Operations Executive, Wholesale Distribution, Budget

Ted Hochwalt

**** ***** **** ***** • Escondido, CA 92026 • 760-***-**** • ***@********.***

SUMMARY

Operations professional with over 15 years’ experience in distribution, customer service, accounting/finance and sales. My career has covered multiple industries including: automotive, gaming software, jewelry, medical supplies and pet products. These businesses have been both privately owned and publicly traded corporations with annual sales ranging from $100,000 to $300 million. Three were start-up ventures, one being my own company. I have practical hands-on experience and long-term planning skills. My key strengths are strategic planning, problem solving and team building.

•Warehouse Operations •Budget Forecasting/Fiscal Responsibility

•Logistics Operations •Contract Negotiations

•Inventory Control •Operational and Strategic Initiatives

•Domestic & International Distribution •Performance Analysis

•Order Fulfillment •Team Leadership

•Vendor Management •Customer Service

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Owner - President October 2010 to Present

Peggy’s Pet Products, Inc. • Escondido, CA

Local distributor of locally made pet products to independent pet stores and groomers, with secondary retail on-line and event sales. Co-owned with my wife with $100,000 in annual sales.

•Co-created company and grew to $100,000 in a year and a half.

•Sole sales and customer service rep for 40 wholesale accounts in San Diego area.

•Managed operations of inventory to include: purchasing, receiving, and fulfillment.

•Responsible for bookkeeping using QuickBooks, and all company finances including account payables and receivables.

•Increased company awareness with use of Event Sales set up, tear down, sales and public relations at local street fairs and pet events.

General Manager May 2013 to August 2013

Synthetic Lawn Supply • San Diego, CA

A regional distributor of Synthetic Lawns. Privately owned, this start-up has grown annual sales to 1 million square feet of synthetic turf per year since its inception four years ago

•Developed and responsible for operations budget of $1.8 million. Expanded the existing P&L to be more detailed for all activities of the company.

•Accountable for inventories of $450,000 at cost. Created cycle count process to maintain inventory accuracy within 1%.

•Managed all warehouse operations including local customer deliveries, receiving, shipping and inventory accuracy.

•Worked directly with Chinese manufacturer to reduce time between order and delivery from 90 to 60 days.

•Responsible for all key accounts including order processing, customer service and accounts receivable

•Managed staff of four.

•Developed process for the smooth transition of ownership from CEO to President of the company.

Field Representative October 2008 to March 2010

SSF Imported Auto Parts, Inc. • South San Francisco, CA

A national distributor of full line European auto parts. Privately owned with $70 million in annual sales.

•Managed customer base of 1200 businesses, covering entire counties of San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles. Face-to-face customer contacts of up to 100 per week.

•Developed marketing tools to improve customer awareness for full line of products distributed by SSF, which lead to sales of a wider line of products.

•Acted as liaison between customer base, corporate and inside sales team to increase company awareness of customer needs and correct customer issues.

•Guided pricing to become more competitive, which lead to 10% increase in sales.

•Increased customer base by 5%.

Regional Operations Manager October 2001 to July 2006

Modine Manufacturing, Aftermarket Division • Baldwin Park, CA

A leading global manufacturer/distributor of aftermarket heat transfer and temperature control products for automotive and heavy duty applications. Publicly traded with $300 million in annual sales.

•Managed all operations for 13 warehouses totaling 200,000 square feet, in a three state region.

•Developed and responsible for operations budget of $6 million, and P& L for each branch and the region as a whole. Accountable for a 15% profitability factor on a $20 million sales budget.

•Managed inventories of $2.6 million at cost, and implemented inventory shrinkage programs reducing variances from 10% per twice yearly physical inventories, to no more than .05% per year.

•Managed 14 direct reports, with responsibilities to hire, dismiss, train, review and inspire.

•Managed in both union and non union environments.

•Established and managed 14 third party logistics vendors to work in conjunction with 13 warehouses.

•Implemented procedures required for compliance with the Sarbanes Oxley laws.

•Managed audits of OSHA safety standards for all warehouses.

•Negotiated contracts with freight vendors to reduce freight expenses by five percent on a $1 million per year freight budget. Also reduced in-transit days of the inventory by one day for all western states including Washington, Colorado and Arizona.

•Consolidated one 130,000 sq. ft. warehouse into 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse, in four days, for a profitability of $1 million per year.

•Generated nearly $20 million in sales annually. Attained or exceeded sales goals each year.

•Managed 700 accounts while continuing the new account growth goals set by management and market needs.

•Strengthened relationships with customers through increased direct shipments to customers by adding one delivery run made by 50 drivers each day, reducing the order to delivery time from three hours to two.

•Initiated the implementation of Saturday work days during the summer, increasing gross revenues 20% and net profitability by five percent for five years.

•Conceived and promoted sales programs to meet market needs.

•Successfully facilitated transition of operations personnel and customers during merger of Modine Aftermarket division with TransPro, to become Proliance International Inc.

Sales Operations Manager November 1997 to June 2001

Interplay Entertainment Corp • Irvine, CA

Developer, publisher and licensor of entertainment software for gamers, with $100 million in annual sales.

Went from privately owned through IPO to publicly traded company during the course of my employment.

•Managed third party logistics vendor to accomplish on time/cost effective shipments reducing shipping expenses five percent annually.

•Strategic inventory allocation to avoid loss of business and maintain or grow market share.

•Acted as the liaison between logistics, operations and sales force to facilitate successful delivery of product to customers.

•Management of 10 customer service staff with responsibility for 800,000 invoices annually.

•Reorganized department to team up staff members with outside sales reps and customers to increase efficiency in communications by 32%, and develop one-to-one relationships.

•Developed and implemented cross training procedures to ensure peak efficiency of the department regardless of available resources.

•Audit CSR’s for problem solving abilities to ensure increased professionalism, reduce mistakes and continued revenue from clientele.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

•Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, QuickBooks, Outlook, MapPoint; plus JD Edwards, MacCell, Platinum and Business Vision accounting software packages.

EDUCATION

•Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH, B.A., Business Management

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