Manufacturing 2024: G. DAVID OAKLEY JR.

Serving as president of Strongwell, Oakley joined the company in 2011, when its president for nearly 40 years and majority stockholder, John Tickle, transitioned to chairman of the board.

Oakley previously served as president of Abingdon’s HAPCO Pole Products for nearly four years, and before that, was its vice president of product management.

Strongwell creates fiberglass products, including structural shapes and building panels, grating, handrail, decking systems, composite armor and ladder rail. It has 525 employees worldwide, with 325 in Virginia.

The company has pultrusion manufacturing facilities in Washington County and Bristol, Virginia, and in Minnesota and Mexico. The 398,000-square-foot Bristol facility is its largest manufacturing facility.

Completing his bachelor’s degree in marketing at University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business, Oakley has served on boards for multiple organizations, including the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, the American Composites Manufacturers Association and the Wellmont Health System, which merged with Mountain States Health Alliance to form Ballad Health.

FAVORITE TEAM: Tennessee Volunteers

HOW I FEEL ABOUT AI AT WORK: Favorably; AI speeds tasks and has infinite possibilities in manufacturing.