Manager Sales
Resume:
Thomas J. Smith Jr.
Oak Creek, WI 53154
*************@*****.***
Summary: A seasoned professional, strong mentor/coach and team builder
with engineering and manufacturing expertise in the heavy
manufacturing and metalworking industry with broad
experience in new operational start-ups and turnaround
situations.
Professional
Profile:
* Successfully managed a $52 million business through a turn-
around from bankruptcy to profitability in 2 years.
* Successfully planned and executed the start-up of a 56,000
sq. ft. wheel manufacturing facility employing 300+
personnel.
* Successful in negotiating and maintaining favorable
conditions in union/non-union environment.
* Traveled internationally and domestically to select
equipment and negotiate purchase contracts.
* Experienced in TS-16949, QS-9000, TQM, TPM, Q1, CMMS,
Crosby and Deming Quality philosophies, Theory of
Constraints and Kaizan.
* Proven ability to manage/motivate employees and
maintain/improve productivity.
* Strength in analyzing and improving engineering and
administrative methods to increase productivity.
Business
Experience:
2008 - Present Milwaukee Forge Milwaukee, WI
COO/GM
. Report to CEO/President daily and Board of Directors
quarterly.
. $52M annual sales servicing automotive, heavy truck,
agricultural and defense industries.
. Technical professional (metallurgical, engineering,
maintenance) managing 90% of 252 personnel facility.
. Implemented Kaizan, 6 Sigma black belt methodology and
theory of constraints to improve on-time delivery from 40+%
to 95+% in 8 month timeframe. (Also reducing scrap rate
from 4% to 2.5%).
. Improved employee relationships with salary and hourly
personnel (Unionized facility - USW and IAM) via monthly
communication meetings to eliminate environment of extreme
distrust.
. Secured $4M in new business from Arvin/Meritor.
. Currently laid off (since May, 2009) based on current
market conditions.
2007 - 2008 DemShe Products Port Robinson, Ont.,
Canada
V.P. Operations/Plant Manager
. Report to off-site CEO/Owner and responsible for profit and
loss of $12M to $15M hammer forging facility primarily
automotive/light truck customer base selling to U.S.
facilities.
. Negotiated 3 year contract with union.
. Improved net/gross ratios to an average of 75% + yield.
. Launched $5M ball yoke program for major supplier to Ford
Motor Co. in 90 days.
. Review total design/process from estimate through program
launch.
. Oversee staff of 61 hourly and salaried personnel
responsible for:
o Automated processing - Fanuc robots utilized to
reduce tong hold.
o Secondary operations include cold coining and
extrusions in-house.
o TS-16949 implementation from QS-9000 environment.
o Operation of 4 hammer cells with Lasco programmable
hammers - electric induction heating.
2005-2007 Forgitron LLC, Camden, South
Carolina
Consultant
. Hired and trained 14 full-time people to forge and supply
Class 7 and 8 aluminum truck wheels to OEM's. This facility
is totally automated using Fanuc robotics throughout,
producing 12,000 wheels per month in a 2 shift operation 5
days per week.
. Directly recruited from Lake City Forge, Inc. to start up
this $14M Greenfield facility. Over a five year time frame
future plans are to add machining and painting operations
and expand to 350 employees.
. Project completed December 2007.
2000 to 2005 Lake City Forge, Inc. /Division of Lake City
Industries,
LLC
V.P. Forge Operations
Lake City,
MI
New Boston,
MI
. Reported to CEO and was responsible for profit and loss of
220+ personnel hammer and press steel forging facility
supplying primarily automotive and class 7 & 8 heavy truck
drive-train components.
. 2 forging locations with $52M annual sales.
. Maintained a non-union environment through USW campaign.
. Reduced scrap levels by over 50% (7% to 3.5%).
. Improved on-time delivery to 99% from 85%.
. Reduced overall head count by 10% while increasing
productivity by 37%.
. Revised the incentive system to modern standards.
. Introduced TPM to increase equipment uptime by 10+% (<70%
to 80
. TS-16949 implementation at 3 facilities (2 forges and 1
machine facility).
. Managed business successfully through 3 buyouts by new
investment companies.
1996 to 2000 Reynolds Wheels International Virginia, Inc.
Lebanon, Va.
General Manager
. Managed and started up a 156,000 sq. ft. Greenfield
manufacturing facility with 300+ personnel.
. Responsible for profit and loss at $72 million annual
sales.
. Traveled internationally to select and supervise
construction of $31 million manufacturing facility.
. Added finish machine capability and doubled size of heat
treat capacity.
. Increased annual sales from $30 million to $72 million.
. Decreased in-house scrap rate from 13% to 3% thereby saving
over $7M annually.
. Introduced programs for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler
quadrupling product base. (14 major wheel program launchs)
. Implemented cost reduction program totaling over $600,000
annually for chemical usage.
. Established and maintained corporate environmental, health
and safety program achieving the best safety record in the
wheel division.
. Negotiated 3 year contract with United Steelworkers union.
. Negotiated all annual utility contracts.
. Trained initial 35 person hourly workforce.
. Spent one year selecting, purchasing and setting up $3
million of equipment for a west coast wheel development
facility.
. Developed 1,2, and 5 year sales profiles reviewing all
wheel pricing and program development.
. Motivated employees to achieve 100% participation in United
Way programs. (1 of 2 manufacturing plants nationwide).
. Increased overall equipment efficiency to 77%.
. Currently owned and operated by Alcoa, Cleveland, OH.
1991 to 1996 Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp.
Erie, PA.
Engineering Manager
Responsible for:
. Estimating, design, plant services and development of
four traditional facilities supplying aerospace,
automotive and commercial product.
. New process development and special projects.
. Management of forty hourly and salaried employees.
. Directed engineering and design services for 3 forging
plants in Oxnard, CA, Erie, PA, and Anderson, SC..
1989 to 1991 AFT/Division of Textron Euclid, OH
Technical Services Manager
Responsible for:
. Development and production of aluminum and titanium jet
engine fan blades and buckets.
. Supervision of the engineering staff and production
floor personnel including the die shop, finishing, heat
treat and testing (8 engineers, 27 die shop and 42
hourly)..
1983 to 1989 New Castle Forge
New
Castle, PA
Vice President of Operations
. Greenfield startup with $12M annual sales.
. Co-owner and supervisor of operations for a steel
forging facility supplying automotive, mining and
commercial industries including the direct supervision
of all personnel and responsibility for profit and loss
including all manufacturing costs.
Education:
The Pennsylvania State University University
Park, PA
B.S.A.E.: graduated: 1972 (4 year program)
23-C.E.U. in quality and engineering
Professional
Affiliations: Forging Industry Association
American Society of Manufacturing Engineers (ASME)
American Society for Quality (ASQ)
Milwaukee Area Businessmen
Detailed References Available
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