Desmond E. McKnight

** **** ****** *****;

Elkton, MD 21921

Home 443-***-****

Cell 302-***-****

w4xcb7@r.postjobfree.com

Objective:

Secure a senior leadership position in a growing corporation that takes advantage of my varied experience in successfully leading several manufacturing, engineering, capital projects, and support organizations. These include: Power House & Utilities Operations, Pilot Plant Operations, Polymer Manufacturing, Adhesive Manufacturing, Packaging, Shipping, Customer Service, Contract Manufacturing, Reliability Engineering, and Engineering support, Design and Construction.

Summary of Accomplishments:

• Lead Operations, Supply Chain and Process Engineering organizations increasing OTIF (On – Time – In- Full) orders from 78% to 92%

• Lead the Engineering Organization for Multi-site business; Maintenance, Reliability, Process Improvement and Capital Projects ($40M+).

• Lead six-sigma improvement projects using DMAIC and DMADV methodologies with over $10M in combined savings.

• Lead mechanical reliability improvement efforts resulting in $10M revenue increase

• Lead manufacturing organization to record production and yield performance with a 10% increase in uptime ($30M revenue).

• Lead manufacturing organization to a record quality performance improvement $1.76M fixed cost reduction)

• Lead manufacturing organization to record low inventory levels, reduced working capital by 33% in 2009 ($3M).

• Lead project team from FEL, design (Gatekeeper Stages) through construction; $100M in Capital expansions.

• Developed and implemented project strategy that reduced equipment checkout and startup from 12 weeks to 3 weeks.

Expertise in using the following manufacturing disciplines

Total Productive Maintenance,

Reliability Engineering and Maintenance

Project Management (DuPont Certified)

Contract Service Management

Process Safety Management implementation and maintenance

ISO implementation and maintenance (Chemical / Aerospace)

Inventory Management (Working Capital)

Manufacturing Management

Personnel Management (Performance Management, Targeted Development, Targeted Selection)

Expertise in using the following problem solving and continuous improvement techniques,

Six-Sigma (Certified)

Lean,

Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA)

Process Hazard Analysis (PHA),

Failure Mode & Effect Analysis (FMEA)

Process Mapping

Experience with the following processes and operations:

Polymer Processing, Condensing Trains, Distillation, Water Treatment, Twin and Single Extruder Operation, Boilers, Mixing, Web Handling, Polyethylene, Material Conveying, Clean-In-Place Systems, Instrumentation, Equipment Controls, Electrical Substations

Work Experience

Cytec Engineered Materials

Plant Manager Havre De Grace, MD 7/2008 – Current

Directed and lead all aspects of operations for a manufacturing plant supplying the aerospace industry; provide direction to 240 employees in the functions of safety, environmental, quality, cost and on-time delivery. Manage a $40-million operating budget in a made to order production business. Manage profit-loss as a member of the Adhesive Business Team.

• Lead efforts to increase OTIF (On – Time – In- Full) orders for HdG from 55% in 2008 to 92% in 2010.

• Increased uptime on Towers from 60% on average to 80%;

• Increased throughput on towers increased from 1.2M ft2 to 1.4 M ft2

• Increased productivity resulted in a two day reduction in production days (Reduced a previously required 7-day work week to a 5-day work week for the same volume.)

E. I. DuPont de Nemours 1978 - 2008

Engineering Manager/

Project Manager – Aniline Enterprise Beaumont, Texas 2007-2008

Provide leadership for all Engineering and Maintenance for the Aniline business, including multiple sites, located in Texas and Mississippi. Responsible to:

• Developed plans and lead initiative to improve maintenance performance, capital and technical project deliveries and standardization of maintenance, reliability and capital engineering processes.

• Lead team to develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and metrics for improved reliability.

