Manager Customer Service

Don DePalma

**** ******* ***** *****

Ellicott City, MD 21042

443-***-**** **********@*******.***

SUMMARY

Process-focused, creative Business Professional in the Flavors and Food

Industries driven to develop and implement new flavors from the bench level

through full-scale production while minimizing costs and maximizing

quality. Unique ability to visualize complex logistics and operational

inter-relationships, and identify lowest cost and repeatable manufacturing

process. Strengths include ability to view issues from multiple functional

perspectives, communicate critical control points, and collaborative

problem solving. Areas of expertise:

Project Management Operations Management ISO / TQM

Project Engineering Product Development Process Controls

Process Engineering Process Optimization Process Design

Facilities Management Start-ups Scale-ups

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROCESS & PROJECT INNOVATIONS Ellicott City, MD

2009 - Present

Partner in a process and project consulting firm that specializes in

productivity and process improvements, project management and control

system specification and design.

. Performed process and operations optimization, automation programming and

reviews, project management, project scoping and start-ups

. Optimization improvements completed are typically in the 20 - 60% range

QUEST INTERNATIONAL / GIVAUDAN

2006 - 2009, 1986-1996

Technical Services Manager

Led continuous improvement efforts in Flavors manufacturing site.

Developed products and integrated into manufacturing. Oversaw process and

product development.

. Recovered over $1M in obsolete raw materials and finished products,

substituting ingredients to ensure on-time deliveries, improving customer

service by 3-5%.

. Reduced overtime by 70% by implementing "Look Forward" Meetings with

planners, schedulers, and plant personnel.

. Consolidated over 1,000 Quest products into 3 Givaudan manufacturing

sites resulting in timely site closure with no effect on customer orders

or product quality.

Manager of Engineering

Responsible for process and project engineering including the design of a

new corporate center, installation of processes across a multiple product

rationalization and transfers, interfacing with flavorist to develop new

products and processes utilizing spray drying, powder blending, reactions

and extractions. Troubleshooting production problems at Quest's North

American facilities. Responsible for developing and scale up of the

two most profitable products for Quest's North American flavor operation.

Production Manager

Brought in to rejuvenate a production department which was 3 months behind.

Member of a team which developed manufacturing techniques, training and

process improvements employing TQM principles. The customer service level

was improved from 40% to 96%. A new performance plan was developed to give

workers a clear path for advancement.

Manager of Project Engineering

Responsible for projects at various Quest sites including the design and

project management of Quest's Itasca, IL seasoning manufacturing facility.

The site became the most efficient powder blending site for Quest

worldwide. Quest's technical representative for the environmental clean up

of the East Hanover, NJ site. Consolidated three vanilla extract

manufacturing sites into one, realizing $200K savings / year.

Facility / Project Engineer

Managed various expansion projects as well as all aspects of facility

engineering. Project Manager for the consolidation of the East Hanover

site to Owings Mills, including design, project management and product

rationalization. Preventative maintenanceProgram resulted in $100K / year

savings. Completion of plant consolidation project led seamless transfer

of production without loss of customer service level.

HR NICHOLSON, Baltimore, MD 2004 - 2008

Operations Manager, Beverage Manufacturer

Planned and directed Production, Quality Services, Engineering, R&D and

Warehousing activities and established production priorities for products.

Established production and quality control standards, developed budget and

cost controls. Reviewed and analyzed reports to determine causes of

nonconformity with product specifications and operating / production

problems. Developed and implemented procedures designed to eliminate

operating problems and improve product quality.

Initiated and managed the following projects

. Installed bulk storage and reducing procurement costs by $200K annually.

. Installed heat recovery unit for pasteurizer, allowing pasteurized

product to be cooled with incoming product, resulting in 70% reduction in

energy costs.

. Initiated project to ensure product consistently met USDA specifications

by automatically adjusting solids content resulting in $200K annual

savings.

. Initiated projects having payback of $750,000 annually.

. Doubled productivity in aseptic department creating world-class capacity

utilization by revamping line to minimize downtime and instituting

preventative maintenance schedule.

. Developed new products worth $2M in annual sales.

ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS CORP., Baltimore, MD 2002 - 2004

Process Engineering Manager

Developed products and engineered processes for the environmental control

industry. Coordinated and participated in start-ups. Managed process-

engineering group to design new products and enhance existing product.

. Initiated new pollution control processes at multiple coal burning power

plants.

. Designed continuous pollution control process, which reduced capital

costs by 60%.

INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT, Ellicott City, MD 1996 - 2002

Independent Consultant

Consulted with various companies assisting on the design of new facilities,

project management, transfer of facilities, and product and process

development.

Spray Drying Systems: Designed systems, generated proposals managed

projects, provided on-site technical consulting and oversaw start-ups for a

firm which designs spray dryers and associated equipment.

Flavors & Fragrance Specialties: Managed site for a flavors and fragrance

manufacturing facility in Baltimore, MD, including safety, production,

warehousing, maintenance and engineering. Reduced finished goods inventory

by 50% and finished goods delivery to 5 days, while maintaining 9 turns /

year raw material inventory. Set up internal cross training and career

advancement path for factory employees.

Triarco Inc.: Evaluated a site to be purchased and designed Phase 1

processing, mechanical and electrical modifications to allow manufacturing.

Designed Phase 2 Expansion of the manufacturing facility. Provided

ongoing troubleshooting consulting, and identified projects to optimize

operations.

Otters Flavors: Designed new powder blending, spray drying, and

manufacturing facilities.

Haarmann & Reimer: Developed a plan to revise the layout of a fragrance

manufacturing facility to improve efficiencies.

Vigon International: Established a research laboratory to develop new

products and processes. Designed a new pilot plant and manufacturing

addition.

Excellent prior experience includes Manager of Engineering, Production

Manager, Manager of Project Engineering and Facility / Project Engineer for

Quest International.

EDUCATION

BS, Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA

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