Paul R. Erb

Hollidaysburg, PA ***** § 814-***-****

aczng8@r.postjobfree.com

Operational Excellence / Lean / Quality / Continuous Improvement / Supply Chain Executive

30+ years’ success developing, leading & implementing process / performance / team improvements.

Repeated success in demonstrating effectiveness conceptualizing and implementing solutions to business performance issues and opportunities in diverse businesses for which I had no or little previous experience. Drive plant-wide performance improvement via: lean, performance and process measurement, visual management, mistake proofing, value stream mapping, Kaizen events flow diagrams, standard work and other relevant tools. Ability to facilitate key projects to further the big-picture business vision. Skilled leader and team player, armed with strong acumen including process optimization, performance measurement, lean manufacturing, customer relations and satisfaction, employee leadership development and project management successes. Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Highlights of Expertise Across Multiple and Differing Manufacturing and Service Organizations

Quick Adapter and Applier of Knowledge / Principles

Strategic Business Planning

Productivity Improvement / Cost Reduction

Lean Process Flow Optimization

Trust Building, Team Building and Leadership

Measurement / Tracking System Development

Union Plant Manager and Quality Director Experience

Business Plan and Budget Development / Management

Process Redesign / Change Management

Project Planning / Leadership / Management

Root Cause Analysis / Corrective Action Implementation

Staff Development / Training / Teaching / Coaching

Excellent Communication / Presentation Skills

Safety / Quality / Operations Best Practice Execution

Career Experience

HarbisonWalker International, Sproul, Pennsylvania

Provide leadership and daily operational plant management including: optimizing production schedules to meet customer demand, improving quality, reducing costs, maintaining equipment, enforcing safety and environmental policies, & motivating the workforce.

Plant Manager (2016 - 2017)

Lead and facilitate initiatives that improve operational efficiencies and generate increased contribution dollars. Establish operational policies and implement process improvements to ensure superior quality and optimal product and service output

Generated $60,000,000 in Sales in 2016 with Contribution Dollars of $16,000,000, providing 60% of the division’s profits with both second-highest total Contribution Dollars and Contribution % in the entire company.

Monitored the workplace, ensuring that all OSHA standards, rules and regulations met compliance standards. Set higher plant safety standards that achieved 210 days (> 100,000 man hours) without an OSHA recordable incident.

Planned, designed, and implemented a successful Annual Business Development Plan methodology to improve safety, quality, cost, productivity and maintenance performance that has now been adopted by the division.

Led negotiations with Union leadership where we successfully bargained a three-year contract (98.7% yes votes) with uninterrupted flow of goods and services to the customer. Company received a net cost reduction under new contract.

Presented Capstone Project to Company’s Senior Officers to increase capacity in plant’s two major lines (manufacturing 80% of our product) that would equate to a five day Contribution Dollar increase of $2,500,000 per year at a cost of $96,000.

Held weekly two-way dialogue with local Union Leadership resulting in zero grievances filed during my tenure.

Paul R. Erb

814-***-**** Page 2

API Technologies / Spectrum Control, State College and Windber, Pennsylvania

Oversaw API’s lean strategy in its largest division; continually developed, implemented and refined the core business processes. Achieved two promotions by driving best-in-class results with customer satisfaction, quality, on-time delivery, customer value, sales, operations, organic growth, and financial performance.

Director of Continuous Improvement (2014 - 2016)

Collaborated with executive management, leadership in 10 facilities and three engineering design centers to design and implement systems and processes that created a culture of continuous improvements across the company

Served as the Project Manager for integrating four purchased facilities into the company. Focused on all areas from leadership to manufacturing, IT and back-end support functions through post-sale customer service.

Spearheaded a business improvement project to restructure the core business processes in a division of the company, resulting in a one-week lead-time reduction to its customers (all internal) while reducing costs by $900,000 annually.

Established a strategy and action plan to improve manufacturing at multiple facilities resulting in annual cost savings of $1,600,000 and reduction in lead-time of one additional week.

Plant Manager (2012 - 2014)

Transformed a failing, unprofitable location into the best performing facility of nine in the division for both: on-time delivery (from low teens to 96.7%) and contribution margin (from -12% to 32%). Achieved this through trust building, teamwork and teaching and implementing continuous improvement concepts and projects across all functions.

Responsible for both Sales and Operations, designed and implemented an innovative multi-year growth strategy, developing budgets and implementing improvements resulting in a significant competitive advantage that grew sales from <$600,000 per year to >$1,000,000 per year in just two years.

During my tenure as Plant Manager, there were zero Recordable cases due to a consciously implemented Safety Plan.

Developed budgets and multi-year growth strategy including go-to-market and increasing market share.

Quality Manager (2010 - 2012)

Develop and implement divisional quality policies, procedures, and processes for customers, operations and suppliers. Directed and mentored employees through achieving industry and military certifications.

Conducted root cause analysis with management and hourly workforce to identify and implement solutions of a yearlong supplier problem that created a series of customer returns and was threatening millions of dollars of future business.

