Customer Service Manager
Resume:
Mr. Donald E. Halling
PLANT MANAGER
HIXSON, TENNESSEE 37343
************@*****.***
PHONE ~ 903-***-****
PLANT MANAGER
Ardent Mills – A Joint Venture Between Cargill’s Horizon Milling Division & ConAgra’s Milling Division
Chattanooga, Tennessee ***PROMOTED
*Presently Choosing Approved Administrative Leave To Evaluate My Future
*I Have Been A Leader In The Flour Milling Industry And Food Manufacturing Industry For 20 Years
*I Am Considering A Career Change To Stimulate My Mind And Take-On New Challenges
The key purpose of my present position is to provide leadership for all aspects of the entire plant facility to deliver results which meet quality, customer service, safety, innovation and cost criteria. Another important aspect of this position is helping both the former Horizon Milling and ConAgra Milling Teams successfully transfer to Ardent Mills standards and operating procedures. The Tennessee Plant I manage delivers quality results through multi-plant cooperation to our customers. We successfully deliver our products to our valued customers from the Chattanooga campus via rail lines, trucking lines, and large barge shipments.
I consider one of the most important goals of my position is to deliver excellent results in first-time situations by inspiring others and working hard to earn trust every day.
My key areas of responsibility to my employment team and my customers include the following management strengths:
The willingness to serve others with understanding, respect, and care.
The ability to operate with simplicity, clarity and transparency.
The willingness to effectively deal with and drive change.
The ability to organize, prioritize and own multiple tasks while meeting and/or exceeding deadlines.
The ability to learn and apply innovative technology, with the willingness to share knowledge with others.
Above all, I expect, from myself, the ability to carry out all plant activities with reliability, integrity, compliance and in a safe, environmentally responsible, and efficient manner.
It is important to me, in my plant management role, to lead, by example; my team members and customers with the following traits:
Provide effective management and coordination of all operational activities, including, but not limited to food safety, plant quality, customer experience, employee and asset safety, plant security, cost management and competitive positioning.
Lead a Zero-Loss Manufacturing Culture focused on Continuous Improvement and Delivering World Class Sustainable Performance.
Formulate or approve short- and long-term operating objectives in areas such as cost reduction, quality improvement, new product development and/or integration as undertaken at the plant level.
Actively participate in workforce planning, sourcing and talent development to foster a high performing team.
Lead and ensure a safe working environment in compliance with Ardent Mills, federal, state and local regulations.
Create a strong culture of accountability where employees are committed and motivated to contribute their ideas and efforts.
Provide positive labor relations management and contract negotiation.
Drive customer execution to deliver results that meet quality and customer service objectives.
Effectively collaborate across all functions to achieve optimal total business margin for the plant and the enterprise.
Provide leadership for the day to day execution of the packing and warehouse team to ensure on-time, best cost grain-based products which meet our customers’ needs.
Maintain asset reliability by working closely with the reliability team on preventative care as well as through operator care activities.
Drive safety initiatives to ensure injury-free performance including monthly safety training, observation audits, daily employee toolbox meetings, and near-miss/first-aid root cause and corrective actions.
Provide leadership development for supervisors in the production area.
Establish manufacturing goals and objectives for production area.
Control costs of production, quality and sanitation.
Develop, participate and lead process improvement initiatives including Lean Manufacturing Initiatives, Centerlining, Preventative Maintenance, 5S and ELEMEDS (Every Load, Every Mill, Every Day Safely).
Develop and execute plans on a weekly and monthly basis to achieve “Glide to 65” initiative for packing OEE (operating equipment efficiency).
Build customer awareness to drive elevated levels of service.
Mr. Donald E. Halling
************@*****.***
PLANT MANAGER ***PROMOTED
ConAgra Foods – Milling Division
Sherman, Texas
PROMOTED: October Of 2009
At ConAgra, the Plant Manager role is considered the key leadership position in the facility and is responsible for setting direction and achieving results through the entire supply chain team.
