CLARK W. NEFT
***** ******* ****** 440-***-****
Avon, Ohio 44011 www.linkedin.com/in/clarkneft *********@***.***
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Leadership / Strategic Planning / Global Business Development / Operations Management / Partnership
Alliances / Contract Negotiations / Risk Mitigation / Sales & Marketing / Design Engineering / Project &
Resource Management / Organizational Change / Lean Process Reengineering / Continuous Improvement
M.S., Business Management, Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI 1999
B.S., Business Administration, Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI 1997
A.S., Mechanical Design Technology, Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI 1977
CAREER SUMMARY
Barth Industries Co. – Cleveland, OH - President / General Manager 2011 – Present
$15M Contract manufacturer of built to specification production machines and assemblies, fabricated systems and
precision components.
• Hired to turn around a 97 year old contract manufacturing company that needed updating in all aspects of the
business including, business development, business administration, program management, manufacturing
engineering, quality engineering and all phases of manufacturing. Results: 2013 was a record year in sales and
profits in precision component business. Barth is being recognized by its customers as a company that has
reinvented itself and is becoming a technology based company
• Full P&L responsibility, direct reports included Business Development, Program Management, Manufacturing &
Quality Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance/Business Administration and Human Resources and Union Labor
Relations for an organization of up to 80 employees and 2 business units
• Business Development - Lead strategic planning process to define and focus the company on its value proposition
of being “the efficient path to full production” for our customers. Results: Value proposition is the key element of
the Barth brand and has been integrated into promotion and selling strategies to grow the business. Transformed
Barth from being a build to print contract manufacture to a provider of “Value Engineering” services to our
customers. These strategies are enabling Barth to grow the business with existing customers and enhancing the
attractiveness of Barth to new customers
• Sales & Marketing – Implemented a broad based channel to market including Key Account Management, Target
Account Selling, Manufactures Representative Network, On-line/Social Media Presence, and Strategic Selling
Process. Utilized Salesforce.com as the CRM to capture and manage the selling process. Results: Business with
existing customers has grown, new customers have been captured and >100 prospective customers engaged
• Program Management - Trained the program management team in PMI best practices and integrated these
practices into the Barth Program Management Process. Result: Improved customer satisfaction and project
performance, on-time delivery and profits
• Manufacturing / Quality Engineering - Invested in professional engineering resources and tools. Results: Moved
programming from shop floor to engineering, reducing cycle times and improving OEE, 100% ISO 9001
certification at 2 plants, implemented a culture of lean and continuous improvement, leveraged engineering
resources to capture new business
CLARK W. NEFT Page 2
(Career Summary, Barth Industries Co. Cont’d.)
• Operations – Invested in new CNC machine tools, fixtures, tooling and inspection technologies. Results: Retained
existing customers and captured new business, increased contribution margin up to 100%, 50% on average,
reduced set up times from days to minutes, reduced scrap and improved overall quality
• Labor Relations – Negotiated a 3 year contract with International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers
with improved attendance and work rules, job grades and classifications and simplification of departments.
Results: Contract was ratified by 78% of membership on first vote. New contract facilitated processes to improve
productivity and to hire the skilled workers needed to grow the business
Clark Neft & Associates - Owner & Principal Consultant 2007 - 2011
Clark Neft & Associates is a network of management professionals with the expertise to turn business development,
organizational and process problems into opportunities to create value
• Contracted to a multi-national food processing equipment company. Assignment was to implement best practices
in business development, customer service and knowledge management.
• Contracted to a world leader in the design and implementation of factory automation systems for the automotive,
medical, pharmaceutical, solar, consumer, commercial and industrial products. Assignment was to refocus the
program management and engineering teams on best practices to eliminate and prevent red projects
• Contracted by a start-up technology company to research the market for a Photo Spectrometer Testing Instrument.
Advised leadership team on target markets and strategies to enter the market
• Lead a Strategic Marketing Seminar for a material testing company. The seminar focused on growing the business
using strategic planning and Social Media Marketing
Mikron Assembly Technology - Aurora, CO – President / General Manager 2000 – 2007
$80M ($20M in Colorado) Global Manufacturer of high volume automatic assembly, test and inspection systems for
the international medical, automotive, industrial and consumer product markets. A Business unit of Mikron Assembly
Technology, Boudry Switzerland, a Mikron Technology Group company, Biel, Switzerland
• Hired to lead, manage and start-up a recently acquired and privately held Colorado assembly systems company.
Result: Transformed the company culture, organization and products from a small company to a team based
business unit of an international group
Gilman Engineering & Manufacturing Co. - Janesville, WI 1985 – 2000
$90M Global Manufacturer of lean, semi-automatic and fully automatic assembly and test systems for the international
automotive and commercial product markets. A ThyssenKrupp company, Düsseldorf, Germany.
National Sales Manager 1996 - 2000
• Managed a national sales team of seven regional sales managers and two proposal analysts, satisfying a $90M
bookings plan annually. Result: Exceeded plan four of four years with two years achieving record orders >$100M
Senior Sales Engineer 1994 - 1996
• Responsible for the proposal and presentation of multi-million dollar automated assembly systems attaining a 35%
success rate, dollars ordered vs. dollars quoted. Result: $55M sold in two years
Mechanical Engineer 1985 - 1994
• Responsible for the design, build and start-up of production systems for cylinder heads, engines, transmissions,
turbochargers, steering gears, airbag inflators, alternators, electric motors, compressors, horns, fuse cables and
other products valued from $500K to $10M