Manager Manufacturing

CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS FRENCH

**** ******** ***** ****, ** 16505

***********@*****.*** 586-***-**** cell 814-***-**** home

CONFIDENTIAL

GENERAL/OPERATIONS MANAGER: Experienced in all business operations, i.e. Profit and Loss, Program Management, Process Development, Manufacturing Scheduling and Human Resources. Seeking an opportunity to improve the existing processes, develop new systems, and create strong Continuous Improvement Teams.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

G.E. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, Erie, PA October 2011 – Present

Manufacturing Engineering Manager Light Fabrication Plant (Aug 2014 – Present)

New Product Introduction Leader for light (0.06” – 0.25”) sheet metal fabrication. Activities include product design review and development for manufacturability, process definition, equipment specifications, and employee training. Lead cross functional team (representing EHS, Quality, ME, and Shop Floor personnel) to implement Standard Work, Process Controls, and Work Instructions for all new programs.

Primary customer contact (internal, domestic, international) for design, cost, and delivery of various locomotive cab and supporting products. Trainer for Edison Engineering students, JVC engineers, supervisors, and plant employees on manufacturing processes, Lean Process Implementation, and Design for Manufacturability.

Managing $6.5M project that introduces E-Coat capability to fabrication plant. Highly automated system eliminates current “batch” process and allows for kitting on demand to down-stream customers. Reductions in labor and utilities costs, improved quality rates, and increased capacity delivers a ROI of 1.73 years.

Lean Manufacturing Leader for Locomotive Light & Heavy Manufacturing Plants (Oct 2011 – Aug 2014)

Manager for Fabrication Method Engineering and Tool Build teams. Direct Process Development and Implementation as well as Tool and Fixture build from Product Introduction hand-off to Plant Floor Manufacturing teams. Designated as Lean/Continuous Improvement trainer for Erie site.

Designed a Focused Factory within Light Fabrication Plant. Using tools such as 3P, Visual Management, and a strong Operator Team, this cell eliminated the Crane and Forklift moves required with the existing process. In addition, WIP has been reduced by 95%, delivery to customer is 3 shifts vs. 6 days, and O.T. declined 6500 hrs./quarter with comparable output to traditional method.

Responsible for Implementation of 5S Program in 2 Plants. Created training template used throughout site. Conduct employee training as well as “Train The Trainer” classes. Mentor Managers and Supervisors in Auditing, Team Forming, and C.I. Projects. Able to show direct correlation of Safety Rate to 5S score.

Lead an AWO in Heavy Fabrication Plant focused on Process Waste. Pre-work include 5S program implementation and Process Flow Simulation. Developed Standard Work and Work Instructions. Use operator experience to create training manuals. Reduced operator movements by more than 3000 steps/shift. Improved ERGO scorecard by 40% and DPU rate by 20%. Developed Takt Tracking and Visual Pulse System. Observed cycle time dropped from 438 to 347 minutes.

Capital Budget coordinator for Light Fabrication Plant. Oversee $3M Budget and act as Project Manager for all major installations. Develop business presentations, timelines, and ROI calculations. Responsible for tracking and reporting all financial and regulatory transactions. In 2013, delivered 54 C.I. projects ranging from EHS programs to Process Changes and New Equipment.

MEADVILLE FORGING CO., Cambridge Springs, PA 2008 - 2011

Plant Manager for CNC machining facility serving Automotive and Industrial Bearing Assembly customers

Direct all plant operations including high volume machining, forge tooling and die production, maintenance and quality departments, as well as HR and support staff. 9 direct reports with a total plant population of 85.

Introduced components of OEE as key measurable for plant performance. Trained staff to use Performance Efficiency, Quality Rate, and Machine Availability to define improvement opportunities. Using a data driven approach, the scrap rate of an automated line was reduced from 1.5% to 0.4%.

Represented the corporation on VA/VE teams with key customers. Worked with our largest customer to implement

a KanBan system for high volume parts. Cost savings attained by reducing Finished Goods, Tooling inventories, and streamlining the P.O. process.

U.S. MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, Warren, MI 2005 - 2008

Area Manager for a Tier One Supplier of Axle Components to Domestic and Asian OEM’s.

Managed the Production and Quality Departments with monthly sales in excess of $8.5 Million dollars. Directly responsible for the creation and implementation of daily, weekly, and monthly production plans and manpower requirements. 6 direct reports, more than 150 indirect reports.

Initiated work cell based training program. Wrote instruction, testing and qualification criteria based on position. Scrap Rate reduction (1.47% in 2005 to 0.56% in 2007) and decreased customer complaints (87 in 2005 to 15 in 2006) highlight the success of the program.

Directed 8D meetings to stabilize workforce. Proper training procedures and intensive coaching and counseling of floor supervisors improved the work environment. Turnover rate dropped from 2.7% to 1.1%.

Improved cell efficiency and reduced changeover time by leading Kaizen events. Used Lean Manufacturing tools such as 5S, KanBan, and SMED. Reduced the changeover time of a high mix manufacturing line from 2.75 hours to 45 minutes. Improvements to the Value Stream allowed for additional part variations without additional equipment

PROSYS INDUSTRIES INC., Plymouth, MI 1999 - 2005

Operations Manager of an international company that produced Automated Assembly Systems for the Automotive and Consumer Goods industries.

Responsible for overall performance (P/L, Cash Flow, Production, etc.) of the U.S. plant. Developed and lead management team that allowed U.S. facility to function as an independent entity during re-organization and sale of parent company. Reported directly to company president in Europe.

Utilized machining and fabrication knowledge to optimize designs prior to production release. Typical changes saved 25% in tooling costs and up to 1.5 weeks in manufacturing lead time.

Established a strong U.S. supply base by utilizing practical manufacturing and fabrication experience. Conducted negotiations with preferred vendors to establish a global pricing policy for our facilities and customers. Reduced manufacturing lead-times, and lowering our exposure to currency fluctuations maximized our profit.

DOUG’S WELDING AND ENGINEERING, INC. Detroit, MI 1989 – 1999

Owner of a metal fabricating company, providing customized products and engineering services.

Responsible for all budgetary, resource and engineering decisions having direct impact on company’s profitability and growth.

Delivered turn-key service to customers from consultation and engineering services through product development and acceptance. Provided customer single point of contact to reduced inefficiencies from PPAP through implementation.

Managed engineers, skilled and non-skilled labor in daily operations. Negotiated working relationships with unions at Tier 1 customers.

EDUCATION AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING

Instructor – Manufacturability Course Edison Engineering Program

G.E. Crotonville Manager Training - 2014

Cellular Manufacturing Layout and Design - 2013

SPC Implementation and Management Training – 2007

Lean Manufacturing Champion – Certified, 2006

Six Sigma Management Techniques – 2006

Lean Business Solutions – 2005

BSME, Wayne State University – 1990

SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

BAAN, Solomon, Visual, MS Project, MS Office Suite, MS Power Point, MS Outlook

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