SENIOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE
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TRANSFORMING UNDERPERFORMING OPERATIONS INTO HIGH-PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS
Reducing Supply Chain & Manufacturing Costs / Igniting Profitability / Boosting Quality
Improving Safety / Increasing Productivity / Developing Team Culture
Strategic and motivational leader with an unbroken record of reversing poor financial performance and achieving strong and sustainable production, quality, and safety improvements within multi-site manufacturing operations. Deep expertise in continuous-improvement methodologies including Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and High-Performance Systems; repeated success instilling the strategies, systems, processes, and team culture essential to building world-class manufacturing organizations.
Full complement of executive competencies, from strategy and P&L through oversight of Manufacturing, Finance, IT, Marketing, and HR. Leadership strengths honed as US Army officer and 20+ years in progressive management positions with Fortune 500 and privately held manufacturing companies.
EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
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THRESHOLD ENTERPRISES LTD. 2009–PRESENT
A $150 million distributor and manufacturer of branded nutritional supplements, Source Naturals and Planetary Herbals, with 600 employees in both east coast and west coast operations
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER • Energized a privately held company struggling to make the transition to a major player in the nutritional supplement industry, rapidly improving quality, service, and cost control to fuel a 15% revenue growth during and economic environment. As COO I delivered sustainable performance improvements and positioned the company for future profitable sale. Responsible for all aspects of Sales, Marketing and Operations
• Moved company from traditional structure to Self Directed Team Environment
• Worked with Sales to develop a strategy to move into mass markets
• Redesigned distribution operations to save $1 mil a year through start up of east coast distribution operations
• Reduced COGS by 20% through redesign supply chain operations and improving packaging and manufacturing operations
CHESAPEAKE GARDENS INC. 2008–2009
A start up company producing fresh refrigerated soups and sauces with “all natural and organic ingredients” for the foodservice industry and retail markets
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER • Led organization through R&D start up and into full operations, while securing financing and expanding operations
• Developed company strategy for entering the market and successfully launching the Chesapeake Gardens brand
• Worked with USDA and FDA to acquire beef, chicken, and seafood processing certifications
• Developed relationships with major distributors to create a mid-atlantic distribution strategy
• Managed limited company resources to maximize business outcomes
SARA LEE CORPORATION, BAKERY DIVISION, ORANGEBURG SC 2006–2008
$2 billion division of a publicly held company producing bread, buns, and other bakery products;
8000 employees, 40 bakeries and distribution across the country
GENERAL MANAGER / VP DESIGNATE • Turned around an ailing bakery in the Sara Lee system that was ranked 35 out of 40 plants in costs and quality to a number 8 ranking in 9 months . As the General Manager, I put together a team that installed a management system that improved LEAN Performance and reduced manufacturing costs by 25%
• Used LEAN and Six Sigma methodologies to drive aggressive improvements across all areas of operations and deliver notable results within the first year:
– 17% reduction in ingredient usage costs
– Improved OEE performance by 18.5 thus reducing labor costs by the same amount
– Reduced indirect costs by 15%
• Worked closely with the DSD sales group to improve inventory control, reduce stales by 15% and improve the quality of the product on the shelves
• Initiated weekly communication system helping the sales team communicate quality issues in the market to the manufacturing team, ensuring a quick and aggressive response
• Worked with Sales and Manufacturing to reduce low volume, low margin sku’s
• Put life back into an old ailing operation that was about to be written off
NAKED JUICE COMPANY, GLENDORA, CA 2004–2006
$140 million privately held fresh beverage company producing products for the health and well-being market;
500 employees, 2 facilities, and distribution across the country.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS • Rescued a stalled turnaround, rapidly improving quality, service, and cost control to fuel $10M profit swing in 1 year. Part of executive team put in place by private-equity ownership to deliver sustainable performance improvements and position the company for profitable sale. Responsible for all aspects of operations to include Supply Chain, Production, Engineering, Purchasing, Quality, and Co-packing Operations.
• Member of executive team that reversed $4M loss in 2003 to $6M gain in 2004 and in 2005 grew the top line by 22% and EBITDA by 50%.
• Introduced state-of-the-art methodologies (LEAN, Six Sigma) to drive aggressive improvements across all areas of operations and deliver notable results within the first year:
– 92% reduction in customer complaints
– service-level increase from 88% to 99.5%
– on-time delivery performance from 54% to 88%
– 20% reduction in cost of goods.
• Built a highly capable operations management team.
• Participated in presentations to potential investors, showcasing facilities and communicating sustainability of the performance improvements; company currently under sales agreement that will deliver 2.4X ROI after 3 years of ownership.
WHITLOCK PACKAGING CORPORATION, FORT GIBSON, OK 2001–2003
$60M aseptic and hot-fill juice/drink co-packaging company. Responsible for two manufacturing facilities and 600 personnel, producing 50 million cases per year for PepsiCo, Nestle, Campbell’s, etc.
GENERALMANAGER • Transformed organization—riddled with profitability, productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, sanitation, turnover, and morale problems—from loss to $4M profit, envious safety and quality record, and team culture. Developed and implemented strategic plan to invigorate the organization and improve financial and operational performance. Delivered results in every area of the operation.
