PATRICK G. PEARCE

*** **** **** *********, ********* 308A, Conway, SC 29526

Phone: 910-***-****

Email: ad0ihn@r.postjobfree.com

Profile

Quality and Food Safety Professional with twenty-one-year track record of hands-on experience in USDA and FDA facilities. Have solid knowledge of quality and food safety control systems. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of plant management, hourly employees, and USDA/FDA inspection personnel. Have overall good communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment while handling multiple tasks. Possess computer skills which include knowledge and application of word, excel, and power point. Also have eleven years of experience working in the Paper Industry in various Managerial roles from 1985-1996.

Food Safety Knowledge Areas

HACCP

GFSI/SQF/AIB/BRC

Halal/Kosher

USDA Regulations

SOP, SSOP, GMP

Product Disposition

Food Safety Training

Pre-Operational Sanitation

Non-Compliance Record Management

Validation and Verification

Deviation & Problem Solving

Quality Assurance

Food Safety Auditing

Customer Relations

Supplier Quality Expectations

Pest Management

Monitoring

Professional Experience

House of Raeford, Rose Hill, NC – Privately held vertically integrated poultry company and producer of both fresh and further processed poultry products for the retail and foodservice industry. Company has five raw slaughter facilities located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana. Two further processing facilities in South Carolina and Georgia. Three co-pack facilities located in North Carolina and Georgia.

Director of Quality and Food Safety, Cooked Products Group November 2020 – October 2023

Responsible for the Quality, Food Safety, Microbiological, and Sanitations programs for the House of Raeford cooked product plants.

Ensure all regulatory and customer requirements are achieved and meet compliance standards.

Oversee and direct QA departments at House of Raeford cooked product plants, and work with co-packer QA departments to ensure product specifications, quality, and food safety objectives are met.

Responsible for ensuring all third party audit and certifications are maintained annually and meet approval requirements for House of Raeford plants. Audit schemes fall under GFSI scope for SQF and BRC.

Responsible for ensuring all supplier and customer audits are completed and satisfactory results are achieved.

Oversee all third party Sanitation contractors for House of Raeford cooked product plants.

Ensure all required paperwork and audit reports are maintained on customer websites annually.

Responsible for ensuring all lab samples are sent to the third party accredited lab for testing. Oversee all microbiological test result to ensure hold release program is compliant with company requirements on ready-to-eat products.

Work closely with all suppliers and customers to ensure all quality and food safety issues are resolved.

Work with Production, Sales, Quality, and R&D daily to ensure all House of Raeford goals are achieved and product meets specification requirements.

Develop and oversee Quality Department budgets for the House of Raeford cooked product plants.

Assist Quality Department at House of Raeford cooked product plants in staffing and training of personnel.

Perform audits at House of Raeford cooked product plants, co-packer facilities, and three cold storage facilities to ensure compliance in all quality and food safety areas to minimize and eliminate potential issues.

Work closely with USDA inspection personnel at all facilities to maintain and establish good working relationships.

Ventura Foods, Brea, CA – Privately held company and leading manufacturer of custom and branded dressings, sauces, mayonnaise, oils, shortenings, margarines, bases, and pan coatings. Company has several manufacturing facilities throughout the United States, and a facility in Canada. The Chambersburg Plant operates on a 24 Hour/7 Day week schedule consisting of 4 shifts. The plant employees approximately 750 associates, and is a FDA inspected site.

Site Quality Director, Chambersburg, PA August 2018 – October 2020

Responsible for Quality, Food Safety, Microbiological, Sanitation programs throughout the plant.

Manage team consisting of 3 Quality Supervisors, Microbiologist, Audit Supervisor, and Sanitation Supervisor.

Responsible for meeting audit and certification requirements through the annual SQF audit, Customer, and Third-Party audits throughout the year.

Responsible for daily Sanitation inspections and control of Microbiological results for the plant.

Provide technical assistance to suppliers and customers concerning quality and product issues.

Work closely with Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, and R&D departments to ensure Ventura objectives are achieved.

