Steven D. Kuepker

585-***-**** (cell)

562-***-****

Long Beach, CA 90807

ruuxr0@r.postjobfree.com

Production Operations Management / Quality Control / Procurement / Multi-site Management /

Inventory & Process Control / OSHA / Equipment Project Management /

Regulatory Compliance / Warehouse Operations / High Speed Canning, Bottling, Packaging /

Sanitation / Plant Relocation / Unions – Non Union

Key Skills

Experience Driving Lean / Continuous Improvement including Lean Manufacturing and Sigma principles, along with Self Directed work Teams

Strong Leadership with the ability to understand all levels of employees within an operation

Strong Problem Solver, with Experience in Root Cause Analysis and Industrial Manufacturing

Efficient, safe and sanitary plant operations.

Efficient use of company assets to maintain product quality, employee safety, regulatory compliance and community relations.

Directs all department managers.

Fosters a well-trained and motivated team.

Management of all operations logistics including: processing and Packaging,, production scheduling, raw material purchasing, finished goods inventory, shipping and receiving, and movement of product throughout the US and overseas.

OEE maintenance reliability, environmental, and safety programs, and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Career Summary

Juanita’s Foods (Wilmington, CA)

Director of Operations – 9/11 to 8/12

Direct the overall operation of the facility attained the production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives following company policies and procedures.

Drive continuous improvement in facility.

Ensure compliance of global standard for quality process improvement, food safety and any legality issue for SQF compliance.

Direct department managers to ensure coordination of purchasing, production, shipping plus drive product quality, sanitation standards, employee safety and legal compliance

.

Goya Foods (Angola, NY)

General Manager of Operations - 9/09 to 9/11

Direct the overall operation of the facility ensuring attainment of all production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives and other company policy and procedures.

Drive continuous improvement in facility.

Ensure compliance of global standard for quality process improvement, food safety and any legality issue.

Direct department managers to ensure coordination of purchasing, production, and shipping.

Direct department managers to ensure product quality, sanitation standards, employee safety and legal compliance.

Participate as an active member of the senior management team.

Hoopeston Foods (Hoopeston, IL)

Plant Manager - 5/08 to 6/09

Direct the overall operation of the facility ensuring attainment of all production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives and other company policy and procedures.

Drive continuous improvement in facility.

Lead safety excellence.

Ensure compliance of Corporate Quality Standards for quality process improvement, food safety, and State Regulatory issues.

Direct department managers to ensure coordination of purchasing, production, and shipping.

Ensure product quality, sanitation standards, employee safety and legal compliance.

Oversee positive community and employee union relations.

Northern Star Company (Minneapolis, MN)

Plant Manager - 10/07 to 4/08

Direct the overall operation of the facility ensuring attainment of all production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives and other company policy and procedures.

Drive continuous improvement in facility.

Lead safety excellence.

Ensure compliance of global standard for quality process improvement, food safety and State of Minnesota regulatory issues.

Direct department managers to ensure coordination of purchasing, production, and shipping.

Direct department managers to ensure product quality, sanitation standards, employee safety and legal compliance.

Oversee positive community and employee relations.

Foster a well-trained and motivated management staff.

Participate as an active member of the senior management team.

Carolina Blueberry Co-operative (Garland, NC)

Plant Manager - 3/07 to 10/07

Direct the overall operation of the facility ensuring attainment of all production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives and other company policy and procedures.

Ensure compliance of global standard for quality process improvement, food safety and any legality issue.

Foster a well-trained and motivated management staff.

Participate as an active member with the Board of Director owners.

RainSweet, Inc. (Salem, OR)

Vice President of Operations - 12/05 to 1/07

Direct the overall operation of the facility ensuring attainment of all production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives and other company policy and procedures.

Ensure compliance of global standard for quality process improvement and food safety.

Direct department managers to ensure coordination of purchasing, production, and shipping.

Direct department managers to ensure product quality, sanitation standards, employee safety and legal compliance.

Oversee positive community and employee union relations.

Foster a well-trained and motivated management staff.

Participate as an active member of the senior management team with the Board of Director owners.

SNOKIST Growers Coop (Yakima, WA)

Vice President of Processed Operations - 7/98 to 10/05

Began as the Superintendent for plant operations, later promoted to Processed Operations Manager. In 2001, appointed as an officer of the company, Vice President of Processed Operations.

Direct the overall operation of the facility ensuring attainment of all production goals within budgetary, time and quality standards.

Coordinate plant operations within quality systems, safety initiatives and other company policy and procedures.

Drive continuous improvement in facility.

Leader in safety excellence.

Ensure compliance of global standard for quality process improvement, food safety and any legality issue.

Direct department managers to ensure coordination of purchasing, production, and shipping.

Direct department managers to ensure product quality, sanitation standards, employee safety and legal compliance.

Oversee positive community and employee relations.

Foster a well-trained and motivated management staff.

Participated as the senior management representative with the Board of Director owners .

• Turned around operations for Snokist, changing $6M loss to $4M profit gain in two years.

• Reduced container spoilage by 80,000 cases in the first year, saving $1.5 million in annual loss.

• Reduced direct labor by 35% in the first 2 years.

• Reduced production head count and improved the labor cost of the COMG by more than $1.00 per case

• Awarded USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Small Business Contractor of the Year in 2001

• Improved Return on Invested Capital performance with 2 new products: 4 ounce plastic cup items and pear juice items

Seneca Foods Corp. (East Williamson, NY-Marion, NY-Jackson, WI)

Plant Manager, promoted from Quality Control Manager - 5/89 to 7/98

• Prior to promotion as Plant Manager, the East Williamson Plant experienced higher than industry average lost time accidents and a very high injury frequency rate of 6.1. Investigated causes and instituted safety programs, committees, and utilized an outside agency to follow up and investigate suspicious accidents. Reduced lost time accidents to zero and the injury frequency rate below the OSHA standard rate of 4.2 to 3.1.

Quality Control Manager, promoted from promoted from Production Line Supervisor - 10/85 to 5/87

• Reduced thermal process deviations by 75%

• Improved final product grade from 88% Grade A to 94%

Stokely USA (Scottville, MI)

Plant Superintendent - 5/87 to 5/89

Responsible for production of canned green beans in a 235,000 sq ft seasonal canned vegetable plant

Joan of Arc (Hoopeston, IL)

Production Supervisor - 4/79 to 10/85

Started as a management trainee worked in all departments of the manufacturing facility, farming, quality, and distribution

Education

B.S. in Industrial Technology

Suffield University

Twin Falls, Idaho

A.A. in Computer Programming

Universal Career College – ECPI

Peoria, Illinois

Education/Continuing Education/Certifications

Accounting, West Shore Community College Ludington, MI

Energy and Engineering, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

Industrial Technology and Safety, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

Supervisory & Management Training Certificates, AMS Institute,

Omega Services, A.S.P.A., Illinois State University

Aseptic Processing and Packaging Workshop, Purdue University

Better Process Control School, certificate from FDA, Purdue University

Frozen Technology, Certificate IFT

HACCP, Certified by AIB

Double Seam Program Certificates, W. R. Grace Company

PMC2000 Preventive Maintenance Software Certificate

Certificate in Applied Spanish, Centerpoint Language Services

Basic Programmable Controller Instrumentation Certificate, Perry Technical Institute

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