Business students at Weber State University had the beneficial experience on Thursday to listen to DeWayne Ashmead speak about his experience in the world of business.

Ashmead is the president and current chairman of the board of directors of Albion Laboratories, Inc., a chemical production company that was established
in 1956.

This lecture was an installment of the Ralph Nye Lecture series, which brings in a wide
variety of local business leaders to speak to the campus
community.

Ashmead kicked off his lecture by speaking about his education, a subject that all students could relate to.

Ashmead said when he was younger, he began to realize that if he continued with chemistry and became a chemist that he would have to work for someone else.

So Ashmead said he changed majors and knew that then he could instead hire chemists and have them work for him.

Ashmead switched gears to speak about his personal life with his father and the start of his company. Ashmead’s father worked for the pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer, and
Ashmead spoke highly of his
father’s work.

“He and his team literally saved Pfizer,”Ashmead said.

However, when Ashmead’s father wasn’t able to bring his idea of selling drugs to farmers to use on their animals, he resigned.

“To prove a point,” Ashmead said. “He quit.”

From that, Albion Laboratories was created, and Ashmead said it was during that time that he “learned to work.”

Ashmead told students that employees were important and that he made sure they kept their jobs when he eventually sold his company.

At the end of the discussion, students were given the opportunity to ask Ashmead about business and his years of experience.

Sara Castillo, a senior at WSU, took time to speak with Ashmead personally after the
lecture.

“This is a great opportunity for networking,” Castillo said. “It lets you get to know a lot of people in the industry.”

Castillo also said that since the lecturers are usually senior business management owners that they can come in and easily help students understand a little bit of their business.

“It helps us to see that what we learn becomes action in the business world,” Castillo said.

These lectures, in addition to being a class, are also free and open to the public.

Chris Barragan, senior development director of the Goddard School of Business and Economics, said that men and women are invited to come in and share their business experiences with students.

Barragan said that lecturers are usually prominent people within the community, but those out of state, who have a connection with Weber, have been invited to speak as well.

“This class is unique,” Barragan said. “They get a very diverse experience each and every time. And they also get the opportunity afterwards to spend lunch with and pick the brain of the lecturer.”

These lectures take place every Thursday from noon until 1:15 p.m. during both fall and spring semesters. To find out more information about these lectures, visit their website or contact the office of the dean via phone at 801-626-7307 or email at [email protected].