Not Enough

Shirley Wang took the usual path of getting a college degree then an MBA degree. She worked in well-known companies like Citicorp and J. Walter Thompson Advertising. Then she took the road less traveled and became an entrepreneur.

She founded Plastpro, Inc. in 1994. This company manufactures fiberglass entry doors as an alternative to traditional wooden doors. Being made of fiberglass allows the company to produce doors in different varieties and with different features. Using fiberglass and other man-made materials to make the doors requires the use of technology. New technological advancements have to be constantly taken into consideration.

Ms. Wang has not only focused on technology, but on customer service as well. As a result the products produced by Plastpro have a lot customer input. In 2005 Plastpro opened a fully automated door manufacturing plant in Ashtabula, Ohio, taking advantage of the manufacturing environment in the area. This istate-of-the-art plant has increased the company’s quality and production capabilities.

Plastpro, Inc. is one of the leading manufacturers of fiberglass doors in America. Helps that Ms. Wang belongs to the family that controls Formosa Plastics Group in Taiwan. Don’t let this company’s austere website fool you, its financials shows that it employed over 99,000 individuals and had income before tax of $ 8.46 billion in 2010.

Ms. Wang’s work goes beyond business. Below is a list of endeavors she has been involved in outside of profit making:
1. Board member of Outward Bound-helped build Center for inner-city kids in New York.
2. Mentor for Non-Profit Board Leadership Program at Columbia Business School.
3. Active supporter of the China Aids Initiative.
4. Board member Facing History and Ourselves, an international education organization.
5. Board of Trustees Harvard-Westlake School.
6. Board member UCLA Foundation.
7. A supporter of Doctors Without Borders.
8. Supports the Asian Pacific American Legal Center which provides legal services to survivors of domestic violence involving immigrants.
9. With her husband, funded a chair in the UCLA Asian Studies Center focused on United States-China relations.
10. A lead supporter of the Drug Enforcement Agency Foundation in Los Angeles.
11. Through Plastpro, has supported activities of Habitat for Humanity.

Due to her socio-civic endeavors Shirley and her husband Walter Wang were awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 2011. This award is given to “important community leaders from diverse ethnic origins in their outstanding contributions to their nation and to the world”.

For Shirley Wang, just being average is not enough.