Daily Leadership Responsibilities Include:
Setting direction and achieving results through the engagement of every employee in the facility
Implementing/advancing TPM productivity strategy to deliver quality, customer service, safety, innovation, working capital and cost commitments
Developing and deploying a “Business Case for Change” linking facility goals to the company imperatives and supply chain strategies / commitments
Improving in measurable output for every employee through continuous improvement in skills and business knowledge and feedback to link personal accountability to the goals of the facility
Overseeing all operations across product lines
Formulating and/or approving short- and long-term operating objectives in areas such as cost reduction, quality improvement, and integration at the plant level
Managing various plant staff functions such as Operations, Engineering Projects, Quality, Human Resources and The Finance Department - both directly or indirectly
Developing and executing plant-specific strategic vision, mission and objectives to assure continuous improvement and alignment with enterprise vision, mission and objectives
Driving employee engagement in a union environment
Training and developing employees to maximize safety, quality, and productivity
Providing direct oversight for the operations management team including production, engineering, maintenance, quality, safety and logistics along with a strong connection to both finance and human resources
Providing leadership for assessing and enhancing plant capabilities
Developing and managing facility budget including capital expenditures and cost management
Assuring regulatory compliance including but not limited to OSHA, EPA, USDA, FDA, FLSA, EEO, OFCCP and NLRB
Ensuring all quality standards, specifications and policies are met or exceeded, drive continuous process / manufacturing improvements
Developing a company culture based on open / honest dialogue and involvement of all team members that demonstrate the value of their input / engagement in improving performance
Providing leadership for diversity and positive community involvement / relations
Driving a culture of high performance and accountability in employee and product safety as well as other aspects of the business
Collaborating with Human Resources and other function leaders to create and execute effective employee relations processes and develop team members to do the same in order to maintain a positive working environment and support the labor relations philosophy
Mr. Donald E. Halling
************@*****.***
OPERATIONS MANAGER ***ACTIVELY RECRUITED BY CONAGRA MILLS
ConAgra Mills, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania
August 2008 – October 2009 ***PROMOTED
As the Operations Manager for ConAgra Foods in Martins Creek, Pennsylvania, I was accountable for the daily operations of production departments. Functional responsibilities included production, maintenance, warehousing and sales & operations planning. My daily functions included maintaining improvement through sustaining behaviors, operating with discipline and rigor, and implementing autonomous maintenance. Most commonly, my daily duties within this position required flexibility and good time-management skills as I planned, organized and coordinated production, while overseeing supporting staff – safely and efficiently, while producing quality product. I worked closely with Human Resources, Continuous Improvement and Quality to ensure production goals were met.
Responsibilities Included:
Executed plant-specific vision and mission to assure continuous improvement and alignment with the corporate vision
Directed production supervisors, providing guidance in their roles and responsibilities throughout the day
Drove employee engagement, training, and development to maximize manufacturing, quality, safety, and productivity goal-attainment
Effectively communicated results and action plans to all employees
Aptly filled the role of Plant Manager during short-term-absences
Collaborated directly with production planning and materials management to optimize scheduled attainment and customer service
Collaborated directly with human resources to ensure employee issues or concerns are correctly addressed and resolved
Collaborated with the Plant Manager to create and execute a capital budget to ensure financial allocations and obligations were set, administered, and met
Initiated cost savings measures relating to crewing, standards and yields
Ensured all plant operations and business was conducted in a safe and controlled environment
Ensured all quality and regulatory standards, specifications and policies are met or exceeded
FSC OPERATIONS LEADER / FACILITY MANAGER ***ACTIVELY RECRUITED BY CARGILL
Cargill, Atchison, Kansas
December 11, 2006 - August 2008
Responsibilities Included:
Leading effectively, and with integrity, the Atchison, Kansas Cargill facility toward efficient and profitable operations
Working closely with Cargill’s Farm Service Group (FSG) Team, Grain origination managers, operations leader, and Cargill’s administration team to ensure facility expenses and efficiencies are achieved
Identifying and implementing process improvements
Complying with EH&S regulations
Managing all aspects of governmental and Cargill compliance programs which include, environmental, health, safety, quality, maintenance and housekeeping.
