David Salyers
*** **** **** ********, ** ***** 859-***-**** ********@*****.***
Six years direct Continuous Improvement experience, including design and implementation of corporate CI process installed in 11 administrative/pre-production/assembly/distribution facilities in two countries. 10+ years indirect CI experience as Engineering Manger and Director of Cutting Operations – including development of multi-million dollar saving process for Material Utilization.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Quality Education Manager – Continuous Improvement 2009 - 2015
Carhartt Inc. – Irvine, KY Private Apparel Company – Workwear Wholesale Internet B2B Retail
11 company-owned facilities in USA and Mexico, includes administrative offices, pre-production, manufacture and warehouse/logistics
Identify operations process improvement opportunities, and manage implementation projects
Empower employee creativity to improve operations efficiency
Analyze and resolve cross functional operational and internal control related issues
Teach quality expectations and continuous improvement to all associates
Hire, train and manage a staff of professional corporate trainers and assistants
Build and administer 3 departmental budgets (Quality, Patterns and Asia Office) totaling $10MM annually
Participate in corporate planning and strategy development including corporate KPI scorecard, analysis and improvement of retailer relationships, and re-engineering employee performance management
Key Accomplishments
Problem: Low focus on quality of product and processes at company-owned factories. Action: Developed associate training program to teach company mission/vision and quality expectations to all associates at all levels. Worked with managers to build quality goals for use in departmental KPIs and individual performance management. Result: Measured improvement in associate understanding of quality expectations, including internal customer service principles. Reduced factory irregulars by 25%.
Problem: Unproductive projects languishing within various departments without alignment to corporate goals and with little integration with other departments. Action: Created and implemented a three-tier project portfolio management process. First, trained and empowered associates and leaders to participate in Corrective Action, including root cause analysis, brainstorming then selecting and testing potential solutions, implementation and change management. Second, set up local Continuous Improvement teams within each facility to seek improvement opportunities. Third, established a corporate team of directors and vice presidents to evaluate the validity and priority of proposed projects and to assign resources and project teams representing all affected departments. Result: Elimination of unaligned projects, improved management support for aligned projects, better use of project resources, consolidation of similar projects from different facilities, project alignment between facilities and functional areas. Between 25 and 30 successful improvement projects per year – improving quality of product and processes, safety and work environment.
Interim Patterns Manager- Product Design & Sampling 2013 - 2015
Carhartt, Inc. – Irvine, KY
Manage department for 18 months (plus primary Quality Education duties) during prolonged manager search
Direct departmental activities to interface with Design for building new product patterns, interface with Engineering and Manufacturing to produce samples and start-up full production
Manage staff in multiple locations - administrative offices, pre-production facility in USA, and Mexico sew factories
Key Accomplishments
Problem: Delays in new product start-up. Action: Analysis of workflow processes revealed Pattern Makers were specialized and not all were trained in key functions, creating delays at some process steps. Implemented a cross-training program, reorganized the workflow, hired and trained a specialist to take clerical work from professional level associates. Result: Improved skills of the team members. Built better alliance between the department and its primary internal supplier (design) and primary internal customer (engineering and manufacturing). Removed approximately 15% of throughput time.
Problem: Marking and Fabric Spreading costs were routinely exceeding standards. Action: First, conducted a study of the 5 Marker Makers to determine skills with various tasks, and set up a training program for the supervisor to teach best practices among the team. Second, revised the Marking work process to achieve better utilization in spreading by adding a small marker to each production for immediate use of small fabric remnant pieces. Result: Improved Marker team efficiency. Improved material utilization in Spreading Department by $218K annually.
Asia Sourcing Manager 2005 - 2009
Carhartt, Inc. – Irvine, KY
Manage relationships with all Asian suppliers of rainwear, woven and knit shirts, caps, belts and gloves
Measure, report and improve vendor Key Performance Indicators
Negotiate pricing and delivery of product
Inspect factories for social and environmental compliance
Key Accomplishments
Helped design and implement a Vendor KPI process
Built a network of Asia raw material vendors approved for use by contractors and for import to USA operations
Working more closely on pre-order preparation and better scheduling, reduced time from order to delivery by 25%
Director of Cutting Operations 1994 - 2005
Carhartt, Inc - Madisonville, KY
Primary Responsibilities
Hired as Engineer, promoted to Engineering Manager over 2 factories, in 2001 promoted to Director
Direct all functions within 2 US factories and 2 Mexico factories with over 300 associates, including startup of both Mexico facilities
Hire and train production managers, engineering staff, facility maintenance personnel, and general associates
Build and administer operating budgets of $8MM annually, plus varying capital project budgets, administer payroll
Participate in corporate planning and strategy
Key Accomplishments
Increased production capacity and reduced cost of goods by startup of 2 new facilities in Mexico – building design, equipment needs analysis and purchasing, workflow development, hiring and training for optimum productivity and quality
Established a Material Utilization process to reduce waste in Marking and in Spreading by 1% and 2% respectively, saving raw material costs of $1.8MM annually
Industrial Engineering Manager 1991 - 1994
Fruit of the Loom – Harlingen, TX – Public Apparel Company – Wholesale, underwear & casual wear
Primary Responsibilities
Trained as Engineer in 1991 with company’s Louisiana division, promoted and transferred in 1992
Hire, train and manage a staff of Engineers and assistants in 3 facilities (2 in TX and 1 in MX)
Direct all engineering functions in a vertical apparel factory employing over 2000 associates
Knit, bleach/dye, screen and roller print, cut, sew, and warehouse; plus two smaller sewing operations
Workflow analysis and improvement, safety and ergonomics, throughput, best methods and equipment
Assistant Plant Manager - Knitting 1987 - 1991
Fruit of the Loom – St. Martinville, LA
Primary Responsibilities
Trained in Fruit of the Loom’s management training program in Kentucky from 1987 until 1991
Learned all aspects of production including operator, supervisor and manager duties in Knitting, Bleach & Dye
Responsible for production and quality in a 150 associate production facility operating 3 shifts
EDUCATION
Masters of Public Administration 1985
Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green, KY
Bachelor of Political Science 1984
Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green, KY
Other training/certifications: ASQ Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence, ASQ Auditor, ASQ Continuous Improvement, WRAP, C-TPAT, Leader Effectiveness, Negotiation, Methods/Time Management, RSL/CPSIA, Cultural Differences, SAP Implementation team, Instructional Design