• Turned losing operation to $1M profit in 2001, $4M in 2002
• Reduced production cost-per-case by 22%, with further 20% reduction projected by year-end 2003.
• Brought process methodology to haphazard operation, analyzing and reducing process variance to achieve improved and predictable performance levels:
– Slashed recordable accidents 84% through process approach to identifying and eliminating unsafe practices
– Reduced non-compliant product 40% and waste incidents from 60 to 20 to 12 annually
• Conducted GAP analysis on maintenance systems, removed management and employee roadblocks, implemented computer-based preventive maintenance program, acquired management and employee talent, and reduced maintenance downtime from 22% to 6% in one year
• Established Project Management process that led to on-time, on-budget completion of 4 capital projects ($1M to $6.7M)
• Successfully launched new lines and supported product roll-outs for key customers (e.g., Pepsi’s Mountain Dew AMP, and SoBe). Increased total plant volume by 45%
• Created culture of accountability, beginning at management level—instituted quarterly performance evaluations tied to results, not activities, thus driving accountability by demanding quick results
• Developed plant-wide goal-setting process, engaging all employees in defining goals, setting performance expectations, establishing accountability, tracking results, and celebrating successes through regular review of results and achievements
NORTHLAND CRANBERRIES, BRIDGETON NJ 1999–2000
$300M producer of branded juice, private-label juice/drinks, and private-label cranberry sauce. Responsible for 2 facilities in New Jersey and 265 personnel producing 10 million cases per year.
GENERAL MANAGER • Solved quality, production, and delivery problems by overhauling enterprise planning, inventory control, and process methodologies. Built a smoothly operating organization with dramatically improved performance. (Company closed New Jersey operations in November 2000.)
• Cut cost-per-case 25%—principally through a Six Sigma project that led to reengineering the canning, labeling, and palletizing processes to achieve 95% reduction in poor-quality product.
• Reduced recordable accidents 70%
• Improved on-time shipments by 42% through enterprise-planning and inventory-control initiatives; worked with plant management to consolidate finished goods, initiate cycle counting, and eliminate raw-material shortages
CLIFFSTAR CORPORATION, JOPLIN, MO 1995–1999
$400M private-label hot-fill juice/drink company with 2 facilities and 1100 employees. Managed Joplin plant—150 personnel, 6 million cases per year.
PLANT MANAGER • Delivered quick performance turnaround for 2-year-old plant with significant management and operational issues. Identified and hired strong management talent, quickly developed standard operational procedures, and instituted metrics and performance benchmarks. Developed and implemented a goal-setting strategy involving all management and employees.
• Reduced product-on-hold (for quality/compliance problems) by 70%
• Increased accurate, on-time deliveries by 60%
• Slashed recordable accidents by 90% and achieved 1M+ man hours without a lost-time accident
• Eliminated a key factor impacting profitability: scheduling inefficiency caused by poor understanding of true costs of production. Worked with corporate production scheduling to develop metric that, once implemented, enabled quick grasp of break-even numbers, reduced product change-overs, and maximized output. Zoomed ahead of sister facility in production efficiency
WILSEY FOODS, INC., St. Joseph, MO 1991–1995
$500M Company providing fats, oils, and salad dressings to the foodservice industry.
PLANT MANAGER • Led start-up and successful operation of state-of-the-art processing and packaging plant that produced product at half the cost of its 6 sister facilities. Served as project manager during design and construction and as plant manager during hiring, training, and start-up. Instituted self-directed team structure that was a critical factor in superior plant performance—profiled in Packaging Magazine, 1993.
• Completed $15M project on schedule
• Designed the team-based system and provided all the High Performance Systems training to managers and technicians
IBP, Dakota City, NE 1989–1991
$12B leader in the fresh beef and pork industry with 26 plants and 25,000 employees.
DIRECTOR OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENT • Delivered $93M in savings over a 3-year period through leadership of major projects that included production automation, safety improvement, management training, and organizational redesign.
• Served as corporate liaison with Bain & Co. consultants on several strategic cost-reduction projects
• Headed up successful campaign to defeat (80% to 20%) a Teamsters organizing attempt in Iowa
NABISCO BRANDS 1986–1989
PRODUCTION MANAGER, Buena Park, CA • Captured $90K in manufacturing cost reductions by implementing SPC methods. Responsible for all production for 300-employee, 3-shift, cookie/cracker facility.
FRITO LAY 1982–1986
TECHNICAL SERVICES MANAGER—Greenfield Site, Bakersfield, CA • Designed and implemented all quality systems in a start-up team-based facility. Conducted R&D work on new equipment that resulted in producing the best quality in the nation.
PRODUCT MANAGER / FIRST LINE SUPERVISOR, San Jose, CA
U.S. ARMY 1978–1982
CAPTAIN—Infantry Airborne Ranger
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, Stillwater, OK
BS Military Science (General Engineering), 1978; ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate
PROFESSIONAL FLUENCIES / TRAINING
• High-Performance Systems • Project Management
• Lean Manufacturing • Organizational Design
• Six Sigma • Optimizing Production Systems / Variance Analysis
• Dupont Statistics / STOP Program • Microsoft Applications |