Educating all personnel to safety standards and compliance processes and policies
Leading facility employees, requiring accountability of employees and being accountable in return
Coaching, engaging, developing and providing management support to all operations employees
Setting leadership goals for myself and working with employees to aid them in achieving personal success which matches the goals of the Cargill facility and organization
Managing all facility finances and successfully operating within the facility budget
Encouraging positive communication with the many facets of the Atchison, Kansas facility, including rail lines, local businesses in similar lines of work, farmers, salespersons, and the community at large
Mr. Donald E. Halling
************@*****.***
PLANNER/SCHEDULER/LOGISTICS/DEPLOYMENT LEADER/SUPERVISOR ***PROMOTED
The Quaker Oats Company, Manhattan, Kansas
Promoted 01-01-06
Responsibilities Included:
Constructing production schedules from sales forecasts to optimize Production Efficiencies, Product Availability, Order Fill Range and Inventory Turn
Formalizing supplier/customer relations and executing replenishment planning/procurement of raw ingredients and package materials
Making cost effective decisions and understanding costs associated with all areas of deployment
Making decisions regarding production changes, abnormal product moves, and movement of customer orders to minimize product cuts
Understanding production capacity constraints and projecting when leveling of production should occur (determine prebuild)
Coordinate all promotions, special offerings, and new products including communication, start-up, tracking and follow-up
Responsible for coordinating the plant inventory of package materials, ingredients, and finished goods
Meeting and Exceeding Supply Chain Targets including Product Availability, Order Fill Rate, finished product/materials cycle time reduction and outside warehousing dollars through proper planning and purchasing
Taking preventive action where needed to protect all products in the facility from contamination or adulteration
Jointly leading with QA all traceability exercises and objectives, including trial and actual recalls
Actively participating in TPM methodology to drive continuous improvement
Provide coaching/leadership to TPM teams
Provide leadership for HSE Program Elements
PLANNER, SCHEDULER and FOOD INDUSTRIAL BULK (FIB) SUPERVISOR ***PROMOTED
The Quaker Oats Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
08-01-04 To 12-31-05
Responsibilities Included:
Supervising 26 Union Employees
Planning and Scheduling Run Strategies for 4 Production Lines
Logistics for Orders – Managing Entire Process for Ingredients to 8 Co-Packers, 3 Quaker Facilities, International Shipments to Canada, Mexico, Latin America and South America
Scheduling Order Shipments of Bulk Trailers and Rail Car Shipments – 11 Different Commodities
Coordinating Rail Shipments with the Union Pacific Railroad, including Web Based Billing, Car Placement, Car Tracking, Logistics, and Car Orders
Managing Fleet of 30 Company Owned Rail Cars and 20 Leased Rail Cars
Multi-tasking and operating within a global environment daily in a fast-paced arena is a daily expectation which I successfully fulfilled
OAT MILL SUPERVISOR ***PROMOTED
The Quaker Oats Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
01/01/04 To 07/31/04
Responsibilities Included:
Managing Day to Day Rolled Oat Operations supplying 11 Packaging Lines
Leading TPM (Total Productive Manufacturing) Process
Developing work plans and executing three main pillars – Autonomous Maintenance (AM), Preventative Maintenance (PM) and Focus Improvement (FI)
Implementing LKS (Quality Database Program) and YODA – which is a True Efficiency (TE)Tool
Center-Lining Equipment for Yield and Quality Efficiency
5-S (Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) Area Responsibilities
Supporting R & D in New Product Development of Quaker Quick and Hearty Supreme™
Focus Improvement (FI) / Early Management (EM) on Man-Lift Compliance and Automation of Process Conveyers
Performing Sanitation, Safety and Quality Audits to Ensure Compliance with all Sanitation and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Requirements
Coordinating Equipment Project Installation with Engineers
Focus Improvement on Scale and Metal Detection Process Issues
Facilitating Team Meetings and aiding with full support to reach Team Goals
Mr. Donald E. Halling
************@*****.***
Regional Grains Supervisor ***PROMOTED
The Quaker Oats Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
11/06/00 To 12/31/03
Responsibilities Included:
Completing Phase I and Phase II of Instant Grits Start-Up Process
Developing operating parameters from “scratch”
Replicating product produced in former St. Joseph, Missouri, plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Plant
Meeting all QA and Sensory Requirements
Functioning in other roles including Maintenance Craftsman, Technical Trainer, Engineer, Operator, Coach
Ready-To-Eat (RTE) Operator
The Quaker Oats Company, St. Joseph, Missouri
1996 To 11/05/00
Responsibilities Included:
Team Communications
Trouble Shooting / Problem Solving
Product Testing
Equipment Supervision
Sanitation Management
Quality Assurance
Route Business Manager
Frito Lay Incorporated, St. Joseph, Missouri
1996
Responsibilities Included:
Inventory Control – Just In time (JIT)
Quality Assurance
Customer Service
Financial Management / Tracking and Updating Client Accounts
Customer Sales
Data Entry
Assistant Manager
Mid-States Air Gas Incorporated, St. Joseph, Missouri
1995
Responsibilities Included:
Accounts Receivable / Collections / Billing
Customer Service Management
Financial Management / Tracking and Updating Client Accounts
Customer Sales
Data Entry
Other Positions Held:
* Realtor, Coldwell Banker General Realtors 1994 - 1995
* Landscaping / Lawn Specialist, Lawns Unlimited 1994 - 1995
* Farming Assistant, Halling Farms Incorporated 1991 - 1994
* Site Office Manager, CDK Contracting Company 1990 – 1991
Education:
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, Bachelor of Science – Business Administration/Management
LETTER OF COMMENDATION FOR DON HALLING TO BE PLACED ON FILE
REWARDS PROGRAM - Reason for Recommendation
Don Halling has been instrumental in driving the successful start-up of the Instant Grits Drum Drying operation at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa plant. Through Don’s leadership, both Phase I and Phase II start-up curves were exceeded.
