Unitex Healthcare Laundry Services, Elmsford, NY, recently named Sheyla Granados as general manager of its Newburgh, NY, facility. This move caps a 17-year upward trajectory for Granados, a Peruvian immigrant who started at Unitex in 2009 and recently became a U.S. citizen.
A native of Peru, Granados joined Unitex in 2009 as a production employee after immigrating to the United States in search of greater opportunities. Her promotion comes shortly after another significant accomplishment: becoming a U.S. citizen.
“I was born in Peru and attended school there as well,” Granados said. “At the age of 21, I left my family and everything I knew behind to move to the U.S. in the hopes of creating a different life for myself and my future family.
“My first job in America was at Unitex! I started as a packout employee, while at the same time I took English classes and completed my GED. A few years later, I was promoted to plant supervisor. This was a huge learning experience for me, helping prepare me for the next step in my career at Unitex, when I was promoted again to plant manager. I have also, for the last few years, been taking part-time college classes for accounting and am only a few classes away from graduating!”
A news release from Unitex described Granados as a “true success story,” adding that, “She joined the team in 2009 as a production employee, spent four years mastering the equipment and learning the ins and outs of various departments. Her natural leadership didn’t stay under the radar for long. By 2013, she joined the management team as a production supervisor.”
From that point on, Granados progressed steadily. She advanced to assistant plant manager in 2019 and plant manager in 2022. “Over the last four years she has been the backbone of the Newburgh team, mentoring a powerhouse staff of supervisors and managers who consistently smash company goals and keep our customers happy,” the release said.
Granados says she enjoys working at Unitex because of the close ties she’s built with staff, while continuing to expand her knowledge of healthcare laundry processes. “My favorite part of my job at Unitex is that I am constantly learning new things and have had the opportunities to grow and develop so many close relationships with my co-workers,” she said. “I always strive to set the best example for them all! The challenging part of my day is all of the unexpected situations that come up that we need to respond to, so that we can make sure we get the job done.”
Looking ahead, Granados plans to continue advancing her career, complete her degree and devote time to her family, including her two young sons.
“My goals for the future are to keep growing within the company and finish my degree,” she said, adding that, “I am blessed with a beautiful family and am a proud mom to two beautiful little boys, Paolo, who is seven years old, and Alessandro, who is two years old. They keep me grounded and fill my heart with joy.”
Unitex described Granados’ work ethic and commitment to Unitex as “nothing short of inspiring,” adding that, “This promotion to general manager is a well-deserved recognition of her years of hard work and dedication. We know she will excel in this new role, and we look forward to everyone offering her their full support and cooperation as she leads Newburgh into this next exciting chapter.”
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