ROBERT AMEND (BOB)

*** ******** **, ********, ** C: 315-***-**** H: 315-***-****

acus99@r.postjobfree.com www.linkedin.com/in/robertamend PLANT / OPERATIONS MANAGER

Proven leader helping plants increase productivity and reliability; reduce costs; and reduce safety metrics by focusing on manufacturing basics and leading change. Led groups of up to 78 and controlled multimillion dollar budgets.

Highly effective plant leader adept at enacting positive change. Have improved plant operations and reduced costs at every opportunity. Adept at identifying issues and implementing plans to resolve them. Proficient at forming and working with teams to find the best answers to issues. Approachable with strong safety ethic. Areas of expertise include:

Plant and Production Management Training

Leading organizations through change Continuous improvement

Union and Non-Union labor relations SAP

ISO9000 PSM

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CHEMTRADE LOGISTICS, SYRACUSE, NY 2014-2016

Industrial chemical and services provider

Plant Manager

Hired to change culture in newly acquired plant fighting transition to the “Chemtrade Way.” Third plant manager in three years. Formed one cross-functional team to increase sales and another to reduce byproduct inventory. Started up pollution abatement project. Impact: Transitioned plant to new company culture

Emphasized new company values and procedures so employees accepted they were part of a new, exciting company and culture.

Worked with two managerial groups openly fighting with each other and trying to determine plant direction. Set a respectful work relationship expectation and coached the managers to achieve that expectation. The work atmosphere greatly improved over time.

Enforced safety laws and company regulations to bring safety and environmental compliance up to company standards.

To address declining sales, started cross functional team with Sales, Quality, Logistics, and Operations to resolve customer issues and identify potential customers. The new sales manager stopped the sales slide with new customers.

When the byproduct sales slowed, led team that addressed the issue with the least impact to the plant. ASHLAND INC 2007–2014

Manufacturer of chemical specialty and performance products Plant Manager Composite Polymer Blending Plant - Bartow, FL 2013-2014 Led 12 person UPR blending plant plagued by low sales and low morale due to being on plant shutdown list. Filled ESH and Process Engineer roles due to lack of managers. Turned morale issue around by focusing on controllable issues and customers. Worked with sales and technical service to increase sales. Impact: Improved employee morale while improving plant operation ROBERT AMEND - PAGE 2

Improved employee morale by focusing on safety and other factors the employees could control.

Completed capital process improvement projects and administered the site Mechanical Integrity program.

Plant Manager Radiation Cured Laminating, Adhesives, and Coatings Plant - Oak Creek, WI 2011- 2013

Led 20-person plant with 15-person R&D Lab collocated at the site. Plant produced 250 products per month with 5 years declining sales since acquisition by Ashland. Volume increased first year at site. When plant unexpectedly closed, moved equipment to another Ashland plant and turned site over to the landlord. No safety or environmental issues during tenure – first for site. Impact: Helped grow sales then safely shut the plant down.

Teamed up with Sales and Tech Service to turn sales around. Reduced order fulfillment timeframe from a week to a day which was much better than the competitor’s. This and an increased customer focus resulted in a year over year sales increase the first year.

Implemented operator line of progression to equalize plant pay rates.

No safety or environmental issues while at plant. First for the site. Production Manager Aquapel and Tall Oil Departments - Franklin, VA 2007-2011 First ran Tall Oil fractionation area until the owner sold the process. Shut down the Tall Oil process, mothballed the equipment, and transitioned the employees. Set production record the year before shutdown. Next led 25 person Aquapel dimer operation setting all time production record first full year in job.

Developed and implemented plan to safely shut down the Tall Oil process equipment.

After the customer tightened their specifications, led a team that developed a process to clean the Aquapel process byproduct so plant production was not impacted. INDEPENDENCE RENEWABLE ENERGY CORP, Perdue Hill, AL 2006–2007 Biodiesel Plant Startup

Plant Manager

Hired to manage operations side of biodiesel plant startup in management team inexperienced in biodiesel production. Plant designed with new, innovative technology that ended up not working at rates needed to cover operational costs.

Hired, trained, and led a 9 operator team through plant startup. Plant started up on time.

Planned and coordinated raw material and finished product purchasing and logistics. ALABAMA RIVER PULP COMPANY, Perdue Hill, AL 1999–2006 Largest market pulp mill in North America

Continuous Improvement Manager 2004-2006

Directed mill wide improvement program designed to cut costs and increase productivity due to mill under increasing cost competition. Learned and implemented 5-S and Kaizen activities. Developed Pi modeling tool to give real time variable cost information to plant operators and managers.

Developed a real time cost model using current cost and operational data so managers could see the impact of operational decisions on costs. Department heads changed operational strategy based on cost feedback.

ROBERT AMEND - PAGE 3

Developed a real time cost model using current cost and operational data so managers could see the impact of operational decisions on costs. Department heads changed operational strategy based on cost feedback.

Certified and trained managers and employees the Kepner Tregoe Problem Solving and Decision Making course.

Reinvigorated the mill 5-S program by creating a “Golden Wrench and Broom Award” that fostered constructive competition in the mill. Also restarted mill 5-S events. Fiberline Manager 1999-2004

Led 78-person pulp making department making 3,000 tons per day of market pulp. Managed $31 million per year direct and $29 million per year indirect budget. Reduced TIR from 18.5 to 4.25.

Led cost reduction effort that reduced bleaching costs by $6 million per year in first year. Cost savings were sustained each year thereafter.

Led programs that increased production 15%, decreased defects by 90%, and reduced costs by 30%.

Developed and implemented a training and certification plan for each job in the department. Then implemented a merit based promotion policy based on results from promotion boards convened for each job opening. Operator knowledge greatly increased which increased the department’s productivity and reliability.

BUCKEYE TECHNOLOGIES, LUMBERTON, NC 1995-1999

Cotton pulp provider

Process Systems Manager

Hired to transition to plant manager role in a year. Company sold soon after arriving. Developed and managed a denim scrap conversion process resulting in the first innovation in the rag pulp industry in 50 years. When denim supply moved to Mexico, set up Mexican denim sourcing and sorting facility to guarantee raw material supply.

Bought, reconditioned, and installed a Beloit refiner that increased refining capacity by 35%.

Laser aligned the pulp machine resulting in a 12% production increased.

Developed and ran a denim cutting operation that cut denim scraps into small pieces of yarn. Increased production from 600 pounds to 40,000 pounds per day while solving numerous operational, environmental, and OSHA issues. Developed and implemented sorting procedures in Mexican denim plants that reduced synthetic contamination in first quality pulp from 60% to <2%. UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS AND RESERVE 1983-2003

Helicopter pilot, Small Unit Leader, and Staff Officer Flew helicopters on active duty and stayed in the Reserves when left active duty. Held various leadership and staff positions in Marine Reserve units including a controller for a 10,000-person unit spread out over 57 cities and the executive officer of a 125-person supply unit.

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Early Career:

Process Engineer, Paper Machine Maintenance Coordinator, Area Production Manager – Union Camp Corporation

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EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

MBA – Auburn University

MS, Chemical Engineering – North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC Certified Instructor, BS, Chemical Kepner Engineering Tregoe’s Problem – Tulane University, Solving and New Decision Orleans, Making LA Course

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