Don started as a supervisor in November of 2000. Prior to this date, Don was an hourly employee in St. Joseph, Missouri in the RTE department. He has had no prior supervisory experience, nor did he have any knowledge of the Instant Grits Operation before coming to Cedar Rapids. Despite being a new supervisor at a new location and in a completely different business unit, Don has adapted to his new role and environment well and has exceeded expectations. He has accomplished more than what would be normally expected of a first-year-supervisor. He not only performed well in his role as a production supervisor for a new operation, but he was also a key member of the start-up team on a major project installation.
Instant Grits was a multi-variable and undocumented process going into the Phase I start-up. Cedar Rapids was asked to duplicate the product made in St. Joseph, yet there were differences in equipment and process inputs. There was no technical expertise available for the initial start-up, so Don and his team developed operating parameters from scratch. Through Don’s leadership, the team was able to replicate the product produced in St. Joseph and met all the QA and sensory requirements; all ahead of schedule. Additionally, on top of meeting the product requirement, Don and his team were also able to surpass the production requirements by 120% in Phase I.
The Phase II start-up exceeded expectations as well since drum commissioning started a month ahead of schedule and the resulting production outputs achieved were 115% of the original plan. Don was able to deliver these outstanding results by putting in the extra effort and hours to ensure design and installation parameters were met and by engaging and motivating his production team to perform at their highest level. He developed a team of nine employees across the three shifts and was able to create a sense of urgency within the team to meet production commitments by explaining the critical nature of this NAMS initiative.
Don demonstrated his personal commitment to the success of the project by showing his willingness to do whatever it takes to make the project start-up a success. He took on many roles to ensure the start-up curve was met. Typically, a new supervisor spends his/her first year just learning the operation and building a relationship with his team. Don not only accomplished that, but took on several other roles as well including:
Maintenance craftsman
Troubleshooting operational issues typical of a start-up Technical Trainer
Ensured operators had sufficient understanding and skill to operate the equipment even though limited technical resources were available
Engineer – active in the design and layout of the operating systems
Operator, worked as an operator on a 12 hour back shift during a staffing shortage on several occasions
Coach – kept the energy and morale of the production team up despite the long hours, challenging work, and undesirable working conditions.
All the above contributed to the success of the Instant Grits start-up and it was all accomplished in Don’s first ten months as a new supervisor in Cedar Rapids. His progress so far has been remarkable, and we look forward to his contributions in the future. WE would like to acknowledge and reward Don for his efforts on the Instant Grits start-up project.
- This is a copy of the original Letter of Commendation sent to Don Halling by Jim Hunt, November 2001.
- You may contact Jim Hunt at The Quaker Oats Company for verification at 319-***-****.
From: Wagner, Bill {Quaker} Business Unit Manager
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 7:22 AM
To: Hooker, Tim {Quaker}; Bowman, Jason {Quaker}
Cc: Driscoll, Kay {Quaker}; Halling, Don {Quaker}
RE: Targeting the correct quantity for the LAN shipments
While we all know there are parts of this entire process that are out of everyone’s control, I wanted to acknowledge all the arduous work and effort DON HALLING goes to when it comes to managing the quantity requested for the LAN groat shipments. I would hesitate to call it an art or science yet, but as in the current case, we have been asked to target 6200 metric tons, not to dip under, but not to grossly exceed as well. We have come in at 6216.4 metric tons or less than a bulk truck over the targeted amount.
Don Halling pays attention to detail on equipment, loads, number of cars, etc., and getting “this close” is no accident! I think we have shown here at the Cedar Rapids plant that paying attention to detail, while time consuming, delivers results across the organization. Kudos to Don!
Bill Wagner
Department Manager and Business Unit Manager - Industrial Bulk
Quaker Foods & Beverages - Cedar Rapids Plant
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