Meet Allyson Blackwood: Men and Women Building North America

Most people see Allyson Blackwood as steady, thoughtful, and deeply knowledgeable about one of the most specialized parts of Kloeckner’s business. What they don’t always see is what created that steadiness in the first place.

Allyson is our Director of Supply Chain for Coil Coated Services and Building Products, a role she has held for the past year. She’s been with Kloeckner for nearly five years, starting as an Inside Sales Manager in Building Products before stepping into leadership. When the previous director retired, Kloeckner made the decision to create a new role that combined all prepainted operations under Allyson’s leadership. It reflected not just her technical knowledge, but her ability to see how all the pieces fit together.

Her leadership today is built on 19 years of experience in the prepaint industry, and it started with a path she didn’t expect to take.

An Industry She Didn’t Plan For

Like many people in the industry, Allyson didn’t set out to build a career in metals. She attended Auburn University for college and planned to attend law school as the next step. But a conversation with a family member, who worked in the metals industry, opened a door she hadn’t considered. One step led to another, and before long, she was working with coil coaters and service centers, gaining a clear view of how each side operates, where friction forms, and why alignment matters.

That willingness to follow opportunity still defines her leadership today, but it’s her personal experiences that most influence how she approaches work and life.

A Perspective That Came Early

At a young age, Allyson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). At the time, childhood cancer treatment protocols were still evolving. Her treatment plan was selected by a computer, which might sound surreal now, but was reality then.

Throughout nearly 3 years of inpatient treatment, her family became her anchor. She ultimately made a full recovery, and as an adult was officially considered cancer-free. Allyson is extremely thankful for organizations like Make-A-Wish and Ronald McDonald House who strived to maintain normalcy for her family while navigating her cancer diagnosis. Even then, experiences like that don’t fade into the background. They stay with you, changing how you see time, people, and what truly matters.

“It changes your perspective,” she says. “You realize every day is a gift. You’re not guaranteed tomorrow. And you never really know what someone else is going through.”

Today, Allyson stays actively involved with Blood Cancer United, participating in Light the Night walks to honor survivors and remember those who didn’t make it.

That experience shaped how Allyson thinks about time, and why she’s intentional about how she spends it.

Life at 14 mph

That intention shows up clearly outside of work. Allyson’s life is full but deliberately paced. Ten years ago, her family moved to Peachtree City, Georgia, a planned community known for its golf-cart lifestyle. Neighbors in the area like to joke that “life is better at 14 miles per hour,” and Allyson fully embraces it. She drives her golf cart to soccer practice, the grocery store, and around the neighborhood, soaking in a community she truly loves.

She and her family are also on a mission to visit every national park. Allyson’s favorite park they have visited so far is Grand Teton National Park. With more than a dozen already checked off, upcoming trips include Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and a final stop at Disneyland.

Allyson is an active member of the National Coil Coating Association (NCCA), and she also serves on the board of the provisional Georgia chapter of the Association for Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI), helping build community and opportunity for the next generation.

Her story isn’t something she leads with, but it’s present in everything she does. We see it in the way she approaches challenges, how she values the work being done every day, and her ability to slow down and enjoy life the way it should be.

These are the qualities we see across the men and women building North America, and why Allyson’s story belongs among them.