Jeffrey J. Kost

**** ******** ***** *******, ******* 30040 Telephone: 770-***-**** Cell: 678-***-**** Email: ac0wye@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY

Operations/Distribution/Supply Chain Management, with over 30 years of managerial leadership experience in developing and implementing Supply Chain operational initiatives, distribution center plans, and achieving revenue performance targets.

Breadth of experience encompasses: developing logistics strategies; facilities management; establishing quality management procedures; staff training/development; P&L management; developing and implementing safety procedures and programs; instituting efficiency/productivity improvements. Possess a unique ability to determine an organization’s operational/distribution needs, and then define and deliver competitive solutions in a timely and cost-effective manner. Operational/supply chain acumen over the past 30 years includes: designing/planning 14 complete facility layouts, 10 warehouse moves, negotiated over 20 major carrier contracts in addition to developing numerous third party logistics relationships, conducted over 30 vendor contract negotiations, collaborated in ISO certification with 12 semi-annual certification audits, and implemented over 30 continuous quality improvement projects. Multiple facility responsibility. Managed multi-million dollar annual budgets that produced up to and exceeding $1 million operational savings within 12 months. Additional strengths and capabilities include:

Demonstrated Managing Of Cost Performance

Supply/Demand Forecasting

Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis

Streamlining Operational Procedures

Distribution Execution Across Multiple Product Lines

ISO/TQM Standards Compliance

Multiple Project Management Capacity To Build Relationships Internally & Externally

Strong Written, Verbal & Presentation Skills

Team Oriented Leadership Skills

Forming & Leveraging Alliances with Vendors

Skilled In Planning, Assessing, And Implementing Change

Developing Operational Policies & Procedures Experienced In Facilitating CI and Lean Initiatives.

Knowledgeable Of OSHA Guidelines & Regs.

Able To Travel As Necessary

Strong Computer Skills, Windows 10, Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, Project, VISIO And Others

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

VIKING DISTRIBUTING, Suwanee, GA 2014 to 2017

Viking Distributing is the warehousing, distribution and sales operations for Viking Range, LLC, the world leader in manufacturing high-end residential cooking and kitchen appliances. Viking Range is part of The Middleby Corporation, the largest commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer in the world. Viking, becoming part of The Middleby Corporation in 2013, has tapped into the resources and technological expertise of Middleby, that combined with Viking's own heritage in the residential market, has transformed its products to reach new heights in product performance and customer satisfaction.

Director Of Warehousing & Logistics – Headquartered at the Suwanee, GA distribution center, managed and oversaw all warehousing, distribution and logistics operations for Viking Distributing’s U.S. and Canadian sales network. Controlled and optimized the warehousing and distribution operations for six company-owned and 3rd party warehouses covering product distribution for the United States and Canada. Responsible for documenting and executing a comprehensive logistics and distribution strategic plan to drive optimal customer service and profitability. Ensured all regulatory and compliance measures are met within company guidelines. Developed and implemented distribution best practices to include systems integration and optimization. Drove operational excellence and best practices across the network. Directly supervised all Warehouse Managers at company-owned facilities and had direct responsibility for all 3rd party warehouse contracts and relationships. Vehicle fleet administration.

Developed and implemented a strategic logistics partnership with one of the largest 3PL’s in North America resulting in an immediate 4.8% LTL transportation spend cost reduction against an $8+ million annual transportation spend. Implemented state of the art, comprehensive Transportation Management System (TMS).

Unified logistics operations across the network and significantly improved delivery service to customers.

Developed truckload brokerage strategies resulting in significant costs savings and service improvements.

Reorganized specialty carriers and cartage agents for improved service and significant cost reduction.

Restructured and expanded Suwanee Distribution Center for increased efficiency and capacity due to evolving and expanding product line.

Restructured warehouse network from 8 domestic facilities to 5 resulting in reduced operating costs, improved inventory allocation, reduced stock-outs, reduced distribution costs and better alignment to sales territories.

Reorganized and moved two distribution centers resulting in cost reduction and improved efficiency.

Developed two domestic third party distribution center relationships to include contract negotiation.