Responsible for ensuring complaints are addresses in a timely and efficient manner.

Ensured product specifications are maintained to meet compliance with Customers.

Manage daily effectiveness of the QA Lab to ensure efficient product analytical and sensory checks are maintained.

Oversee third party Janitorial Service group for the plant in assigned areas to ensure cleanliness is achieved.

Lead Food Safety Team meetings consisting of the Site Director, Operation Managers, Maintenance Manager, and Audit Supervisor.

Ensures all Departmental paperwork and reports are provided accurately and on-time.

Directs weekly Environmental meetings, along with product hold meetings.

Develop and manage annual budgets throughout the year by working closely with staff and Plant Controller.

Page 2 – Patrick G. Pearce

Mountaire Farms, Inc. – Privately held poultry processor and ranked #7 in the U.S. The company is fully integrated with 4 manufacturing facilities and 7 grain mills and breeder operations, doing whole bird processing and fresh packaged items for foodservice and retail customers nationally. Company employs over 7,000 people.

Complex Quality Assurance Manager, Lumber Bridge, NC March 2014 – January 2018

Plant has over 1800 employees with 1st and 2nd shift processing, and a contracted 3rd shift sanitation operation, Plant slaughters and processes 2.7 million birds weekly that is converted into 21.5 million lbs. of finished product.

Accountable for ensuring all Quality and Food Safety programs are executed and maintained for the complex.

Manage and oversee the Lab to ensure all required testing is performed and maintained to meet regulatory requirements for Salmonella and Campylobacter. (Category 1 status)

Serve as point of contact for all regulatory and USDA issues including non-conformances.

Worked with Corporate Quality and Food Safety to develop and update product specifications.

Worked directly with contract Sanitation department to ensure proper controls and inspection processes are being met and maintained.

Serve as main contact for all third-party audit groups such as BRC and Process Management Consultants (Animal Welfare).

Manage personnel in the Quality Department consisting of (2) Quality Superintendents, (3) Quality Supervisors, HACCP Manager, HACCP Coordinator, QA Clerk, and 48 Quality technicians.

Work directly with both Inside/Outside Sales with customer concerns, visits, etc. Also work with International Sales team on any product requests or concerns.

Develop and manage the Quality Department budgets with the accounting department.

Work closely and support the production and maintenance departments with any quality issues to ensure timely analysis and resolution.

Ensure weekly customer feedback reports are completed accurately and in a timely manner.

Make outside customer visits as needed to maintain positive relations and verify incoming AQL checks.

Reason for leaving: Separated from company due to foreign material incident involving a third-party sanitation employee. Incident was never reported to Production or Quality resulting in foreign material reaching customer

H.J. Heinz, Pittsburgh, PA - Leading food manufacturer with annual sales of over $8B. Company was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital and merged with Kraft Foods in Feb. 2013 to become Kraft-Heinz. This plant was shut down.

Director of Quality Assurance/Food Safety, Florence, SC October 2013 – March 2014

This was a new plant that manufactured a variety of frozen entre items sold mainly to retail customers. Plant was sold to Ruiz Foods after the merger and production moved to Ohio.

Did new plant start up and accountable for the implementation and maintenance of the Quality System and Management Manual, process documentation, GMP/Employee hygiene compliance, HACCP compliance, foreign material protection, traceability/product recalls, incoming material inspection, control of non-conforming goods, finished product holds/releases, packaging integrity, test equipment calibration, printed packaging material control, SPC/Quality control, process control, quality process monitoring, document control, implementation and maintenance of quality systems, auditing and review of processes and measuring systems.

Was asked to stay through transition while the plant was going through shut down and moving.

Assisted and supported HJ Heinz Corporate Quality on all procedures and programs.

Served as point of contact for relative regulatory agencies such as USDA, FDA, and SC Department of Agriculture.

Promoted an atmosphere conducive to a high standard of quality and food safety.

Worked with Corporate Research and Development and Corporate Quality to develop correct product specifications and product commercialization.

Worked directly with Sanitation department to ensure proper controls and inspection processes were accountable daily.