Ganesa Corporation, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania

Responsible for plant quality and 23-member department staff during successful startup of two multi-million production lines.

Quality Manager (2008 - 2010)

Lead site management team to ensure plant quality in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. Motivate management staff and unionized workforce using cross-functional teams, communicating performance improvements and directing execution on the production floor to improve plant output and customer satisfaction.

Successfully passed ISO certification audit with zero nonconformances found; through the identification of quality systems gaps discovered in initial self-audits; and the planning, implementation and execution of system improvements.

General Manager very involved during our QS9000 re-certification audit where there were zero major or minor findings.

Led many Gembas (cross-functional teams working directly on the production floor to improve throughput, customer satisfaction and quality and reduce waste) using Six Sigma and Lean methodologies.

Created weekly reports and charts to communicate quality performance to plant personnel and our management team.

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Lee Food Service, Duncansville, PA

Director of Quality, Process Improvement and Information Technology (2007 - 2008)

Project Manager for successfully integrating Hoss’s Restaurant’s 28 million dollars of food distribution business (previously done in-house) into Lee’s 40 million dollar company.

Facilitated numerous work teams in process improvement projects to streamline workflow, reduce waste, improve customer and employee satisfaction and reduce costs using Six Sigma and Lean methodologies.

Created and implemented a customer profitability measure that was the basis for Lee’s pricing system.

Created and implemented supplier quality performance measurement system that was our life-blood as a Distributor.

Ward Trucking, Altoona, PA

Director of Quality and Process Improvement (1992 – 2007)

In both 2005 and 2006, Ward was recognized in an independent nation-wide survey of more than 3,000 customers as the highest rated and best less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier in customer quality and value in the United States.

Led the quality, continuous improvement and customer service functions at Ward using Six Sigma and Lean techniques across Ward’s 21 sites.

Reduced the incidents and costs of lost and damaged shipments from 1.50% of revenue to 0.51% of revenue, equating to a savings of $1,000,000 per year while leading the claims prevention process.

Led the design and implementation of the operational system behind Ward’s trademarked Stack Up Loading system. This is the system Ward used to differentiate itself in the market place as a high-end service provider to gain market share while saving more than $1,000,000 annually in operational costs.

Created and implemented Ward’s computerized dispatch / outbound planning / inbound planning system; then created all training materials and trained all operations personnel. This system was the foundation of Ward’s operations and enabled it to improve customer on-time service from 91.2% to 97.8% and reduce operational costs $500,000 per year.

Facilitated many formal quality / continuous improvement and cross-functional teams across 21 sites that evaluated problems and opportunities, then made and implemented recommendations for improvement of key company processes.

Project Manager in the development, implementation, training and continuous improvement of work standards systems.

Developed and implemented Ward’s quality and internal control audits which measure service centers’ conformance to the key internal systems and process Best Practices that drive quality.

Designed and implemented a complete customer listening post system including: our own internally conducted competitive benchmark, transactional, new and lost customer surveys, customer advisory panels and customer feedback log. Analyzed data and provided recommendations for improvement to the senior management team.

PPG Industries, Tipton, PA

Senior Quality Control Engineer (1988 - 1992)

Assisted in the planning and successful start-up of the division’s first satellite facility in Newark, Delaware. Wrote work instructions and training materials for all production personnel.

Led development of the Tipton facility’s overall quality systems structure including: quality planning, quality procedures and quality instructions manuals.

Developed and presented work team training on the PPG Quality Improvement System, continuous improvement process, problem solving, and teamwork and customer satisfaction.

Developed a formal supplier nonconformance system that was later implemented by the entire division.

Master Scheduler / Supply Chain Manager (1986 - 1988)

Part of the Team that successfully implemented MRP II (ERP system) in the Automotive Division.

Developed a series of linked applications to forecast a 10-week production plan for the factory floor based on customer orders and do MRP and manpower forecasts based on the 10-week plan.

Reduced the finished stock inventory from 390,000 to 145,000 pieces of glass.

Increased inventory turns on raw glass from 12 to 32.

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Production, Process and Industrial Engineer (1981 - 1986)

Achieved bottom-line production performance improvements of $558,000 in one year.

Reorganized and improved the soldering operation to increase productivity. Efficiencies realized in the areas of better methods, increased speeds and reduced materials handling resulted in a $500,000 per year savings. These process improvement methods were replicated at our two sister facilities with similar savings.

Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania - Major GPA - 3.81 / 4.00

Graduated with High Distinction / Nominated as the University’s 1981 Outstanding Engineering Student

Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts

Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania - GPA - 3.48 / 4.00

Professional Development and Affiliations

Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt - Management & Strategy Institute

Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence - American Society for Quality (ASQ)

Certified Quality Engineer - American Society for Quality (ASQ)

Lean Project Management Professional Certification (in-Process) - Management & Strategy Institute

American Society for Quality (ASQ) Senior Member

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