Developed Canadian distribution center with third party provider. Negotiated warehousing services contract.

Restructured Canadian distribution and logistics services through our 3PL partnership reducing cost by 15%.

Reviewed and revised safety program and procedures to bring company owned facilities into compliance with OSHA requirements to include forklift certification compliance and forklift safety and maintenance compliance. HALCO LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES, Norcross, Georgia 2009 to 2014 Halco Lighting Technologies is the largest 2nd tier manufacturer of lamps and ballasts offering a complete line designed for residential, industrial/commercial, and special lighting applications. Supplying Electrical Distributors, Lighting Distributors and Lighting Showrooms, Halco’s broad selection makes it a one-stop lighting supplier. With products produced in 10 countries, Halco’s manufacturing expertise comes together in one of the most comprehensive product lines available in the industry including Compact Fluorescent Ballasts, Fluorescent Electronic Ballasts, Fluorescent Electromagnetic Ballasts, HID Ballasts, Plastic Sign Ballasts, Compact Fluorescent, CoverShield, Linear Fluorescent, Halogen, HID, Incandescent, Miniatures/Sealed Beam, Photo/Projection, LED, Accessories and Recycling.) Manager Of Warehousing & Distribution – Headquartered at the Norcross, GA distribution center, managed all warehousing and distribution operations for the Norcross distribution center and six satellite warehouses across the United States to include: receiving, shipping, transportation management, logistics, order processing, product storage/retrieval, order sorting, cycle counting, facility requirements, and personnel administration. Directly supervised all Warehouse Managers over a warehouse population of 22 hourly employees.

Restructured and expanded Norcross Distribution Center to improve efficiency and capacity due to significant growth.

Instrumental in the start-up of the new Carlstadt, NJ warehousing / distribution center (Summer 2013).

Instrumental in the start-up of the new La Mirada, CA warehousing / distribution center (Fall 2013).

Expanded distribution transportation for small parcel, LTL and truckload shipping by nearly double. Negotiated significant transportation savings. Instrumental in complete small parcel carrier conversion from UPS to FedEx.

Reviewed and revised safety program and procedures to bring facility into compliance with OSHA requirements.

Brought all warehouse employees into forklift certification compliance. Established forklift safety and maintenance OSHA compliance program. Expanded lift truck fleet by six lifts.

Reviewed exempt / non-exempt status of all warehouse employees and set correct designations in accordance with DOL guidelines. Implemented standardized time recording program.

Played a key role in the process of developing policies and procedures for consistent application across the company’s multiple facilities.

HADCO (Home Appliance Distributing Company), Suwanee, Georgia 2007 to 2008

(HADCO distributed, marketed and serviced the finest quality residential appliances. HADCO began as a home appliance service company and grew to a full-service distributorship operating six facilities supplying over 400 dealers in 14 states with specialty appliances that set the standard for performance, quality and beauty. HADCO’s business partners have earned the distinction of being part of its Quality Appliance Dealer Network (QAD) where they share a commitment for excellence and customer service.) HADCO was acquired by Viking Range LLC in 2014 and became Viking Distributing.

Warehouse Manager – Managed all facility warehousing and distribution operations to include: receiving, shipping, order processing, product storage/retrieval, order sorting, cycle counting, facility requirements, vehicle fleet and personnel administration. Directly supervised a split-shift operation of 2 supervisors and 12 hourly employees.

Negotiated LTL and Truckload freight rates resulting in an annual savings in excess of $100,000.

Revised and streamlined the RMA process in SYSPRO resulting in more timely and efficient processing of RMA’s and the application of customer credits.

Reduced operational costs by improving the cost of shipping and warehouse supplies and materials through a competitive bid process.

Reviewed and revised safety program and procedures to bring facility into compliance with OSHA requirements. Obtained OSHA 10-hour certification.

Researched, bid and procured two new lift trucks, an LP forklift and an order picker, to the existing fleet of 10 powered lift trucks.

Reviewed exempt / non-exempt status of all warehouse employees and set correct designations in accordance with DOL guidelines. Implemented standardized time recording program.

