Adient JV executive Sheila James named to Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame
Sheila James, vice president of operations at Adient JV Bridgewater Interiors, has been named a 2026 Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductee.
- 2026
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What Happened
Sheila James, vice president of operations for Adient joint venture Bridgewater Interiors, has been named a 2026 inductee into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors women whose careers have made a significant and lasting impact on manufacturing, recognizing professional achievements, leadership, mentorship, and commitment to advancing opportunities for women across the industry. The Women in Manufacturing Association (WIM), a global trade association, administers the honor.
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Spanning roles from materials supervisor/lead to vice president of operations.
James most recently served as plant manager at Bridgewater Interiors' Lansing, Michigan, facility. Bridgewater Interiors is one of the leading automotive seating manufacturing companies in the United States and is a joint venture between Epsilon Technologies and Adient. Over her 31 years at Adient/Bridgewater, James has worked in every facet of manufacturing.
- Materials Supervisor/Lead
- Prototype Materials Manager
- Supply Chain Engineer
- Supply Chain Management GM/Ford
- Operations Manager
James also serves as founder and leader of the EWiM chapter and supports co-chairs at other facilities, extending her mentorship beyond her own plant.
Why this matters
The honor spotlights James's 31-year manufacturing career and her work developing women in the industry through the EWiM chapter she founded. It also raises the profile of Bridgewater Interiors, an Adient joint venture with Epsilon Technologies and a major U.S. automotive seating maker. For readers, the award shows how individual leadership and mentorship can define a manufacturing career.
Terms in This Story
- joint venture
- A business arrangement in which two or more parties share ownership, risks, and rewards for a specific project or ongoing operation.
- supply chain
- The sequence of processes involved in producing and delivering a product, from raw materials to final customers.
- plant manager
- The person responsible for the daily operations, production, and staff of a manufacturing facility.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.