Product Development Manager

Gary William Bernier

**** ******* ****, *******, ** 34691 727-***-**** *********@*****.***

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bernier-a9b0718

Senior Manager/Director/Executive/Business Owner

Innovative business leader with over twenty years of proven expertise. Demonstrated capability in operations, product development, marketing, strategic planning and quality systems. Experienced in developing high performance organizations, launching complex products, turning around underperforming operations, and new plant start-ups. History of innovation in technology, operations, and organizational structure. Led organizational change initiatives such as SPC, TQM, TPS/Lean, HPWS and 6-Sigma.

Core competencies:

Team Building Continuous Improvement

Business Development Strategic Joint Ventures

Operations Management Marketing

Engineering Management Lean Manufacturing

High Performance Work Systems Budgeting & Cash Flow Optimization Program/Project Management Product Development

Professional Experience

Consultant 2010-Present

Focused on helping small to medium size businesses. Successful in plant turnarounds, strategy development, product development, cost reduction, quality improvement, organizational reengineering, and new plant startups.

Expert witness in numerous automotive glazing systems related patent suites.

Successfully rescued the launch of critical component for 2005 Honda Odyssey as AGC consultant.

Saved Asahi Glass $4 million by successfully leading project to redesign purchased component.

Provided market analyses and strategy for Xinyi Glass for North American expansion

Developed market and competitor analysis for Corning Glass entrance into automotive market.

Led The Outdoor Greatrooms Company to largest market expansion in Florida territory in 2014

Two successful patent analysis and glass encapsulation technology selection projects for AGP - Peru. Consultant/Vice President

MTD Technologies, LLC, Pinellas Park, FL 2008-2010 MTD Technologies, LLC was created from the family owned automotive stamping company, MTD Technologies, Inc as a result of a successful turn-around effort. Became a member of the new LLC and actively managed the new business.

Turned around failing family stamping business - profitability in 12 months after 7 years of loses.

Developed the business plan to create MTD Technologies, LLC and negotiated a $450,000 in non- traditional financing from customers to purchase the assets of MTD Technologies, Inc.

Exceeded the planned operating profit in 2008 by more than 50% in a down market.

Attained excellent ratings on all quality surveys after years of substandard performance.

Won first new business awards in three years and launched the new programs successfully. Director of Advanced Product Development

AGCAA (Asahi Glass Company Automotive Americas), Florence, KY 2000-2005 Managed the consolidated glass and value-added product development/engineering department after AGCAA reorganized in 2002. Successfully managed both glass and value-added product development, new product introduction, technical support to Sales, product cost analysis for quotations, technical support to plants, and the management of all new program launches.

The Advanced Product Development group successfully managed the product development activities for 26 glass programs containing 22 PVC and polyurethane RIM encapsulated products.

Successfully reorganized the Advanced Product Development based on high performance work system principles. Created multi-functional teams led by program managers. Avoided a 25% increase in organizational costs and improved morale and team effectiveness.

Conceived and successfully executed the marketing strategy that won AGCAA the 2005 Honda Ridgeline and the 2006 Toyota Tundra slider back windows from incumbent supplier. Director of Customer Service Centers

AP Technoglass (AGCAA), Florence, KY

Responsible for managing four AP Technoglass satellite manufacturing facilities, developed the strategic direction for the value-added glazing products business unit, provided technical support to Sales, developed in-house glazing systems design and manufacturing capability and managed Tier II suppliers.

Recruited, organized, and directed the team that built the AP Technolgass modular glass products business unit to over $160MM in 5 years.

Developed and implemented the strategy that made AP Technoglass a fully integrated glazing systems supplier. Eliminated the use of Tier II suppliers for new glass encapsulation programs.

Created the North American value added glass strategy, model for the AGC global Total Solutions strategy.

Successfully launched two new satellite operations to supply Honda, Mercedes, Hyundai and Nissan.

Reorganized the satellite operations from independent, separate businesses into centrally managed, interdependent units of a single business unit which reduced costs and improved effectiveness.

Initiated and managed a critical strategic joint venture with Donnelly Corporation to support key programs and expand the technical resources available to AP Technoglass. Global Glazing Systems Product Manager

Pilkington, Toledo, OH 1989-2000

Responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for PVC and polyurethane RIM value added glazing products, performing market analysis, competitor analysis, and creating business plans. Initiated and justified numerous major R/D projects.

Developed first global glazing systems strategic product plan for North America and Europe.

Initiated Pilkington's entrance into the $200MM PVC glass encapsulation market in Europe.

Justified and initiated a Group R/D plastic glazing project. Protected Pilkington's position in this market.

Initiated Pilkington's entrance into the $80MM encapsulated sunroof market and the $100MM encapsulated slider back window market.

Senior Product/Process Engineering Manager

Pilkington, Toledo, OH

Responsible for product and process engineering support to three PVC and polyurethane RIM window encapsulation plants. Led cost reduction projects that saved over $4.5MM. Developed concepts that led to product patents (PN 5,505,023 and PN 5,473,840 for truck slider back windows) and process patent (PN 6,495,082) for unique single sided hardware encapsulation manufacturing system. Quality Manager, Tempering Manager, Engineering Manager Guardian Industries, Auburn, IN 1987-1989

Demonstrated a range of expertise by successfully leading the plant engineering team, the quality assurance team and acting as superintendent of the glass temping operation. Successfully implemented a Tier I quality system that passed General Motor's "Targets for Excellence" supplier standard (precursor to QS and TS requirements.) Taught classes in SPC and continuous improvement to management and associates. Plant Manager

Modular Concepts, Inc., Fulton, KY 1984-1987

Managed the successful start up of Ford Glass Division's polyurethane RIM modular window encapsulation facility. Modular Concepts introduced the use of an innovative weatherable RIM material to avoid in-mold coating quality issues. Weatherable RIM material became the industry standard five years later. Technical Manager

Davidson Rubber Div, Excello Corp. Americus, GA 1979-1984 Key member of the turn-around team that made the Americus Plant the most profitable operation in the division after seven consecutive years of loses. Technical responsibility for the polyurethane RIM molding, painting and product engineering teams. First to commercialize internal mold release RIM material.

Plant Chemist

Acushet Elastocast Division, New Bedford, MA 1977-1979 Responsible for material selection and process development of custom molded polyurethane products. Plastics R&D Chemist

Uniroyal, Oxford, CT 1975-1977

Development and characterization of new castable and RIM polyurethane materials. Education

University of Toledo Toledo, OH Business MBA 1997

Western Connecticut State College Danbury, CT Chemistry BA 1975

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