Edith Hayes

Edith Simpson Hayes is a 36-year veteran of the paint and coatings industry. She started her career as a Research Chemist for The Glidden Company in Charlotte after graduating from N.C. State University. Over the years she excelled in the areas of Research, Quality, Manufacturing and Operations, matriculating through the roles of Development Chemist, Technical Manager, Quality Manager and Operations Manager. Through a series of divestitures and acquisitions she has worked with a diverse group of Coatings Manufacturers such as ICI (Imperial Chemicals), Eastman Chemicals and PPG Industries. For over 25 years, Edith worked for The Valspar Corporation which had been in the paint business since 1806. With Valspar Edith was promoted into several roles including Master Black Belt, Site Operations Manager and Director of Quality for the North America. In this role, her team transformed quality to ensure every product manufactured met customer expectations. Solving complex problems has been the trademark of Edith’s career. She has traveled extensively to China, Brazil, Mexico and Canada to work with Global groups to achieve millions of dollars in savings for Valspar. Over the years, Edith has been recognized numerous times by the Executive Leadership Team as a top performer within the Valspar Corporation. In June of 2017, the Valspar Corporation was purchased by Sherwin-Williams.
In 2019, Edith made a courageous career move and accepted a position as the Site Manager for the PPG Aerospace Manufacturing plant located in Mojave California.