JIM KAHRHOFF

Franklin, IN *****

317-***-****

linkedin.com/in/JimKahrhoff acv871@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY

Manufacturing Engineer: Highly accomplished Mechanical Engineer with MBA and extensive

experience in successfully leading improvement projects and Lean Manufacturing transformations.

Formal Project Management experience in global organization. Analytical, innovative, and resourceful

with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Fosters an environment of high productivity and

team orientation through skill in relationship building. Accomplished in planning and executing projects

from concept through production with strong troubleshooting and problem-resolution skills. High

learning ability with passion for continuous development. Expertise in:

PLC programming Equipment troubleshooting

6-axis and 3-axis robot programming Process Optimization

Six Sigma Trained Cost Reduction Strategies

Lean Manufacturing Project Management

AutoCad Fixture / Tooling Design

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CUMMINS INC. (Columbus, Indiana) 2011 2015

Project Manager

Led VPI programs from Charter to Production close-out. Challenged to form and lead global cross-

functional teams. Worked on improving cross-Business Unit collaboration and interaction.

Led major new product introduction program to meet market needs for EPA Tier 4 emissions

certified Power Generation products.

Implemented cross-Business Unit interface agreements to streamline product development. This

was integrated into next revision of Corporate New Product Development Process.

Led team to launch critical hardware options to address field issues on a highly compressed

timeline.

Led Business Continuity Plan Team to meet requirements for ISO audit within 5 months.

Recognized as co-winner of 2013 G-Drive Synergy Award.

MORIDEN INC. (Indianapolis, Indiana) 2009 2011

Engineering Manager / Production Supervisor (2011)

Challenged to manage both the Engineering/Maintenance Department and the daily Production

Operations. Supervised a total of 21 hourly associates to meet production requirements as well as launch

new programs. Charged with developing an immature manufacturing facility into a lean enterprise and

achieving a turnaround of $400,000 loss per year into a sustainable profit.

Responsible for equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, and performance.

Responsible for annual Engineering and Maintenance budget.

Increased daily production by 15-25 % over 15 dedicated cells.

Led kaizen events and managed 5S activities

Initiated and managed cost reduction activities.

Acted as lead change agent for manufacturing improvements.

Engineering Manager 2009 2010

Charged with managing annual Engineering budget and supporting costing activities for Process and

Tooling design. Managed vendors for new equipment builds as well as plant upgrades.

Managed annual Engineering/Maintenance budget.

Launched and managed material flow improvement initiative.

JIM KAHRHOFF 317-***-**** Page 2

Managed daily activities of Maintenance Department

RYOBI DIE CASTING (Shelbyville, Indiana) 2005 2009

Process Quality Assurance Engineer

Managed $12 million tooling fleet of 16 dies along with the die casting process and equipment to meet

productivity and quality goals and contribute over $17 million in annual sales revenue. Identified and

implemented cost saving projects to increase profits.

Launched MY2009 6R80 Ford Transmission Case. Exceeded quoted performance targets within

first 6 months after launch.

Identified 22 tooling improvements to achieve higher performance rates.

Cycle time reduction on 6R60 product line by over 10% resulting in $500,000 of cost savings.

Reduced post die cast scrap by 25% resulting in $275,000 of cost savings.

Expedited implementation of lightweight runner design to capture in excess of $130,000 of cost

savings.

Assisted in pre-production testing of MY2006 6R60 Ford Transmission case. Managed the

launch of full production process including initial die samplings and modifications.

Achieved First Time Through (FTT) rates of 99.5% on both personally-managed Ford

Transmission Cases.

CASTING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY (Franklin, Indiana) 1995 2004

Senior Process Engineer / Supervisor (1998)

Manages staff of up to four engineers while developing production processes and producing prototypes

enhancing new business development. Analyze costs to develop new products. Provided both hands-on

and classroom training for production staff.

Lead resource in managing equipment/process/tooling interactions and performance.

Identified root cause and designed new locator parts relative to the machine reducing scrap from 30%

to 5% on MY2005 C6 Corvette wheel.

Launched 3 front steering knuckle programs into production simultaneously without missing any

delivery dates for samples or submissions. Programs generated $20 million in revenue.

Led process improvement project to eliminate a fiberglass screen, which reduced the price per piece

by $0.12, reduced cycle time by 5%, and eliminated maintenance on the screen dispensers. The new

process saved $600,000 over three years with no field failures or recalls.

Implemented a tooling change to discard a large amount of material in the bearing bore area of a front

knuckle product, reducing the weight of each part by 1.5lbs and eliminated the need to machine

material in subsequent operations. New process saved $5.5 million over three year period.

Process Engineer 1995 - 1998

Launched the first 2-cavity, squeeze cast knuckle generating $15 million in revenue annually.

Eliminated tooling failures in the initial launch of the knuckle program by identifying a design flaw

causing the failure, saving the company $1million.

Implemented lean manufacturing concepts for the entire plant while serving as facilitator in the

training process for all production personnel.

EDUCATION

Masters of Business Administration in Applied Management

Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Indiana)

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

University of Illinois (Champaign, Illinois)

JIM KAHRHOFF 317-***-**** Page 2

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