Played a key role in the process of developing policies and procedures for consistent application across the company’s multiple facilities.

LAWSON PRODUCTS, INC. / RUTLAND TOOL & SUPPLY CO., Suwanee, Georgia 2004 to 2007

(Lawson Products is an international seller and distributor of systems, services and products to the industrial, commercial and institutional maintenance, repair and replacement marketplace. Rutland Tool, acquired by Lawson Products 12/05, is a leading supplier of metalworking tools, safety supplies, and welding products, providing unique, state-of-the-art product and service solutions to the metal working industry as well as industrial, maintenance and technical organizations)

Manager of Atlanta & Houston Rutland Tool Distribution Centers – Managed all facility warehousing and distribution operations to include: receiving, shipping, order processing, product storage/retrieval, order sorting, facility requirements, and personnel administration. Directly supervised a split-shift operation of 2 supervisors and 14 hourly employees. Also, oversaw the retail store operations at the facility. Praised for providing outstanding customer service.

Instrumental in the start-up of the new Georgia warehousing / distribution center w/35,000+ SKU’s (Summer 2004).

Consistently maintain 99.9% + on-time fill rate and an error-free rate of 99.8%.

Significantly reduced shipping materials and operational costs while maintaining consistent quality and accuracy.

Instrumental in the start-up of the new Chicago warehouse (Winter 2006).

Responsible for the reorganization of the Houston, TX warehouse bringing it into compliance with company standards and OSHA requirements (Spring/Summer 2006).

Oversaw complete closure and relocation project of Suwanee, GA facility due to reorganization. (Summer 2007)

CINRAM DISTRIBUTION, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia 2003 to 2004

(The world’s largest manufacturer of pre-recorded DVD, VHS video cassette, CD-audio, CD-ROM, and audio cassette, which provides state-of-the-art supply chain solutions for the motion picture, music, and software industries) Manager of Atlanta Distribution Center for Warner Brothers CD & DVD Products – Managed all facility warehousing and distribution operations to include: receiving, shipping, PKMS order wave processing, product storage/retrieval, order sorting, facility requirements, and personnel administration. Directly supervised a multi-shift operation of 9 managers and 7 supervisors with approximately 85 hourly employees.

Consistently maintain 98% + fill rate while developing new vendor relationships, which proved instrumental in reducing operational costs by up to 50%, within a 6-month timeframe.

Planned, developed, and implemented a third shift while simultaneously addressing safety and maintenance concerns. Consequently, bringing facility into full OSHA compliance.

Key management member responsible for closure of the facility due to reorganization. SIEMENS ENERGY & AUTOMATION, INC., Canton, Georgia 1994 to 2002

(A leading global electronics and engineering company with worldwide sales reported of $80.5 billion in fiscal year 2003)

Distribution Center Manager – Scope of duties consisted of managing the North American Distribution Center for Industrial Control Automation Products. Oversaw operations for all warehousing (shipping, receiving, finished goods, stores and inventory control), product modification, assembly operations, facility requirements and procurement. Performed onsite role of human resources manager for 8 salaried employees, and up to 120 hourly employees.

Entrusted by senior management with controlling a $6.8 million operational budget. Subsequently, coming in $1 million under budget for FY02.

Implemented an ongoing productivity improvement program with collaboration from Proud Foot Consulting, which achieved an annual operational cost reduction in excess of $1 million.

Played a key role in developing and maintaining ISO/TQM procedures in conjunction with Quality Assurance standards. As a result, achieved ISO 9001 certification, audited by UL, in 1994 and maintained certification, without interruption, through subsequent semi-annual audits.

Managed re-design of facility layout on 3 separate occasions due to operational growth, building expansion and market/product mix changes with support from industrial engineering and employee continuous improvement/Kaizen teams. Consequently, layout changes streamlined operations, which allowed more business activity to be conducted without increasing headcount and reducing operational costs on a per-unit basis.

Developed and revised many operational and labor policies with support of Supervisor’s Team. Completely re-wrote Employee Handbook, implementing concise, fair and easy to understand policies. Instilled in my supervisory staff complete consistency and fairness in administering employee policies.

