Mary Plehal
-FOUNDER
My passion for workplace wellness, injury prevention and personal empowerment has led me down a rewarding career path. Click the button below to learn more!
"Optimal ergonomics is rooted best practices, becomes reality with teamwork and is sustained through uncompromising commitment."
CAREER HISTORY
My career started after graduating from St. Catherine's University with a degree in occupational therapy. From the start, injured worker rehabilitation was my OT specialty and passion! This led to opportunities working directly with employers, PREVENTING injuries in the first place through proactive ergonomics- I was hooked!
I had the phenomenal opportunity to develop a suite of industrial rehab and ergonomic tools for Valpar International Corporation. These tools included functional capacity evaluations, pre-work screens, upper extremity clinical evaluations and job analysis tools.
In the early 2000's, I founded my first consulting company, Work Wellness Solutions. A customer asked me to become their global ergonomist where I worked for over a decade building ergonomics systems and reducing musculoskeletal injury rates from 49% of total injuries to 22%. Now I'm back in the consulting world and loving the creativity and variety it brings.
On a personal note, I am grateful every day for my wonderful family, friendships and health. Other things that bring me joy: A long walk, a good book, and time in and on Minnesota waters.