VALUE PROPOSITION
CASE, chemicals, polymers, plastics, paper, foil and film, printed and highly-engineered products professional specialized in:
- P&L responsibility leading management teams in identifying and correcting critical problems; reducing and streamlining operating expenses, strengthening product gross margins, overhauling and improved operating processes and systems, resolving quality issues, and differentiating products to generate new high margin sales
- Strategic sourcing, value engineering, practical process improvements (PPI), lean manufacturing best-practices, talent and leadership development, and implementing new voice-of-the-customer (VOC) and stage gate product development and launch processes
- Facilitating and guiding business unit leaders in formulating new vision and strategic direction that successfully reposition enterprises as differentiated competitors, adding value and earning prominent roles in mainstream corporate strategy
EDUCATION & ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri; completed both graduated degrees while maintaining full-time employment
- Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.); emphasis in management and marketing
- Master and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degrees (MS/BS): ACS Accredited Programs; focus on organic chemistry
EMPLOYERS & EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Steady stream of promotions and increasing responsibility rising from bench-level Chemist to Director and Vice President-level roles
- OMNOVA Solutions (NYSE: OMN), Fairlawn, Ohio (’06-’08); Director of Process Technology
- American Decorative Surfaces / Decorative Surfaces International / Borden, Incorporated, Saint Louis metro, Missouri (’88-’06);
Vice President of Business Development and R&D, Director of Business Development and R&D, Technical Director
- The P.D. George Company, Saint Louis, Missouri (’84-’88); Supervisor of UV Programs, Development Chemist, Polymer Chemist
INDUSTRY IMPACTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Specializing in highly-engineered, high-performance and custom products sold B2B against fierce foreign competitors
- Integrated acquired company into a worldwide $330 million division that quadrupled sales of new products, increased profits 5-fold, cut cost of quality by 54%, sustained 100% recycling record, and raised ROI from 10% in ’06 to 45% in’08. Site was sold for 30 times estimated ’09 earnings
- Transformed the poorest-performing business unit company-wide into a top performer by tripling gross margin of polyurethane coated products to 23%, increasing throughput 120%, negotiating a 10% raw material price cut, and redesigning materials and manufacturing processes. Achieved transformation with $0 of capital investment. Awarded CEO’s “Moment of Truth” Award
- Transitioned company from a price-sensitive competitor to an innovative value-added solutions provider resulting in “New Growth Sales” products growing by $7 million across six market segments and introduced new cost-effective solutions that enabled expansion into additional high-potential markets
- Outmaneuvered Asian-based competitors to capture $8 million of high margin sales and a 15% price premium in a fiercely competitive polyurethane coated products market segment
- Ramped site from lowest-ranking in division and a divesture candidate to #1 by re-engineering production processes, strategic sourcing, value engineering, practical process improvements (PPI), lean manufacturing best-practices, and implementing new voice-of-the-customer (VOC) and stage gate product development and launch processes
PATENT & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AWARDS
Basis for proprietary, key corporate and strategic initiatives ultimately impacting $500 million in sales
- World Intellectual Property Organization; International Publication Number WO 2009/009048 A1; 15 January 2009; Printer-Compatible , Pre-Embossed Films
- U.S. Patent; Patent Number: 5,958,595, Sep 28, 1999, Bondable and Tape/Label Releaseable Top-Coated Overylays Useful in the Manufacturing of Decorative Laminate Panels
GLOBAL OPERATIONS & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
International operations, strategic materials sourcing, foreign market penetration strategies and tactics, cross-cultural team building, and best practice transfers. Experienced in buy and sell side transactions
- Countries worked: Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, France, and the UK
CHRONOLOGICAL CAREER SUMMARY
After graduating with a BS in Chemistry from Saint Louis University, I joined The P.D. George Company as Polymer Chemist in their organic chemistry synthesis laboratory. Based upon my successes in developing and commercializing new polymeric electrical insulators, I was promoted to Supervisor of UV Programs charged with turning around the company’s struggling UV/EB curing business. Proprietary technology development, strengthened customer partnerships and aggressive market penetration strategies produced record division sales and profits within one year of my taking the division leadership role.
