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New local CSP plant manager a first for company

Continental Structural Plastics’ new Huntington Plant Manager, Karen Williams (left) discusses production with Shelly Pressler, quality auditor, and Marcy Strange, production supervisor, both of the Huntington plant. Williams is the first female plant manager of the company.
Continental Structural Plastics’ new Huntington Plant Manager, Karen Williams (left) discusses production with Shelly Pressler, quality auditor, and Marcy Strange, production supervisor, both of the Huntington plant. Williams is the first female plant manager of the company. Photo provided.

Continental Structural Plastics (CSP), a world leader in vehicle lightweighting technologies, has announced the promotion of Karen Williams to plant manager of the Huntington manufacturing facility.

Williams becomes the first female to be named to a plant management position in the company’s more than 50 years in operations.

As plant manager, Williams will oversee all operational aspects of the 340,000 square-foot Huntington manufacturing facility. The Huntington plant, which recently underwent a significant expansion to support future customer programs, currently employs approximately 400 hourly and salaried employees. The facility manufactures Class A Body Panels for the GM Corvette, the Ford Raptor and the Lincoln Navigator.

“Karen brings extensive experience to this position, having been in the automotive industry for 20 years and the composites business for the past 12 years,” said Jerry Reid, regional operations director for CSP. “Her overall business acumen, leadership ability and internal drive to continuously improve solidified my decision to promote Karen to plant manager of the Huntington operations.”

Williams, who joined CSP in 2010, most recently served as the corporate quality manager. In this position she was the primary point of contact for product quality related to launches across multiple CSP facilities. This included creating and tracking plant-level metrics, customer reporting and supplier audits. Prior to this position, she served as a quality manager and a quality engineer for CSP. She’s also held positions of increasing responsibility with Meridian Automotive Systems and Aerotek Corporation.

“Karen has demonstrated both the capacity and the leadership qualities needed to excel at CSP,” said Steve Rooney, CSP CEO. “She played a significant role in taking the Huntington plant from a brownfield site to a premier supplier of automotive exterior body panels. I look forward to seeing how she continues to apply her skills and dedication as the leader of this world-class manufacturing facility.”

Williams holds her MBA from Indiana University and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Kettering University. She is married, has four children and resides in the Fort Wayne area.