James R. Fitzjarrell, Jr.

**** **** ******, **** ****** IL 61201

815-***-**** actofj@r.postjobfree.com

Production Manager

Versatile, driven, and results-oriented professional with over 17 years of experience leading process improvement and performance enhancement initiatives that optimize productivity, efficiency, and quality. Proven ability to resolve operational inefficiencies and productivity gaps through comprehensive employee training and the implementation of ISO 9001, Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, and SPC methodologies. Excellent leadership, organizational, and management skills.

Quality Management

Root Cause / Gap Analysis

Staff Supervision / Training

Lean / Six Sigma /5S / SPC

Production Planning

Cross-Functional Leadership

DuPont STOP Safety Training

ISO Manufacturing Standards

Process Improvement

Internal Auditing

Efficiency Optimization

Cost Reduction

Professional Experience

IRRESISTIBLE FOODS AND TREATS, Inc., Milford, IL 2012 – 2015

Owner / Operator

Manage all day-to-day business operations for a successful Dairy Queen location. Supervise, train, and mentor nine-person staff of eight associates and one store manager. Work with the store manager to coordinate business planning.

Successfully grew sales by 35% versus previous owner through exceptional customer service and satisfaction.

Established a positive work environment that maximized employee engagement and minimized turnover.

QSE ELECTRONICS, Watseka, IL 2015

Production Manager

Directed all production and quality control functions for a manufacturer of transformers for the automotive, medical, and electronics sectors. Oversaw and managed a high-performing team consisting of 42 production staff.

Achieved significant reduction in production start-up time by developing Que stations and kitted materials.

CPX PLASTICS, Kentland, IN 2012 – 2013

Quality Control Manager

Recruited to assist in streamlining plant operations to minimize defects and position company for ISO certification.

Decreased plant defects by 75%+ year-over-year following the integration of root cause analysis and standard quality management techniques, such as fishbone diagrams and Pareto charts, into all departmental operations.

Utilized gap analysis to identify areas needing improvement in the ISO program; trained auditors on proper ISO auditing techniques to fill a major deficiency in the pursuit of ISO certification.

T&D METAL, Watseka, IL 2011

Quality Control Supervisor

Spearheaded the implementation of ISO 9000-2008 certification and subsequent re-certification audit.

FLANDERS PRECISIONAIRE, Momence, IL 2009 – 2011

Quality Control Supervisor

Key contributor in the management of quality control practices; supervised eight employees, managed the auditing system, resolved raw material issues, and handled testing and troubleshooting of daily production issues.

Reduced shipping errors by 85% by redesigning the internal dock auditing procedures; led to a marked increase in employee retention in a position with a high level of stress and demand.

TOCA ENTERPRISES USA, Manteno, IL 2008 – 2009

Quality Assurance Manager

Selected by upper management to lead the design of efficient Performance Part Approval Process (PPAP) for one of TOCA’s largest customers to drive new business within a highly competitive manufacturing market.

Significantly improved product quality by streamlining the communications process with foreign counterparts in China through comprehensive, hands-on and formal training courses.

Professional experience continued..

Developed and implemented a complaint tracking system that collected and organized large data sets into a single database; subsequently improved communication with Chinese suppliers.

Expedited the corrective action process and reduced the time requirement to identify root cause solutions from three months to three weeks by using visual references to enhance the capability to communicate issues to suppliers.

HOMESHIELD FABRICATED PRODUCTS, Chatsworth, IL 2004 – 2008

Quality Control Manager / Senior Buyer, Purchasing Department

Directly involved in improving the quality control process for a company that develops and produces products for major companies in the window and door industry. Collaborated closely with suppliers to improve major product quality and help improve the overall quality of all product lines.

Achieved many performance improvements during tenure, including:

oReducing quality defects by 51% in the first eight months by developing an internal defect tracking system.

oReducing customer returns by 33% in six months by improving external customer relations processes; worked with top customers to design a new database that enabled effective analysis and prioritization of major defects.

oReducing inventory costs by $50K+ by creating coatings that improved the quality of the Mutin product line and eliminated the need to carry two different types of coatings.

oReducing purchase order errors by 75% in six months by establishing an electronic method of notifying suppliers of purchase order errors.

AMERICAN SPRING WIRE CORPORATION, Kankakee, IL 2002 – 2004

Quality Control / Inventory Control / Material Handling Supervisor

Attained higher organization-wide quality through the development and implementation of industry best practices, SPC integration, and ISO 9000-2000 standards. Oversaw the Performance Part Approval Process for automotive customers.

Procured Optical Comparator to drive a 32%+ increase in inspection accuracy.

Successfully reduced work-in-process inventory by 47% through teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving.

Integrally involved in the automation of quality control records in an Access database to reduce paperwork errors.

THE BILTRITE CORPORATION, Chelsea, MA 1998 – 2002

Production Manager / Production Engineer

Instrumental in managing the start-up phase for the Biltrite Highway Tape Division (HTD), including establishing and streamlining manufacturing operations and minimizing plant operating expenses. Proactively identified and prioritized production bottlenecks by developing effective corrective actions to ensure project was completed on time and on budget.

Achieved 22% reduction in labor costs (annualized to $18K) after engineering and instituting a new vacuum system in the Vinyl Line Division that automatically loaded raw material into the thermoplastic resin product feed hopper.

Greatly increased operational productivity, production yields, and product quality by designing, organizing, and delivering training for all cross-functional operations and production personnel.

Decreased noise levels by 95%, increased productivity, reduced machine downtime by 11%, and realized an annualized savings of $96K through the reengineering drying equipment in the Vinyl Line Division.

Reduced material outages by 97% and increased on-time shipments and, subsequently, customer satisfaction by training plant personnel on Kanban inventory system processes.

Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology

Illinois State University, Normal, IL

Short-Run Statistical Process Control / Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility

Eastern Michigan University – Center for Quality, Ypsilanti, MI

ISO-9000 Internal Audit Training – Valspar Corporation

Class “K” License (Industrial Waste Operator) – Illinois Environmental Agency

Waste Water Management – Resources Consultants

Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Access

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