While working at The P.D. George Company, I was approached by Borden, Inc. with the opportunity to join their company as New Product Development Chemist charged with concept through commercialization new product development, encompassing all phases of product planning and designing, developing and testing of products, raw materials formulations, product and production process improvements, reviewing/approving/revising project and product development schedules, analyzing technology trends and market demand to plan and prioritize engineering and design and development projects. My first assignment was incorporating energy-efficient, “green” UV/EB curing processes into the company’s coated product lines. While this project turned out to be an extensive effort, it was successfully completed on-time and under budget, leading to the installation and daily operation of four 72” wide UV curing lines. Achieving success with Borden meant working hand-in-hand with the company’s largest and highest profit producing customers, such as industry leaders MASCO, CONGOLEUM, 3M, Fleetwood Industries, WILSONART, NEVAMAR, P&G, and Avery Dennison to name just a few. Driven by new product sales, sales to adjacent industries and new applications, and technical service viewed as “second-to-none” in the eyes of our customers, the company grew from $31 million to $56 million in sales with record profits and free cash flows. In recognition of these accomplishments, I was promoted to Technical Director reporting directly to Thomas Gilson, the company’s President.
In 1998, Borden’s Decorative Products sites located in Saint Louis, MO and Columbus, OH were purchased by American Capital Strategies and merged to become Decorative Surfaces International. The operation ultimately became so successful that a new 240,000 SF facility was built in Prairie DuPont, Illinois to meet rapidly growing sales demand. Because of my participation in this successful venture, I was provided with a significant cash retention package by Robert Sharp, Principal, American Capital Strategies, to remain with the company as its Director of Business Development and R&D, and to be a member of its four-person Senior Management Team. Short-term accomplishments include: reducing customer claims submitted and paid to nearly zero, reduced QA/QC headcount by 65% through restructuring, and furthering the company’s already excellent reputation for responsiveness and innovation. With the new site operational and the company again focusing on profit growth through new products, I moved into the role of Vice President of Business Development and R&D at the Saint Louis site working in unison with Michael Marcum, the company’s CEO. Within the scope of this role, my responsibilities grew to include all “New Growth Sales Programs,” first-line account management, negotiating and setting selling prices, sales proposal preparation, establishing customer creditworthiness, collection of past-due accounts, creation of advertising and promotional literature, and overseeing merger/partnership investigations. Departmental responsibility covered 45 associates working in R&D, QA/QC, Color Matching, Graphics & Design, Sales & Marketing, and Health, Manufacturing & Operations, Safety & Environmental Departments. My teams’ efforts resulted in the launch of 20 new products growing new product sales by 75% and providing diversification into new markets and applications.
I was recruited as Director of Process Technology in ’06 directly by Robert Coleman, President, OMNOVA Solutions when this $880 million manufacturer of coated decorative products and performance chemicals company lacked competitiveness in key business segments and overall profitability was lagging. My initial responsibilities were acquiring and starting up OMNOVA’s film extrusion site and taking the R&D lead at four locations to turnaround the Decorative Products Division. Incentives: Significantly increased my compensation at this larger company, awarded stock options, executive benefits package, and earned yearly performance-based bonuses. The extrusion operations was successfully integrated into OMNOVA’s $330 million Decorative Products Division and this site quadrupled sales of new products, increased profits 5-fold, cut cost of quality by 54%, sustained 100% recycling record, and raised ROI from 10% in ’06 to 45% in’08. Site was sold for 30 times estimated ’09 earnings. The company’s poorest-performing business unit was transformed into a top performer by tripling gross margin of polyurethane coated products to 23%, increasing throughput 120%, negotiating a 10% raw material price cut, and redesigning materials and manufacturing processes. This transformation was accomplished with $0 of capital investment and in less than six months. This effort was held up throughout the corporation as an example of “the right way to get things done” and was awarded the OMNOVA Solutions CEO’s “Moment of Truth” Award.
SPECIALIZED SKILLS & TRAINING
Complex chemical and polymer synthesis; gravure printing; coating technologies; film extrusion and calendaring; laminating and thermoforming; lean six sigma (LSS); statistical process control (SPC); ISO 9000:2000 and internal auditing (experienced Executive Management Representative); Software: Microsoft Office, LOTUS, SAP, TCM, CARD, web and internet, Joomla, website builders, VAX/VMS; chemistry analytical lab equipment: FTIR, GC, DSC, TMA, TGA and others; UV/EB curing line design and implementation; color science and application; collective bargaining negotiations; and Kepner-Tregoe analytic trouble shooting (ATS); USDA & FDA compliance
RELOCATION Open to relocation within the United States of America |