• Lead project to reduce cost associated with storage tank maintenance and inspections. Project Stake $2.0 M in savings

• Lead root cause failure investigations for catastrophic equipment failures (3),

• Lead collaborative processes that develop capability, buy-in, and support in the line organization

• Lead the drive for all improvement projects in the business to utilize Six Sigma methodology.

• Provided functional leadership and direction to project teams.

Contract Services Manager Wilmington, DE 2004 - 2007

Lead the global contract management process for services in DuPont. Implemented initiative to improve the efficiency of DuPont’s contract administration processes, for engineering and mainte-nance services; including the inclusion of metrics and progress reviews to ensure the services requested are delivered. Lead and participated in cross functional teams to drive deliverables. Reduced U.S. spends by $19-million in 2006.

Developed Contract Service Management (CSM) Process and “Best Practices”

• Lead initiative developing CSM Site assessment tools and strategies using QFD and Six Sigma methodology

• Lead site assessment team yielding 10% contracted spend savings

 Identified $2.0M savings in 2004

 Identified $6.0M savings in 2005

Global Supply Chain Manager Wilmington, Delaware 2002-2005

Leader of the global customer order fulfillment process (COFP) for INVISTA, DuPont’s fiber business. Manage an organization of 275 employees in 21 countries, handling more than 30,000 orders each month. Lead cross-business projects focused on improving supply chain performance and reducing inventory and working capital.

Accomplishments include:

• Developed Best Practices for Order Fulfillment Process (OFP)

• Mapped Supply Chain logistics network

• Introduced and implemented Customer differentiation; developed guidelines and action plans.

• Introduced and implemented Product Differentiation; developed guidelines and action plans.

• Lead collaborative processes that develop capability, buy-in, and support in the line organization.

• Initiated and led implementation of computer modeling of logistics network.

Plant Manager Athens, Georgia 1999-2002

Directed and lead all aspects of operations for a manufacturing plant supplying the nylon industry; provide direction to 900 employees in the areas of safety, environmental, quality, cost and on-time delivery. Manage a $44-million operating budget and a $25-million capital budget. Accomplish-ments include:

• Lead Project Team to install $10 million new Nylon Apparel beaming and creeling process.

• Implemented “Variable Workforce”, outsourced material handling tasks to contractors.

• Lead six sigma project, reducing equipment part failures by 50%, a gain of 15 production days.

• Lead activities reducing on-the-job injuries, achieving zero incidents in 2001 and 2002, down from four in 2000 and eight in 1999.

Operations Manager / Project Leader Chattanooga, Tennessee 1997-1999

Lead 400 employees in the daily operations of the Chattanooga Polymer business, as well as the site support functions for the powerhouse and laboratory operations. Manage a $90-million operating budget and a $30-million capital budget.

Responsibilities/Accomplishments include:

• Lead project teams replacing batch polymer kettles, upgrading controls and polymer quenching systems ($25M).

• Initiated and lead initiatives in Safety, reducing the number of process fires from 7 in 1997 to 1 in 1998.

• Developed and implemented action plans that increased polymer yield by 20% in 1998, revenue gain of $4.2M.

Project Manager & Business Manager Chattanooga, Tennessee 1995-1997

Lead initiative developing processes for the recycling of post consumer carpet. Lead capital project process to develop conceptual data, basic data, front-end loading (FEL), design and construction packages to build process facilities for the recycling of carpet.

Lead the construction, start-up and operation of a pilot plant with 100 employees, increasing output from 200,000 to 1,000,000 pounds per month over 6 month period.

Operations Manager Brevard, N.C. 1992 –1995

Polymer and Film Casting – provide daily direction for safety, environmental, quality and production. Manage operations in Polymerization (continuous process), casting, packaging, warehouse and shipping.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead actions to increase “shop floor” ownership of quality and uptime, via Operator involvement on focused teams.

• Lead multi-site team focused on improving reliability of film casting process. Using FMEA methodology, increased reliability of casting process from 76% uptime in 1992 to 86% in 1993.

