Manager: What a Difference (less than) a Decade Makes

“JM has given me a lot of opportunities; I just had to be ready to take them,” says Chris Sheffield.

The 35-year-old Plant Manager in Willows, California, has risen through the ranks at Johns Manville quickly over the past nine years since joining as an intern.

He joined Johns Manville in 2016 after serving four years in the U.S. Army, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant, and the summer before earning his degree in engineering at Chico State University in California.

“I liked the internship,” Sheffield recalled. “I did a lot of listening,” he added. “I just tried to be a resource for (my team) whenever I could.”

Likening the internship experience to his military basic training, Sheffield said, “Being an intern, people expect you to want to learn. The seasoned people are expected to share what they know, and they do it.”

He continued, “It’s crazy the amount of information you gather just by listening.”

Soon, he joined the company full-time as a developmental engineer. Just a year later, he moved into a project engineer role.

As he progressed in his career with Johns Manville, Sheffield kept listening and watching while communicating to leadership that he was interested in moving up, while working to ensure he was prepared for each next step.

“At JM, it’s not just about putting someone’s name on the list; it’s putting them on the path and making them ready, not just hoping they’re ready,” he said. “(That way) it’s your job to lose when the time comes up.”

Sheffield credits fellow plant employees, past and present, for their time, talents and generosity in helping him ascend to his current role. He specifically points to former plant managers Tom Lowe and Mike Goldsworthy for their guidance and support.

“(Coworkers) have shared their knowledge and been accommodating in their specialties,” he said. “I am very lucky with the team we have here. It’s a very strong team, and everyone is very good at what they do.”

At Johns Manville, he said, “People generally want to help you. Not every job you go to will people have your back like they do here. I know I could call pretty much anyone and they’d say, ‘let me grab my boots.’”

When asked what tips he would offer others looking to progress in their careers at Johns Manville, Sheffield pointed to proactivity, listening and preparedness.

Specifically, he advised familiarizing oneself with the job descriptions of roles to be eventually sought and ensuring you have the required skills.

“They’re giving you the test to study off of in the job descriptions,” he said. “You have a road map for what experience you need to get the job.”

He continued, “If you didn’t put in the work, (the decision) is not going to be up to you,” he said. “Set yourself up so when the opportunity comes up, you’re ready.”

Sheffield said he is “super thankful” to Johns Manville for having “given me so many opportunities”

“JM makes it a point to build our teams up with the expectation you’re going to move up into higher levels of responsibility,” he said. “They wouldn’t put you in a position that you couldn’t do with a little help.”