Robert L. "Bob” Shell Jr. was born and raised in Logan, West Virginia. Shell has five children, Robby, Todd, Lisa, Danielle, and Heather and has been married to his second wife, Lena, for the past 25 years. Huntington is where he chose to locate his businesses' headquarters.
He founded Guyan Machinery. The company transformed into Guyan International, a multimillion dollar international company with a presence on three continents and sales to more than 100 countries. He was chairman of the Marshall University Board of Governors, where he spearhead and funded programs that advanced education. During the late 1980s, Shell was eager to guide the Marshall Artists Series from shaky ground to a sustainable business. He has served as adviser to governors, senators and legislators.
Shell's most important legacy is the number of lives he has touched by directing his enthusiasm, influence and wealth at helping Huntington area children. After learning computers were scarce at Kellogg Elementary School, he organized fundraisers resulting in a new computer lab, complete with training and tech support. Shell's commitment to young people led to him being honored as the namesake of the Robert L. Shell Juvenile Center in Barboursville.
