Being reared in a family of five siblings can provide ample opportunities to learn about teamwork, collaboration, and taking responsibility seriously.

These skills would prove to come in handy for Werhner Washington, the new plant manager of the Proctor & Gamble (P&G) paper manufacturing facility in Albany, Ga. The plant produces Bounty paper towels and Charmin toilet paper.

“I believe in strong collaboration and cultivating a culture of ownership,” said Washington, who got his start in manufacturing as a process engineer at that very facility in 1985. Now, 30 years later and having worked at a number of different P&G plants in the country, as well as the company’s Cincinnati, Ohio, headquarters, Washington is back in Albany.

“When I first arrived at the Albany plant, the plant manager job looked so large,” he said. “When I left 11 years later, I dreamed I would one day have that job.”

Now he does, running one of P&G’s largest plants — both in total number of employees and physical space.

Washington is the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s (GaMEP) May Face of Manufacturing.

Each month, GaMEP highlights an individual in the state’s manufacturing sector to emphasize just how important a role the industry plays in Georgia’s economy. As a sector, manufacturing employs 365,000. Beyond the numbers, however, the Faces of Manufacturing initiative illustrates how companies economically sustain the communities they call home.

It’s certainly something Washington sees in running the manufacturing plant, the largest in Dougherty County. “It’s humbling to be part of the largest manufacturer in the county. Our team is aware that for every one P&G job at this plant, three to four other jobs have been created within the state of Georgia,” Washington said. “That’s a tremendous responsibility to have, and I take it on my shoulders as the leader to keep this plant strong for the team and for the community.”

These companies are integral to their communities’ economic strength, but they have personal impact, too. That fits into Washington’s philosophy of giving back to Albany personally and professionally.

He sits on the board of Albany Technical College and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and is deeply involved in civic efforts to strengthen the regional economy.

All of those efforts, he said, circle back to his original passion, manufacturing, which he believes he was born to do.

“It’s this passion and day-to-day appreciation for the opportunities that I’ve had that has kept me happy all of these years and provided me the chance to come back home,” Washington said. “And for that — I will forever be grateful.”

By Péralte C. Paul

About the Faces of Manufacturing 

Each month, GaMEP will highlight a different person as the Face of Manufacturing. Those chosen as the Face of Manufacturing will be selected by a 12-member committee composed of representatives from Georgia Tech, economic development groups, manufacturing companies, and related associations.