Sales Customer Service
Resume:
Stephan R. Achs
Bayside, WI 53217
Cell: 414-***-**** Home: 414-***-****
e-mail: ***********@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/stephanachs/
BACKGROUND SUMMARY
An accomplished, focused and disciplined senior international business leader with Midwestern conservative values with 25 years of full profit and loss experience. A proven positive performance record with businesses of multiple sizes, brand complexity and team building requirements. Able to facilitate strategic transformation while executing tactically. Successful experience at turning around and enhancing businesses within highly competitive landscapes.
Integrity Leadership Strategy
Vision Sales & New Business Development Marketing & Brand Building
Team Building Problem Solver Process & Results Oriented
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1-2009 to 11-2010
FORRER SUPPLY, Germantown, WI
A leading $35M-$40M mid-market supplier of engineered polymer building materials, components and valued added solutions serving infrastructures in the numerous industrial and OEM markets across North America.
Chief Operating Officer
Led company restructuring, repositioning and turn-around. Responsible for day-to-day operations including; thought-leadership, sales and [lean/6S] manufacturing operations, product and service portfolio development, brand and marketing strategy development, sales management, revenue and profit growth strategy; pricing and margin control; quarterly and annual financial planning and overall goal management.
• Key 1st year milestones achieved:
o Over 90 days Accounts Receivable reduced/collected +$1MM,
o Days Sales Outstanding reduced from +70 to <50 Days,
o Inventory turns improved from <4 to 5,
o Gross Margin improved +3%,
o Reduced headcount by +10%,
• Shuttered non-performing TX branch operations eliminating $340,000/annum in costs without exiting the regions revenue stream.
• Integrated southern and northern California branch operations and leveraged best practices as well as improved business and sales processes. Year over year sales increased 58% and profitability 102%.
• Repositioned company from being a reseller of products to a full service value-creating solutions provider.
• Refreshed branding, transformed marketing program to expand presence into new markets across the USA.
• Brought in a team of qualified A player managers and identified and developed A players from within to build the high performance and engaged culture required.
12-2011 to 5-2013
KABELTRAX WORLDWIDE LLC, Milwaukee, WI
TS-16949 certified member of the +$100M global KabelSchlepp Group; International developer, manufacturer and supplier of custom engineered high volume wire (loom) routing, guidance and carrier systems. Operated locations in Asia, Europe and North America.
President & Chief Revenue Officer
Created, led and established global platform from within KabelSchlepp’s North American operations. Had full P&L responsibilities for new global business unit through its March 2010 sale and integration with a billion dollar publicly traded Japanese conglomerate (Tsubakimoto Chain Co.).
• Highly efficient, consistently profitable (+27% EBT) and vertically integrated (injection molding and automated assembly) lean enterprise model developed in North America expanded onto a global operating platform.
• Averaged +23% annual business unit revenue growth from the LLC establishment within KabelSchlepp America, Inc. through its expansion to a global operating platform (+10 years).
• Maintained +6% EBT through 2009 economic crisis
• Consistently achieved the enviable <0.1% PPM/Annum [total quality] level since 2004.
• Secured numerous long-term sole source (Tier 2) sales agreements from automotive Tier One suppliers.
• 100% on-time delivery and quantity ordered record since establishing KabelTrax (+10 years)
• Coordinated all aspects of lease negotiation, design and construction of the division’s 20,000 square foot North American add-on automated molding and assembly facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Leveraged unique business model’s competitive advantages of “localized” global automated-manufacturing, sales and service capabilities to reduce or eliminate customer FOREX exposure, logistical costs, development time, errors as well as language barriers resulting in near triple digit sales increase over the prior two years.
7-1989 to 12-2008 KABELSCHLEPP AMERICA, INC., Milwaukee, WI
ISO-9000 certified member of the +S100M global KabelSchlepp Group. North American value added designer, developer, flexible and lean manufacturer and distributor of dynamic cable and hose management systems.
President & Chief Executive (Member KS Group Global Technology Team)
Full P&L responsibilities for North American business unit of a privately held German company. Coordinated all sales, marketing, technical support and manufacturing operations. Created annual operating plans, strategies and budgets. Reported directly to parent company CEO and Global Business Unit VP in Germany.
• Career track within KabelSchlepp America (Group): President 2008 – 2001 / Executive Vice President 2001 – 1995 / Director of Sales & Engineering 1995 – 1992 / General Sales Manager 1992 – 1989
• Transformed the company from a catalog-based product reseller to a technically-oriented solutions provider.
• Increased sales more than 10 fold from ’89 to ‘08.
• Turned an unprofitable value added distributor into a profitable and growing operation by adding local manufacturing that generated double digit annual profits as a percent of revenue for more than 15 years.
• Increased US manufacturing content from 2% to +40% of revenue in 15 years, dramatically reducing inventories, lead-times, costs, FOREX exposure, while systematically increasing profitability.
• Established a highly profitable (50+%) and growing (15+% annually) field service & audit operation (first within our global group).
• Delivered 100,000 product options from 4,000 SKU’s with the 10 year record of 98.7% on-time and on-quality.
• Founded highly profitable US limited liability daughter “KabelTrax” company targeted at servicing the automotive, truck, heavy equipment industries and select high-volume clients. LLC grew to represent +35% of overall revenues, +80% of profits and a #1 global market position
• Negotiated and captured multi-million dollar multi-year business agreements with major OEM and Tier One’s.
1984 - 1989 KARL SCHMIDT INDUSTRIES, division of KOLBENSCHMIDT AG, Milwaukee, WI
International multi-billion dollar manufacturer of two and four cycle gravity and squeeze cast aluminum pistons.
Manager, Light Duty Original Equipment Sales
Coordinated all sales, application engineering and customer service activities for key North American light duty accounts. Reported directly to the Vice President of Sales in US. 1st OEM salesperson hired in North America.
• Increased sales more than +25% annually for each year employed.
• Participated in securing first exclusive 5 year sole source supply agreement with Harley Davidson Motor Co.
• Developed and secured long term sole source supply relationships with Mercury Marine, Outboard Marine Corporation, Harley Davidson, Ford New Holland, General Motors BOC Group and Pontiac.
• Executed plan that opened a regional sales office in Milwaukee, WI saving $100,000 in annual expenses.
EDUCATION
Masters Degree (MBA) in Management and Marketing – 1999 – EMP42 Program
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois – J.L. Kellogg School of Management Emphasis: Management & Marketing
Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in Business – 1982
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois – College of Business Emphasis: Industrial Design
BOARDS, ORGANIZATIONS, PATENTS, ACTIVITIES AND HOBBIES
• Patents: EP 1108157B1, US 6550232B1, JP 4569854B2, EP 1015793B1, CN 1104572C
• CEO Advisory Board Member – Maynard Steel Casting Company, Milwaukee, WI since 2010
• Vice President – St. Eugene Parish School Endowment Committee since 2009
• Physical fitness, swimming, weight training, cardio-exercise, hiking and motorcycling
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