• Provided leadership to the site Safety function.

• Lead root cause investigation into reliability failures of material retrieval system. Developed action plans and projects, resulting in reduction of 6-10 failures/week to 1-2 failures per month.

Engineering Manager Parlin, NJ 1990–1992

Managed and lead Engineering Design and Construction teams in the building of new prep and coating facilities ($100M), maintained project manager responsibilities. Also lead site maintenance and project teams.

Responsibilities / accomplishments include:

• Led the development of bid packages, estimates, contracting, construction of process facilities for mixing and film coating.

• Lead the start-up of $100M capital expansion project; functioned as Operations Manager for first 6 months of operation

• Developed and implemented project strategy that reduced equipment checkout and startup from 12 weeks to 3 weeks. Revenue gain of $8M.

Project Manager Newark, DE 1989 –1990

Lead project team in the development of basic data, and front-end loading of capital project to build new emulsion prep and coating facilities for Parlin, NJ ($100M). Upon authorization lead project through design, estimates and development of construction strategy.

Field Section Supervisor - Field Engineering Program Wilmington, DE 1987 -1989

Provided leadership for 40 early career engineers located at multiple locations and supporting several businesses. Developed business plans to support staffing initiatives for global business leadership. Provided leadership, mentoring, career development and developmental tools for Field Engineers; supported Field Engineers with their personal growth and with solving technical issues at the sites.

Lead the effort to identify jobs, reassign and position 85 engineers when DuPont decided to stop operating the Savannah River Plant.

Technical Manager/ Engineering Manager Richmond, VA 1985 -1987

Manager of R&D pilot plants The pilot plant contain pilot processes for Tyvek®, Kevlar® and Nomex®, which provide support for Technical Service and Research and Development. The organization consists of 40 personnel and $10M budget. It is a High Hazard PSM facility.

Manager of the process engineers supporting the semi-works and manager of the Capital Projects group, providing small project (<$1M) support for the site.

Accomplishments include:

• Successful PSM audits

• Developed operation technology, new products and new raw materials (polymers, additives)

• Developed and lead successful implementation of standard process for small projects.

• Zero injuries

Sr. Engineer – E&I Orange, TX 1983 –1982

Provide daily support for electrical & instrumentation operational issues. Support operations on daily or reoccurring process issues. Developed scopes of work, estimates, design and managed the construction and installation of small projects (<$1M). Provided subject matter expertise (SME) for large projects (>$1M). Lead Process Hazard Analysis (PHA).

E&I Design Engineer Newark, DE

Corporate Engineering 1982 -1983

Develop scopes of work, estimates and design packages for controls (480V) and substations (13.4KV system) at Savannah River Nuclear Plant ($200M). Responsibilities include:

Specifying equipment, developing specifications for quote,

Provide support to site maintenance on technical issues and or equipment replacement.

Provide engineering support during construction phase.

Perform quality control during construction,

Perform equipment check-out and start-up support.

Co-managed contract design office in Pittsburgh, PA

E&I Engineer Deepwater, NJ 1980 –1982

Provided daily support for electrical & instrumentation operational issues. Developed scopes of work, estimates, design and managed the construction and installation of small projects (>$1M).

Responsibilities include:

Specifying equipment, developing specifications for quote,

Provide support to site maintenance on technical issues and or equipment replacement.

Provide engineering support during construction phase.

Perform quality control during construction,

Perform equipment check-out and start-up support.

Construction Engineer Orange, TX 1978 –1980

Lead construction activities for site and corporate projects. Activities include cost management, manpower loading, planning and scheduling. Also, interpret design, blueprints and schematics for construction forces. Responsible for construction of facilities as designed, on schedule, with-in the estimate, safely. Lead all start-up and commissioning activities.

Lead night shift and responsible for E&I check-out of $120M emergency (design and build as you go) re-build project in 1978and 1979.

Education: Carnegie Mellon University – Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering

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