KAL R. CHOKSHI

**** ********* **** • Bartlett, Illinois 60103

Home: 630-***-**** • Cell: 630-***-**** • Email: aculdj@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Extensive experience in process optimization, process control, design, scale up & commercialization, manufacturing support, technical service, troubleshooting, quality control, process improvements, supervision, cost analysis and process development in chemical industries. Key strengths include leadership, team building, problem solving, and project management. Certified Six Sigma Blackbelt.

CAREER OBJECTIVE

Seeking a challenging process engineering position to utilize my experience & education.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Kester Inc/ITW – Itasca, IL- Oct 2010 to Present

Senior Process Development Engineer Oct’10-Present

Manage Paste & Epoxy Products to improve quality, yield, COQ and customer complaints. Resulted in 40% COQ and 20% customer complaints reductions by developing in-house technical expertise, data analysis, process control, ship to control strategy, RM control & data driven decision driven strategies.

Lead & drive improvement projects throughout the organization. Serve as subject matter expert and technical resource for internal clients. Provide customer technical support.

Developed MRB-DRB, 8D & Audits. Managed capital projects.

Led a multifunctional team for successful process development which resulted in over 300% cycle time reduction and commercialization of new products using six sigma tools.

Developed & designed a new pilot plant for epoxy system.

Developed Change Control and Scale-up processes using Lean tools.

Mentored to junior engineers for green belts/six sigma projects and trained technicians.

Gas Technology Institute – Des Plains, IL- Jan 2009 to Oct 2010

Senior Engineer

Led a multifunctional team for a successful commissioning of $20 MM Advanced Fuel Test Facility.

Design & Engineering resulted in $100K savings. Developed and successfully implemented a novel feed system for renewable feedstocks.

Conducted various successful test trials to improve energy efficiency of coal/biomass gasification including planning, implementing and analysis of experiments.

Managed capital projects from $5K-$100K. Supervised technicians & shift.

Trained technicians on various process systems. Developed various operating procedures for pilot plant.

Hexion Specialty Chemicals/Eastman Chemicals- Carpentersville, IL- March 1999 to Jan 2009

Principal Engineer

Led a multiple sites Six Sigma Project (DMAIC) which resulted in 5.5 MM lbs capacity increase for Latex Manufacturing Plants, $864K soft ACS. Use of Lean tools avoided over $200K of costs.

Scale-up of a waterborne product resulted in 1.7 MM lb/yr sale. This project received the Hexion Technology Award. Developed an innovative solution to avoid a major capital.

Commercialization of a polymer resulted in 20 MM lb/yr sales using Six Sigma tools.

Consulted various greenbelt projects. Initiated & implemented a SPC Program for Waterborne Products.

Process improvement of urethane modified adhesion monomer yielded $100K/yr savings.

KAL R. CHOKSHI Page 2

Waste Minimization Project Leadership resulted in $200K ACS.

Process control modifications, plant equipment design, Hazop studies, root cause analysis improved Operation efficiency.

Designed, installed, optimized & troubleshooted various equipment at the pilot plant & plants. Improved pilot operation productivity by 30-40%, trained & supervised technicians.

Supported 60 MM lb/yr operation as a Process Owner/Stewart in Latex Coatings NA.

Lean project reduced miss-operations cost of projected $200K at multiple sites.

Morton International - Ringwood, IL - July 1997 to March 1999

Sr. Development Engineer

Managed and directed semi-works of products from 10K-100K lb/yr.

Commercialization of an adhesive yielded $1 MM/yr new sale.

Process optimization of metal organic compounds resulted in increase capacity, 800% yield and a significant cycle time reduction, resulted in $5 MM/yr cost savings & new sales.

GenCorp - Mogadore, OH - December 1990 to July 1997

Sr. Chemical Engineer

Prestigiously Awarded by GenCorp Corporate in “New Product Commercialization” category (new sales: $8 MM/yr).

Awarded by GenCorp Corporate in “Marketing-Technology” category (new sales: $5MM/yr).

Six Sigma Project attained 70% VOC reduction in polymers, assisted in 10 MM lb/yr new sales.

Development of a Solvent Recovery Process resulted 70% waste reduction, 50% cost savings and EPA recognition.

Demonstrated $100K savings in polymer products using Six-Sigma concepts.

Developed various systems to reduce personnel exposures of monomers and wastewater VOC.

Sherwin Williams Co. - Cleveland, OH - August 1988 to December 1990

Process Engineer

Process optimization and scale up of NADs resulted a low VOC new technology for Sherwin Williams; new sales.

Managed, directed and coordinated all activities related to toll manufacturing of various polymers.

Team leader for improving dispersions, which attained significant reduction of pigment usage.

Performed polymer development related to vacuum processing, unit operations, process control, heat and mass transfer, on-line instrumentation, and optimization.

EDUCATION

MS Chemical Engineering - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Project Management Certified Six Sigma Black belt

Lean Team leadership and team building

KAL R. CHOKSHI Page 3

PUBLICATIONS

“Change in Hiding During Latex Film Formation”, J. Coating Technology, Vol. 62, No. 786, July 1990

“Electrochemical Investigation of Microemulsions”, J. Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 129, No. 2,

68, May 1989.

“Characterization of Microemulsions Using Electrochemical Techniques”, Presented at ACS meeting,

September 1986.

“An Electrochemical Investigation of Oil-In-Water Microemulsions”, Presented at AIChE meeting,

Symposium on Microemulsions, November 1985.

TECHNICAL TRAINING

TQM, FMEA, ISO9000, SPC, DOEs, Polymer Modeling, HAZOP, PHA, PSM, Process Control.

Computer: Pascal, StatGraphics, Access, Excel, MINITAB, DesignExpert, JMP, Vessel Pack, Aspen Plus, ProDesign, AutoCAD, Lotus, MathCAD, BASIC, FORTRAN, DIALOG

Analytical: Quasielastic Light scattering, Electrochemical Methods, Particle size analysis, IR, IFT, SEM, Pin-O-disc, Optical Properties Measurements, Wet Analysis

HONORS & ASSOCIATIONS

Dean’s List National Scholarship Research Assistantship

AIChE ACS SPE

U.S. Citizen

Contact this candidate