The Doraville, GA Recycling Plant welcomed 24 manufacturing professionals for an insightful plant tour, organized in partnership with Women in Manufacturing (WiM) – Georgia organization. The Women in Manufacturing Association (WiM) is a global trade association that supports, promotes, and inspires women in the manufacturing industry, welcoming members from all job functions and sectors.
The event kicked off with an introduction from Brian McMichen, Doraville General Manager, alongside Beyonca Padgett, Account Manager, and Ashley Thurman-McGraw, Office Manager. Together they provided an overview of Greif through informative presentations and engaging videos, and emphasized the company’s dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The session also included a Question & Answer segment, where attendees could ask detailed questions and gain deeper insights into Greif’s operations and recycling methods. A wide range of questions were asked with most attendees wanting to know what types of materials can be recycled as well as what materials are handled in Doraville. They also wanted to know where the material was shipped to and how it was used.
Brian McMichen then took the group on a guided tour of the Doraville Recycling Plant. The tour offered a behind-the-scenes look at the recycling process, from the initial collection and sorting of materials to the final stages of transformation into reusable products. Tour participants were impressed by the state-of-the-art technology and the plant’s precision operations, which play a crucial role in reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices in the manufacturing industry. The experience was both educational and inspiring, and encouraged WiM attendees to explore similar initiatives in their own companies.
Both Ashley and Beyonca are members of WiM – Georgia and they collaborated on the planning for the Doraville tour. Ashley shared, “I attended a plant tour sponsored by WiM – Georgia in 2024 at another facility, and while I was there, one of their board members asked if Greif would be willing to host a tour of our recycling plant. After getting approval from Michelle Presley and Brian McMichen, I let her know we’d be happy to. Beyonca Padgett was a huge help in planning this event.”
“We were honored to host the Women in Manufacturing group at our recycling plant in Doraville. They were very engaged and eager to learn about the specific materials we recycle and the equipment we use to process the material. We also explained the relationship between the recycling plants and the paper mills, as well as the offerings that Greif has as a whole,” explained Beyonca.
If you are interested, click here to learn more about the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) trade association.
