ROBERT R. CREGER

**** ***** ****** ****: 779-***-****

Belvidere, IL 61008 Robert accm1g@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY: Manufacturing professional with over twenty years of progressive hands-on management. Experienced in

the latest approaches to continuous improvement, including Lean Manufacturing, Kan-Ban, 5-S, set-up reduction, ERP,

ISO and AS 9000. My strengths include the ability to define and resolve opportunities within the manufacturing

and logistics disciplines through the development and empowerment of staff personnel while implementing the

principles of Lean manufacturing.

EXPERIENCE:

Ecolab – Elk Grove Village, IL 2011 – Present

Manufacturer of dishware components and refurbishment of commercial dish washers

Sales of $6.8 Billion

Production Manager

Reporting to the Plant Manager, responsible for the planning and production of dishware racks and the

refurbishment of commercial dish washers

• Managed projects resulting in reducing costs in excess of $200k annually

• Sponsored four Greenbelt projects

• Facilitated organizational changes

• Implemented capital projects for production, facilities and sustainability

• Provided Maintenance Management and Safety Manager duties in addition to normal duties

• Implemented new quality programs reducing first time fail rates by 50%

• Assisted with the implementation and training of new BBS safety programs including “SafeStart”

reducing TRIR rates from 4.2 to less than zero

• Facilitated Kazien and Lean projects

• Acquired Greenbelt Certification

Northstar Aerospace – Bedford Park, IL 2009 – 2011

Manufacturer flight critical gears and transmissions

Sales of $200M

Manufacturing Manager

Reporting to the General Manager, responsible for scheduling, machining and assembly, test and quality of

assigned departments

• Improved efficiencies of assigned production by 25 percent

• Implemented OEE programs to improve process utilization by 30 percent

• Improved delinquent deliveries by 50 percent

• Reduced the number of non-conformance reports by 25 percent

Maintenance Manager

Reporting to the General Manager, responsible for equipment and facility maintenance programs and provided

leadership for safety related initiatives and the Safety Committee

• Implemented a PM program

• Implemented TPM

• Created a MRO parts crib providing storage/retrieval and auto replenishment with the use of bar-coding

• Performed vibratory analysis to determine inferior foundations for CNC machine centers

• Defined plant layout to accommodate an expansion

Arnold Engineering – Marengo, IL 2007 – 2009

Manufacturer of metallic foil for the aerospace industry

Sales of $16M

Operations Leader

Reporting to the Director of Operations, responsible for production goals, safety and maintenance; providing

leadership to 60 factory team members

• Directly manage a seven days a week, three shift operation

• Implemented a formal scheduling program

• Assisted with labor contract negotiations

• Implemented a four shift operation

• Assigned to take over the Safety Program as Safety Coordinator

• Introduced Lean Manufacturing principles

ALAMO-GROUP, Indianola, IA 2001 –2006

Manufacturer of after-market parts for agriculture equipment, a division of Alamo Group

Sales of $30M

Operations Manager

Reporting to the General Manager, responsible for directing all manufacturing and logistic activities including production,

manufacturing engineering, maintenance, purchasing, forecasting, scheduling, planning, shipping, receiving and

packaging consisting of a staff of 11 salaried and 110 factory personnel.

• Implemented 5-S housekeeping practices

• Implemented employee involvement programs improving communication throughout the organization

• Implemented off shore sourcing of high cost parts to reduce variable cost by 25 percent.

• Developed a maintenance program

• Implemented production metrics and communicated performance results by use of visual manufacturing methods

• Converted a product line to operate as a “make-to-order” production line reducing inventory costs

• Managed the construction of an expansion to accommodate an acquisition

• Integrated a newly acquired division into the existing facilities in a five-month time frame.

• Performed a product rationalization project providing a focus resulting in lower operating costs

• Multi-plant responsibility, Hershel-Adams and Valu-Bilt

• Assigned as interim GM

WEIR SLURRY GROUP, Madison, WI 1997 – 2001

Manufacturer of slurry pumps and valves for the mining industry, a subsidiary of Weir Group, PTL.

Sales of $70M

Director of Operations

Reporting to the General Manager, responsible for directing all manufacturing and logistic activities including production,

manufacturing engineering, safety, maintenance, purchasing, forecasting, scheduling, planning, shipping, receiving and

packaging consisting of a staff of 31 salaried and 84 factory personnel.

• Reduced overhead costs in excess of $150k by restructuring the organization to provide enhanced accountability.

• Reduced product cost by 65% through identifying and developing a global sourcing program.

• Implemented 5-S housekeeping disciplines providing an improved organization, greater departmental discipline

and a safer environment, reducing the number of injuries by 50% and eliminating lost time injuries for three

consecutive years.

• Managed the construction of a distribution center

• Identified and implemented capital projects based on cost of capital.

• Developed a professional manufacturing engineering department that reduced expenses 5% each year by

implementing lean manufacturing techniques.

• In addition to my manufacturing duties, I under took the duties of a product manager for two years reorganizing

and leading a cross functional team improving on-time deliveries from 45% to 95%.

• Multi-plant responsibility, Madison operations and Utah pattern shop

HELIO PRECISION PRODUCTS, Lake Bluff, IL 1991 – 1997

Privately owned machine shop supplying components for large diesel engines.

Sales of $12M

Director of Operations

SUNTEC INDUSTRIES – COTTA TRANSMISSION DIVISION, Rockford, IL 1988 – 1991

Privately owned manufacturer of engineered transmissions. Sales of $7M

Manufacturing Manager

MARLEY PUMP COMPANY 1978 – 1988

Privately held manufacturer of submersible water and petroleum pumps. Sales of $40M

Simer Division, Minneapolis, MN

Multi-plant responsibility, Iowa and Minnesota operations

Operations Manager (1985-1988)

Red Jacket Division, Davenport, IA

Assembly General Foreman (1983-1987)

Facilities Engineering and Maintenance Manager (1980 – 1983)

Machine Shop Supervisor (1978-1980)

SUNDSTRAND-SAUER, Ames, IA 1973 – 1978

Publicly held manufacturer of transmissions

Manufacturing Engineer (1976-1978)

Industrial Engineering Technician (1975-1976)

Machinist (1973-1975)

EDUCATION:

MONTGOMERY UNIVERSITY – Meridian, MS - 2006

Major - Bachelor of Science Degree of Business Management

Minor - Accounting

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA- Huntsville, AL - 2002

Certification - Lean Enterprise Institute

ST. AMBROSE BUSINESS COLLEGE- Davenport, IA - 1984

Certification - Institute of Management Development

CROSBY QUALITY COLLEGE- Chicago, Il - 1988

Numerous manufacturing programs, conferences and seminars, e.g., Lean Manufacturing, Visual Manufacturing,

ISO internal auditing, QS9000, AS9100, SafeStart BBS, TapRoot and OSHA 30 hour

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