Wednesday W.L. May Profile: Michael Ryerson

To say Michael Ryerson was born into this world with an "explosion" would be a huge understatement. His birth date is the same day that Mt. St. Helens first erupted, May 18, 1980. Michael, a native of Portland, OR, is a 1998 graduate of Franklin High School, home of the Quakers. The Ryerson family is no stranger to Portland.

His great aunt, Thelma Hollingsworth, in 1914 was elected Portland's first Rose Festival Queen. Thelma went on to marry long time baseball coach, and who later became the first football coach at Lincoln High School, Wade Williams, a 1988 inductee to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Wade mentored many young athletes, most notably Johnny Pesky, former member of the Boston Red Sox. His father,
Michael Ryerson I, worked as Press Secretary for iconic former mayor Bud Clark. As you can see, "Portland, OR" runs through Michael's blood.

He is a true testament to how hard work pays off. When   Michael first started at W.L. May Co. over 6 years ago, he worked in the Portland branch picking many of the hundreds of orders shipped any particular day. Through his excellent work ethic, he has moved up "the ladder", and is now employed as Manager of W.L. May Co.'s Receiving Department; chances are, if your parts were shipped from Portland, he has had "his hand on the part" first. His favorite part of the job is the "daily challenge" he feels to expeditiously receive parts; he realizes until the parts are "on the shelf" they can't be shipped.

Outside of work, Michael is extremely passionate about soccer; he plays in multiple leagues, including Portland Futsal, Portland Indoor Soccer, and 2 Portland Outdoor teams. His favorite position is winger, but if called upon, he can stop all shots on goal. When not roaming the soccer fields, he loves to play and watch a little golf. As you can see, he is a man with varied interests and a valuable member of the W.L. May Co. team.