Served as main contact for third party audit groups such as GFSI.

Managed Quality Department consisting of a Quality Manager, Two Quality Supervisors, and Nine Quality technicians.

Oversaw all activities of the plant microbiology lab including the monitoring of finished product and environmental microbial levels.

Developed and managed the Quality Department budgets with the finance department.

Worked closely and supported the production departments with quality issues to ensure timely analysis and resolution.

Reason for leaving: Plant was closed.

Page 3 – Patrick G. Pearce

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Atlanta, GA – Leading QSR restaurant chain with over 2600 units, mainly in US &Canada.

Corporate Poultry Quality Manager 2010 to 2013

Responsible for development and implementation of the Popeyes Supplier Quality Expectation program for all Suppliers and Distributors.

Responsible for ensuring approval and certification for all Domestic and International Suppliers and Distributors.

Managed Popeyes Temperature Monitoring Program for fresh protein, frozen protein, and produce loads delivered to Distributors.

Directed Suppliers and Distributors in meeting audit and certification requirements such as AIB, GFSI, and SQF through Third Party Audit parties.

Conducted Quality and Sanitation inspections of new and existing Suppliers and Distributor locations.

Provide technical assistance to vendors and franchisees concerning quality and product issues.

Work closely with Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, and Culinary departments to ensure Popeyes objectives are achieved.

Responsible for ensuring complaints are addressed in a timely and efficient manner.

Ensured product specifications are maintained to meet compliance with Suppliers.

Managed all files to ensure proper documentation control for Suppliers and Distributors. Maintained current audits, emergency contacts, and labels.

Reason for leaving: Family member health issue forced my resignation to relocate closer to Eastern NC.

Keystone Foods, West Chester, PA 2002 – 2010

Leading poultry, meat and fish processor/manufacturer with fully integrated hatcheries and feed mills throughout the US, Asia, China, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.

Director of Quality Assurance, Huntsville, AL 2006 to 2010

Responsible for all aspects of quality and food safety objectives in meeting of specifications for products produced.

Member of Corporate Management Team responsible for day-to-day Quality and Food Safety functions for assigned National Industrial Accounts (Nestle, Hormel, Subway, Brinker International, Buffalo Wild Wings, Darden, and Koch Foods).

Ensured compliance with all USDA regulations.

Advised and assisted Plant Managers and Supervisors in the areas of quality and food safety to ensure overall compliance.

Coordinated both existing and new process initiatives to maximize profitability and customer satisfaction.

Worked closely with Sales, R&D, Accounting, Planning, and Plant Management to ensure all customer objectives were met.

Actively participated in food safety audits and customer visits to plants.

Responsible for assigning product disposition on items produced for assigned National Industrial Accounts.

Reviewed plant records for all deviations to ensure proper corrective measures were taken.

Managed food safety controls for three Keystone facilities and Co-packing facility.

Helped with development of plant QA staffing through interviewing and training of personnel.

Reason for leaving: Corporate lay off prior to acquisition by Marfrig.

QA/Food Safety Manager, Reidsville, NC 2002 to 2006

Managed Quality Assurance program for further processing union facility specializing in weekly production of 3.5 million pounds of par fry poultry items for McDonalds.

Managed HACCP program for plant ensuring food safety controls such as monitoring, verification, and validation were effective and compliance achieved.

Provided direct support in the areas of Pre-Operational Sanitation and Operational Sanitation inspectors.

Worked with supervisory and management personnel to resolve quality and food safety issues.

Supervised departmental staff of three supervisors and twenty technicians.

Prepared annual exempt performance reviews for supervisors and ensured that hourly reviews were completed by required deadlines.

Acted as official plant liaison with USDA inspection.

Managed departmental budget and ensured cost goals were achieved annually.

Managed departmental staff through hiring and developing of personnel.

Reason for leaving: Promoted to Corporate role as Director of Quality

Page 4 – Patrick G. Pearce

Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, AR 1999 – 2002

World’s second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork and owns many well-known food brands.

HACCP Manager, Wilkesboro, NC 2000 to 2002

This plant manufactured retail fresh products slaughtering over 1.8 million birds a week and employing over 1600 people.

