Dennis Ross **** South Chestnut Lane

Mica, WA ***23

406-***-****

abil1r@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS AND RESULTS

DISTINCTIVE BACKGROUND OF SUCCESSFUL WHOLESALE AND RETAIL EXPERIENCE

CREATING A UNIQUE MIX OF BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE AND PROFITABILITY

MERGED 8 SEPARATE BUSINESS UNITS

• Established clear guidelines for dealing with vendors that standardized procedures, reduced costs, and

simplified product tracking

• Developed and streamlined procedures for all paperwork that simplified and standardize methods,

reducing errors and increasing tracking of profit and sales

• Increased communication, building a cohesive team, by integrating quarterly manager meetings that were

funded by vendor sponsorships

• Increased customer satisfaction by 47%, documented through ongoing surveys

RAISED CORPORATE PROFITABILITY 18% AND INCREASED BUSINESS BY 5%

• Supported the development, deployment, alignment and linkage of the organizational goals and

objectives; to achieve organizational performance and priorities; to reach departments’ goals and

objectives.

• Successfully increased retail profit margin from 27% to a 33% margin in three years, better than industry

average and during a down economy

• Integrated a pricing strategy that allowed for standardization of retail pricing, while increasing margins.

(Aikens)

• Established primary vendors- reduced paperwork, eliminated undesirable price variations between

company stores to increased profit.

• Negotiated standardized pricing and volume discounts from primary and secondary vendors to simplify

ordering and payments and allow a centralized buyer to order using minimum-maximum standards,

increasing the time that store staff have with the customer while lowering costs.

• Instituted an effective “complete the sale” program that trained each sales member to explain key product

benefits, offer an additional item to each customer’s purchase, and increased the dollars sold at each

location

• Established an effective advertising program using various media methods

ELIMINATED $850,000 IN INVENTORY

• Evaluated, reduced and eliminated low margin items and low turn-rate items, and other items that were

incompatible with primary our market focus

• Managed the liquidation process to increase retail profit while eliminating products that had low turn rates

or profit margin, or unreasonably low shelf life.

• Evaluated buying habits of store managers and integrated a cost savings program of “buy little – buy often”

that eliminated over-spending, excessive or out-dated inventory while controlling delivery expenses

• Implemented methods for buying between ourselves to reduce costs, increase turn-rate, and create a

higher margin for many items

• Integrated process controls and consolidated key product lines such as Coastal, JT Eaton, and Speedrite,

to eliminate duplication of product lines

STORE MERCHANDISING AND RESETS

• Demonstrated ability in analyzing customer’s value-perception by coordinating and setting up two new

stores of 14,000 square feet each

• Designed and coordinated the new look and feel of preexisting stores that increased sales by 16 per cent

Dennis Ross

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DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP ABILITY

• Budgetary responsibility in excess of $10,000,000, 8 stores, and in 3 states and over 65 employees

• Developed and improved policies/procedures to guarantee compliance with State and Federal laws/rules

in employment, safety and diversity as well as taxes and finance.

• Standardized hiring practices to select the best applicant using fair hiring standards to including hiring the

Management team, and training each manager on these practices.

• Improved employee retention from 30 percent to 12 per cent by establishing an employee evaluation

program, training managers to mentor and coach to positively lead others to develop their employees

versus the previous “sink or swim” methodology previously used, while integrating a fair and progressive

discipline methodology.

• Employed creativity to build leadership skills in managers that allowed managers and employees to learn

without fear, and to quickly add these new skills to their daily work.

• Coached individuals, to identify needed personal and professional development, and to continue to excel

professionally.

• Integrated a secret shopper program, used in ongoing training, to build customer value understanding

• Incorporated self-management and developed manager’s leadership skills, encouraged support of the

team by using open and honest daily briefing, demonstrated positive communication skills while ensuring

confidentiality where needed.

• Incorporated a more stringent safety program to reduce opportunities for workplace injuries by

establishing a program for proactively analyzing and correcting the workplace, reducing injuries.

• Trained supervisors and others to think analytically; through training and hands-on application, to drive

accountability for departments and achieve functional results.

• Established a bonus system structure to positively impact personnel behavior and increase productivity,

while reducing overall process costs, as part of a retraining from a cashier mentality to becoming a skilled

salesperson.

• Exceeded the expectations of Board members by minimizing costs as I oversaw the ‘retirement’ process

of a store that was destroyed by fire

RELATED WORK HISTORY

2007-Current Vice President of Retail Operations, Aslin-Finch Company

• Served with the Senior Leadership Team, integrating long-range planning and goal setting to incorporate

effective planning processes from strategic plans into daily operations.

1997-2007 STORE OWNER for two successful retail stores in Montana

Sold these two competing stores to Aslin-Finch Company and took a senior leadership position

1995-1997 TERRITORY MANAGER -- HORIZON DISTRIBUTION -- WHOLESALE

1990-1995 DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING -- AVAILABLE HARDWARE SUPPLY -- WHOLESALE

1983-1990 DIRECTOR OF SALES -- NALLEYS CHIP & SNACK DIVISION -- WHOLESALE

1977-1983 DISTRICT SALES MANAGER -- FRITO LAY SNACK COMPANY -- WHOLESALE

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 10 YEARS

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER - 12 YEARS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR SPOKANE AG EXPO

BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS FOR FIRE DISTRICT 8 - SPOKANE COUNTY

PAST MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RAVALLI COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PAST MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR STEVENSVILLE MONTANA MAIN STREET PROGRAM

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