Stingray Boats has announced Chad Helms as its chief manufacturing officer, effective immediately. Helms will oversee the manufacturing process for the boatbuilder and its associated team members, with a focus on process standardization and commitment to quality.
Helms comes to Stingray with experience as the capital product manager of the ThermoFlex Division SPS (Sonoco Performance System) at Sonoco. Sonoco provides diversified consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and packaging supply chain services. He was also the manufacturing area manager at Dupont, a global leader in developing and delivering essential innovations for various industries. His experience also includes overseeing Capital projects for 16 plants totaling $50 million, as well as handling safety for the entire division. Helms is from the Hartsville, South Carolina, area and holds a bachelor’s degree from Coker University.
“I’m looking forward to not only joining the Stingray Boats team but to also supporting our manufacturing team as we work toward our goal of continuous process improvement,” said Helms. “Learning and streamlining the manufacturing processes will be crucial in not only upholding but also building upon Stingray’s legacy and strong reputation for building best-in-class products year over year.”
“Chad brings a unique and seasoned skill set to our team,” said Barry Avent, president of Stingray Boats. “He’s highly versed in lean manufacturing, has 6 Sigma Black Belt Certification and Dale Carnegie certification, and is proficient in professional leadership development, all of which will allow him to oversee our manufacturing operations as well as refine our processes to help make us even better. It’s not just the great boats we produce, but it’s also how we produce them, and achieving the utmost quality in what we produce that we’re constantly striving for.”