Managed HACCP program for total facility.

Ensured food safety controls and compliance were achieved across the whole manufacturing plant.

Worked closely with Production, Maintenance, and Quality Assurance to ensure food safety controls were followed and departments were compliant.

Acted as liaison with USDA inspection in daily operation of plant.

Handled all Non-Compliance records by ensuring responses were prompt and accurate in meeting regulatory compliance.

Conducted weekly meeting with USDA plant inspection to ensure adequacy in plant food safety controls and initiatives.

Managed departmental staff through hiring and developing of personnel.

Ensured corrective measures were implemented by the plant after each deviation.

Trained and developed various plant personnel at assigned plant and other various Tyson locations.

Managed ten HACCP technicians in assuring CCP’s were governed daily during production.

Assisted various locations with HACCP audits performed by both Tyson corporate and USDA.

Performed HACCP certification training to company employees at assigned plant and four other Tyson locations.

Worked closely with USDA on each deviation to ensure process controls were in place to prevent and eliminate future occurrence.

Used communication relations with USDA to help work through major issues such as rodent control and fecal zero tolerance incidents.

Ensured proper disposition of product affected by both plant and USDA deviations.

Reason for leaving: Offered position at Keystone Foods.

HACCP Manager 1999 to 2000

This plant manufactured fully cooked and roasted items with over 400 associates.

Hired as the first Manager of Food Safety at plant.

Managed and developed first HACCP program for this facility.

Acted as liaison with USDA inspection in daily operation of plant and coordinated weekly meetings.

Ensured food safety controls were met daily to ensure regulatory compliance.

Handled all Non-Compliance records by ensuring responses were both prompt and accurate in meeting regulatory requirements.

Worked closely with Production, Maintenance, and Quality Assurance to ensure food safety controls were followed and departments were compliant.

Ensured corrective measures were implemented and proper disposition of product affected by both plant and USDA deviations was handled appropriately.

Worked closely with USDA on each deviation to ensure process controls were in place to prevent and eliminate future occurrence.

Reason for leaving: Promoted to the Fresh Retail Plant.

Page 5 – Patrick G. Pearce

Perdue Farms, Salisbury, MD - Parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue Agri-Business with annual sales of over $6B. Company manufactures various protein products and also grain and feed ingredients, renewable energy and fertilizers and is the 3rd largest broiler manufacturer in the U.S.

HACCP Manager, Lewiston, NC 1996 – 1999

This plant was a fresh poultry slaughter facility with over 1800 associates.

Helped develop and implement HACCP program for poultry slaughter facility processing two million birds weekly.

Ensured food safety controls and compliance were achieved for plant employing 1800 associates.

Worked closely with both plant and USDA personnel in design and implementation of HACCP checks during production.

Helped develop synergy among plant management, production, quality assurance, and USDA inspection in maintaining effectiveness of the HACCP program.

Directed twenty-eight technicians daily in achieving overall plant food safety objectives through effective monitoring, verification, and validation of processes.

Attended regular USDA and Industry roundtable meetings at NC State University to enhance knowledge of both industry and agency trends.

Handled all Non-Compliance records by ensuring responses were prompt and accurate in ensuring regulatory compliance.

Worked closely with USDA inspection on daily issues to build and develop plant food safety controls.

Coordinated and directed weekly scheduled meetings with plant USDA representatives to ensure compliance was achieved.

Ensured proper disposition of product affected by both plant and USDA deviations.

Reason for leaving: Offered position at Tyson Foods.

Education

East Carolina University Greenville, NC – Bachelor of Science Degree, Industrial Management, 1985

Chowan College Murfreesboro, NC – Associate of Science Degree, Liberal Arts, 1982

Honors

Lifetime member of Epsilon Pi Tau, International Honorary Fraternity in Technology.

Achieved and maintained required GPA during Junior and Senior years at East Carolina University.

Recognized by the International HACCP Alliance as a Certified Lead Instructor in Food Safety.

HACCP Meat and Seafood Certified

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