Michael E.Gutowski

*** ********* ***** *******, ** 27527 Cell: 919-***-**** ab9i18@r.postjobfree.com

DEC IS I VE SE N IOR MANUFACTUR I NG LEADER

… w ho increases profits by growing operations, continuously improving efficiencies,

a nd managing costs.

Hands-on driver of high performance teams by setting clear objectives, coaching performance, reinforcing focus, and

managing productivity through the inevitable ups-and-downs of growth cycles.

Cultural change agent building coalitions and manage change well thereby maximizing results in matrix organizations. LEAN

facilitator driven to remove wastes, create product flow, and increase profits through cost-reducing projects.

Collaborative and inclusive communicator known for promoting high moral and ethical business practices through leadership-

by-example. Key areas of expertise:

Safety Management Continuous Improvement Cultural Change Agent Quality Plant Expansion & Growth

Employee Development Project Management Strategic Planning Value Stream Mapping P & L Management

Folding Carton and Corrugate Manufacturing Background

Professional Experience

CARR MANAGEMENT GROUP – Plant Manager at Maine Container March 2013 – July 2013

PE blow molding plant on site at Poland Springs providing JIT manufactured containers. Provide executive interface with

Poland Springs daily to resolve quality, scheduling and productivity events.

• Currently implementing standard work practices and working with the Nestle Management to improve container

wall consistency.

DOPACO, Inc. – Kinston, NC (2000 – June 2011) (June 2011 - July 2012 – PACTIV)

Manufacturing leader of paperboard beverage cups and food packaging containers to the QSR/Foodservice industries,

employing over 1300 employees including corporate headquarters. A wholly owned subsidiary of Cascades, Inc., Dopaco was

sold to U.S. holding company of the Rank Group in May 2011.

Directed manufacturing/distribution facility during period when net sales improved from 30 million to over110 million, and

pre-tax profits grew from $1 million to more than $10 million. Reported to the Vice President of manufacturing.

Selected Accomplishments:

• Managed a 270 employee operation with 24 salaried managers. Plant processes included polystyrene extrusion

process with Brown thermoformers, 38 PMC cup machines, 3 flexo printing presses with rotary and Zerand flatbed

cutting, and H&S high speed forming equipment. Managed the installation and start up of two corrugators, die

cutters and forming equipment which produced F- flute for a major QSR customer..

• Directed Continuous Improvement efforts by implementing a standard work process to leverage learning in the

organization and to facilitate improved results by establishing a stable platform for measuring and comparing

metrics.

• Introduced Value Stream Mapping to identify help waste in the process and identify what steps need to be improved

or changed.

• Led a $15 million dollar major plant expansion capital project that was on time, under budget, netting over $30

million in additional sales.

• Actively participated in a rolling five year strategic planning process with members of the Senior Executive team.

• Developed and implemented annual objectives process, with targets established driving operational improvements in

key areas, tying performance of all managers to overall compensation programs.

• Actively measured overall shop floor performance in all departments, leading to performance variance improvements

of over $2 million from 2002 to 2011.

• Managed $2.5 million annual capital plan, including major equipment purchases to support sales growth, cost

reduction efforts through automation and technology improvements, and ongoing asset maintenance requirements.

• Led safety improvement efforts resulting in over 60% reductions in both OSHA Incident and DART rates.

• Developed outstanding working relations with sales group, leading to company best 99.7% service level, and

excellent overall complaint record.

• Implemented process quality teams on each shift to provide immediate feedback during each step of the printing,

cutting, and forming operation resulting in a .5% reduction in waste and improved productivity.

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• Led several Kaizen events to reducing make ready times on the Zerand cutters and Flexotecnica high speed flexo

press by 25%

• Developed a robotic capital to stack blanks on the flexo press resulting in a labor reduction of 8 people.

Questec Products – Hampton, VA

Director Operations and Planning (1999 – 2000)

Responsible for a small startup company developing thermoformed products for the single use disposable market. Responsible

for operational planning of all production and materials during product development stage.

Selected Accomplishments:

• Passed initial product start up testing with Johnson and Johnson.

• Created Kanban system for replenishment of plastic roll inventory.

Cup Operations Manager – Sweetheart Cup, Owings Mill, MD (1994 – 1998)

Responsibility for $260 million operation, inclusive of operating and capital budgets to support 750 employees,

multiple departments and equipment.

Selected Accomplishments:

• Led continuous improvement efforts yielding over $1.5 million per year in lower costs.

• Successfully installed major new equipment, including several PMC 1250 cup forming machines along with the

automated bagging and cup filling systems.

• Implemented successful overhead cost controls and reduction, inclusive of several headcount reductions through

consolidation of manager responsibilities.

• Directed safety program resulting in over 10% reduction in OSHA Incident and DART rates.

• Improved quality at the point of manufacturing with team oriented weekly inspection program to measure defects in

random cases.

Plant Superintendent – Sweetheart Cup, Somerville, MA (1992– 1993)

Responsible for a 200 employee foam thermoforming/ extrusion plant inclusive of operating and capital budgets.

Selected Accomplishments

• Revived the Somerville operation from the worst to first in Sweetheart with employee best practices meetings and

communicating expectations.

• Successfully consolidated the foam thermoforming and polystyrene extrusion equipment from Wilmington to

Somerville and successfully closed down the Wilmington plant.

• Spent 6 months in the Dallas plant implementing continuous improvement activities and reorganizing the solid sheet

and foam operations and improving efficiencies by 20%.in foam thermoforming.

Plastic Department Manager – James River, Easton PA (1990 – 1992)

Selected Accomplishments

• Manager 3 shift thermoforming/extrusion operation in a union environment. Recipient of a Silver Key award for

light weight lid caliper reduction.

Thermoforming Department Manager – Sweetheart Cup, Owings Mills, MD (1986 – 1989)

Directed 110 employees in a plastics operation with 15 inline extrusion /lid thermoforming production lines.

Selected Accomplishments

• Developed visual daily production efficiency and waste tracking within the department resulting in a 10% overall

efficiency improvement.

• Implemented a PM program based on Brown equipment manufactures recommendations.

• Implemented production measurement system to improve shop floor performance through tracking and enhanced

accountability.

Production Supervisor - Continental Plastic Containers, Baltimore MD. (1981 – 1985)

Directed 45 union employees in a blow molding plant using the wheel process. Hands on experience with in mold and post

mold labeling.

Selected Accomplishments

• Tracked and monitored daily production efficiency and implemented downtime tracking.

Education

M ichael Gu towsk i Page 3

B.S. in Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD – 1979

MBA candidate. University of Baltimore, Baltimore MD. – 29 credits

Activities – NCAA lacrosse and soccer

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