Life After Service: The Road to Retirement with Dalton Shealy

DALTON’S JOURNEY

Dalton Shealy grew up in the small southern town of Newbury, South Carolina. After graduating from high school in 1977 and discovering there were limited job opportunities, Dalton went to work for Daniel’s Construction as a pipe fitter helper. As the nuclear power plant they were building was nearing completion, the company laid off employees left and right. Living in rural South Carolina, the only next logical step at the time was to go to work for another plant.

Dalton began working for Georgia-Pacific in 1980. Less than a year after starting there, Dalton realized he was witnessing plant workers in their 60s working tirelessly well after what should’ve been their retirement. After ascertaining his coworkers couldn’t afford to retire and live off of Social Security, Dalton’s ambitions transformed.

ADS’ FIRST CUSTOMER

In 1997, Lynnhaven Dive Center’s (LDC) owner and founder, Mike Hillier (also known as Big Mike) discovered there was a real issue with outfitting military divers with quality diver gear to complete their missions.

At the time, divers were having trouble getting wetsuits because they weren’t supported by the Navy Stock system. Out of a strong need to support the warfighter, Big Mike dedicated two LDC employees under the company name ADS, Inc. to work full-time supplying dive equipment to Navy SEALs and divers.

It wasn’t until the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) awarded the first prime vendor program to ADS that Dalton, SEAL Team 8’s Navy Supply Chief, and Glenn, SEAL Team 8’s Supply Officer, became the first customers of ADS.

RETIRING FROM THE NAVY

After four years with Navy SEAL Team 8, Dalton finished out his Navy career as the Supply Officer with Underwater Construction Team (UCT1) providing Seabees with dive and construction equipment. Dalton proudly retired from the Navy in January 2004 with 23 years of service under his belt.

Glenn Kinnear, Dalton’s former Supply Officer, went on to work for ADS Inc. and eventually retired from the Navy Reserves in 2014. ADS also offered Dalton a position as an Inside Account Manager. However, Dalton accepted a position with a competitor, Amron International, as an Outside Account Manager. Amidst Dalton managing Amron’s east coast warfare commands calling on NSW, government contractors were struggling with prime vendor regulations being tightened by Berry Compliancy. Simultaneously, ADS was growing their procurement capabilities by searching for alternate contract vehicles to sell to the government.

IF YOU CAN’T BEAT EM’, JOIN EM’

Is there a possibility I can leave Amron and join ADS?” – Dalton

In 2006, Dan Clarkson, ADS’ former President, brought in Dalton for an interview with the Director of Operations, Jason Wallace—ADS’ current CEO. Luckily, there was an opening doing exactly what Dalton loved: helping our service men and women in-person.

Dalton joined ADS as a Program Manager under the Triple Canopy program where he outfitted 35 civilians every 10 days, preparing them to go in country to provide personal protection. Each group required everything from body armor and helmets to boots and clothing.

In 2008, Dalton became the Navy Team’s Inside Sales Account Manager and has been ever since! Dalton’s reputation of doing whatever it takes to serve the customer precedes him in this space.