Ryan's journey to leadership at ALULA
Growing Into Leadership: Ryan’s Journey to Maintenance Manager at ALULA
Leadership does not always begin with a title. Sometimes it begins with showing up, learning the work, and steadily earning the trust of the people around you.
For Ryan, that journey has unfolded over the past eight years at ALULA.
Today, Ryan serves as Maintenance Manager, leading the team responsible for keeping production systems running smoothly and safely. While the role requires technical expertise and problem solving, the part he values most is helping others grow.
“I take pride in seeing what people can accomplish outside of their comfort zones,” Ryan says.
That philosophy shapes how he leads. Ryan believes strong leaders teach, provide guidance, and then trust their teams to take ownership.
From Production to Manager: Building Leadership
Ryan’s path to leadership started on second shift production. At the time, the schedule allowed him to care for his grandmother while maintaining steady work. His early days were filled with the essential tasks that keep production moving, including packing, palletizing, blending, and forklift operation.
What followed was steady growth through a series of increasingly responsible roles, from Production to Maintenance Manager, including Machine Operator, Encapsulation Technician, Maintenance Tech 2 and 3, Lead, and Supervisor.
Over eight years, he moved through six roles, building both technical knowledge and leadership skills along the way.
Ryan also continued developing professionally, earning a Certificate of Technical Accomplishment in Packaging Science through Michigan State University, along with HACCP certification, OSHA training, and additional food safety credentials. Even as a manager, he continues to seek out opportunities to learn so he can better support his team.
When asked what keeps him motivated, Ryan points to the moments when a team solves a tough problem together. Whether working through equipment issues, reviewing machine reports, or tackling work orders, the best moments come when the team finds a smarter way forward.
Leading Within ALULA’s Mission
Ryan says working at ALULA has also shaped how he thinks about leadership. Seeing colleagues with disabilities and barriers to employment succeed reinforced his belief that people thrive when they are given the right support and opportunity.
“The mission is dear to me because of my personal experience,” he says.
Ryan credits his time here with providing structure, stability, and a renewed sense of purpose. It helped him purchase his first home and build a future he once felt uncertain about. He says, “this newfound purpose, just eight years ago, gave me what I was missing.”
Today, Ryan is proud to lead as Maintenance Manager, but he continues to look ahead. He hopes to keep growing within the organization and one day move into operations leadership.
For Ryan, leadership is not defined by a title alone. It is built through persistence, learning, and helping others succeed along the way.
