ISSUED: 1 March 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — A Shepherd University business administration student is gaining experience working with companies from the United States and Italy as they start a new joint venture. Jeffrey Brock Adams of Martinsburg had the opportunity to spend a month in Italy during the fall 2018 semester working for the newly-formed Arcitell, which is a joint venture between the Belden Brick Company and Acell, an Italian company.
Arcitell is an exterior cladding business that is bringing a new product to the market, Qora Cladding, an easy-to-install composite siding material that can look like stone, brick, or cedar. Adams was on hand when Arcitell debuted the line at International Builders Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. Adams’ father, Jeff, is president and CEO of Arcitell.
“On a daily basis, I work closely with my father, the vice president of manufacturing, and, when the timing works out, the vice president of sales and marketing,” Adams said. “Another person that I have had the pleasure of working closely with is Aldino Albertelli, who is the inventor, founder, and main shareholder of Acell.”
During the summer, Adams spent two weeks working alongside Albertelli, who came to the U.S. to work in Arcitell’s factory for a week. Adams, his father, and the vice president of manufacturing also traveled to Milan, Italy, to work alongside Albertelli and others. At the end of the summer, Albertelli suggested Adams go to Italy for at least a month during the fall semester.
“I decided that it was an opportunity that I did not want to miss out on, so I went to Dr. (Ben) Martz looking for assistance,” Adams said. “Dr. Martz helped me by ensuring that I could graduate on time and engage in this amazing opportunity. I owe a great deal of thanks to him and also Shepherd for working with me to complete my undergraduate education while continuing to engage in this opportunity.”
Martz, dean of the College of Business, said the college was able to coordinate 15 credit hours of classes so Adams would stay on track for graduation while working in Italy.
“This internship semester matches well with one of the goals for a business student: to help students apply their learning from the classroom into real-world situations,” Martz said. “In some ways, this experience puts an exclamation point on what Jeffrey was learning the classroom.”
While he was in Milan, Adams, who is an executive management assistant with Arcitell, said he learned more about the science behind the technology, the artistry required in creating panels, and other applications the company is looking into. This semester, in addition to taking classes, Adams is spending time on the manufacturing floor at the company’s factory in Ohio helping set up the production line, develop processes and panel designs, and training new employees.
“Being in the business program at Shepherd has assisted me in advancing my career by allowing me to engage in such an opportunity while completing my education and by providing me with a plethora of knowledge gained throughout my years as an undergraduate student,” Adams said. “With the aid of the university and the business department, I have been able to apply the knowledge I have learned in school to the real world. I owe a great deal of thanks to the business department and Shepherd for providing me with the tools to grow as a person and in the world of business.”
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