Successfully maintained a safe work environment, continuously reducing the injury occurrence rate by 15% per year. Additionally, designed ergonomic improvements and developed effective training programs.

Succeeded in sustaining a union-free workforce by strengthening employee moral and instituting effective communication programs between employees and management.

Achieved certification with the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS)

Facilitated CI and Lean initiatives.

R. JENNINGS MANUFACTURING, INC., Glens Falls, New York 1989 to 1993

(Company designed and manufactured high voltage electrical substations and transmission towers for power companies, contractors, and industrial companies)

Senior Project Manager – Scope of duties consisted of managing the high voltage electrical substation manufacturing division of a $10 million substation packager. Performed all project management requirements to include quotations, bid follow through, engineering and drafting coordination, materials procurement, release of project for the manufacturing of steel and aluminum structures, electrical equipment procurement, and jobsite delivery coordination. Supervised activities of 8 project managers and drafting personnel.

Succeeded in maintaining 40%+ profit margin in awarded bids and consistently brought projects in under budget 90%+ of the time.

Developed strong, new vendor relationships and improved existing relationships. Negotiated considerably better pricing and/or service arrangements with all suppliers.

Praised for consistently completing projects ahead of deadline and for providing outstanding customer service. SWANK, INC. (Crestline Division), South Norwalk, Connecticut 1987 to 1989

(Swank, Inc., a leader in providing high quality men’s fashion accessories since 1897, designs, sources, markets, and distributes a broad selection of high quality men’s jewelry, belts, personal leather accessories. Swank, Inc. was acquired by Randa Accessories in 2012.)

Traffic/Warehouse Manager – Responsibilities included managing all traffic and warehousing activities for a $50 million manufacturer of leather apparel and accessory products. Supervised 20 employees in the receiving and storage functions of all raw materials, and the daily dispersement of materials to a 400-employee manufacturing operation. Oversaw all domestic and international inbound and outbound traffic activities. Provided material and transportation support to division owned manufacturing facility in Port Au Prince, Haiti.

Consistently met or exceeded daily raw material supply requirements to manufacturing. Praised for strong support or manufacturing operations and always avoiding downtime due to delays in material delivery.

Analyzed all traffic functions and made significant improvements with carrier contract pricing and service levels. Reduced transportation costs in excess of $35k/year and improved service levels 100%+.

Identified numerous opportunities to improve methods utilized to supply and ship materials and finished goods to and from Haiti facility. Resulting in a 50% turnaround time improvement and 25% cost reduction. SUN HILL INDUSTRIES, INC., Stamford, Connecticut 1979 to 1987

(Company designed and manufactured unique and innovative stationary and novelty products for the retail, mail order, and ASI industries)

Plant Manager – Primary duties focused on managing all warehouse, assembly and traffic functions of $12 million manufacturer of stationary and novelty products for the retail, mail order and ASI industries. Directly oversaw all production control, assembly, inventory control, traffic and facility maintenance activities utilizing a staff of 4 supervisors and 25 hourly employees.

Developed entire plant operation for a start-up company. Moved facility and designed plant layout 3 times. Directly supported growth of company as one of INC Magazine’s top 500 growth companies 7 years in a row.

Researched and implemented packaging, assembly and warehouse equipment resulting in reduced costs, improved quality and higher output.

Created ergonomic and material flow improvements resulting in significant productivity improvements allowing for continued growth while avoiding headcount increase.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bachelor of Science Degree, Business Administration and Marketing (GPA: 3.85) University of Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut (Alpha Sigma Lambda Honors Society) Associates of Science Degree, Business Administration and Marketing (GPA 3.80) Norwalk Community College, Norwalk, Connecticut (Dean’s Honor List)

APPOINTMENTS

Certificate of Appointment of Notary Public

State of Georgia

Commission Expires the 21st Day of April, 2020

MILITARY EXPEREINCE

United States Marine Corps

Military Police and Security Operations

Received Basic Training At Parris Island, SC

Honorably Discharged, Staff Sargent E-6

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