Steve Siddens

*** ********** *****

Lake Villa, IL 60046

adcwy7@r.postjobfree.com

224-***-****

Objective

Technical management position that allows me to utilize my experience in engineering & maintenance department management, CAPEX project management, control systems, and finance to benefit mutual growth and success.

Summary

Twenty-five years of experience and continuous advancement in the management of plant engineering, maintenance, and EHS (Environmental/Health/Safety) departments to successfully accomplish assigned objectives. Extensive managerial experience including staff team building and development, capital and expense budget preparation, union contract negotiations, project justifications, departmental re-structuring and salary planning.

Engineering project experience includes the justification, design, fabrication, and implementation of many types of machinery/processes for complex manufacturing systems. I have been the Project Manager with direct responsibility for the implementation of hundreds of capital projects. These projects have resulted in energy, labor, and operational savings of millions of dollars for some of the largest and most recognizable companies and brands in the world. “Hands-on” true expertise in design and troubleshooting of electrical controls and processing/packaging mechanical systems.

Maintenance management experience has included managing a 42 person, 7/24 union workforce, with a $7MM annual budget. Highlights include the implementation and sustainment of a Maximo CMMS system with preventative and predictive maintenance program, a continuous training and skill improvement program negotiated into the collective bargaining agreement, and a lead mechanic program that eliminated the need for maintenance shift supervision.

Career Accomplishment Highlights

As the Manager of Packaging Engineering for McCain Foods N.A. I have designed, submitted for approval, and implemented to assigned scope, schedule, and budget capital projects in excess of +$20MM. These have included:

Managed the installation of seven (7) articulated arm palletizing robots. I designed and constructed the vacuum end-of-arm tooling that resulted in a 20% improvement in throughput and 30% improvement in compressed air usage.

Complete packaging line ($7.5MM) to automate the previous manual operation of building multi-packs of hash brown patties. Project included robotic tray packing and case packing equipment, two (2) x-ray inspection systems, automated tray erection, and multiple other automated inspection and packaging systems.

Managed the installation of seven (7) projects to eliminate obsolescent PLC/VFD control systems. Systems were updated utilizing current A-B ControlLogix PLC’s and new VFD’s.

Designed and installed McCain’s first x-ray packaging inspection system.

Developed and implemented, over five years, a strategic business plan for Ocean Spray’s Cranberry Business Unit. Once completed, this initiative reduced the variable manufacturing cost by >50%. This work resulted in:

A state of the art Continuous Blending Process that cost $7.8MM in capital, returned $3MM in annual savings, and reduced labor by fifteen personnel.

A packaging project that resulted in $425M in labor savings through innovative line layouts and automated machinery implementations. The project also eliminated a safety hazard that was contributing to an average of two lost-time incidents a year over five years.

Multiple other projects and initiatives including reducing retail package from 16oz to 14oz, SCU rationalization of non-profitable product lines, and restructuring the maintenance department to improve line efficiencies and department profitability.

Major participant in the success of the Ocean Spray & Nestle Manufacturing Alliance since 2003. Major initiatives implemented for the “Alliance” included:

Led engineering effort for development and implementation of blend processing and packaging automation for five lines of Tetra Pak 125ml & 200ml aseptic Juice Box lines. Other duties of this program included staffing design, facility and utility engineering, and key technical liaison for Alliance to Tetra Pak. Total project costs - >$16MM.

Project Manager for the Alliance on a project that implemented an onsite bottle blowing manufacturing plant for a partnership formed by two bottle supplier companies. Completed all facility and utility engineering plus all legal & environmental formalities. Cost-$2.5MM / Savings - $5MM annually.

One of four (4) Site Project Manager for a complicated project to convert all round multi-serve retail packages to a new rectangular package at four manufacturing locations within four months. Cost-$16MM

Multiple other projects for the Alliance have included development of manufacturability on new package designs from Marketing, led multiple new product and package initiatives, and developed sustainment plans along with being the senior strategic engineering resource for the Alliance.

Professional Awards

Focus on Energy & U.S. Department of Energy awards for energy savings – 2007/2008

Inaugural winner of Ocean Spray’s “Excellence in Manufacturing” award – 2007

Ocean Spray – “Crave the New Wave” award – 2002

Professional Experience

Practical Project Mgmt, LLC

President

Dec 2019 -

I am currently self-employed as a consultant working as Lead Engineer on a confidential project to build a Pea Protein Extraction Plant in Alberta, Canada. The project is being funded by a combination of private investors and the Canadian government and scheduled for startup in 2021. The plant is being designed to utilize 100,000 metric tons of yellow peas annually and convert them into proteins, starches, and fibers to be used as food ingredients.

McCain Foods

Manager – Packaging Engineering, N.A. – Corporate Engineering

Feb 2016 – Dec 2019

I reported to the Vice-President of Engineering of the world’s largest frozen French fry and appetizer manufacturer. I was responsible for all packaging machinery automation systems in 19 plants in North America. Projects included installation and successful commissioning of complete packaging line for the automated packaging of hash brown patties, McCain’s first X-ray packaging inspection system, over $2MM in PLC/VFD upgrade projects, laser sortation & inspection of peeled potatoes, and seven (7) articulated robot palletizing systems. Additional responsibilities include maintenance programs, LRP planning, capital project review and approval, and specification and standardization of all packaging equipment.

Pfanstiehl

Facility Engineering & Maintenance Mgr.

March 2014 – January 2016

I reported to the VP of Operations of this API & Excipient pharmaceutical manufacturer. As a “hands-on” manager I was responsible for total management of plant engineering, annual capital plan implementation, and production & facility maintenance for the nine building campus. Management responsibilities includes management of six (6) direct reports and capital and maintenance budgets in excess of $3MM annually. Improvements to date include updating maintenance department activities from 100% reactive to 75% planned activities, overhaul of PM program, and implementation of $5.0MM in capital projects.

Clark Dietz Engineers

Director-Industrial Services

January 2012 – March 2014

I reported to the CEO of this multi-discipline consulting engineering firm. Work included project design and management for Ocean Spray (completed projects I was managing as a corporate engineer) and other clients in the Food/Beverage industry and municipal water & wastewater systems. [Departed position to return to technical management opportunity with Pfanstiehl.]

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

Principal Project Engineer

August 2010 – January 2012

Promoted in August 2010, I reported to the Director of Engineering at Corporate headquarters. Primary accountability included all electrical and controls engineering for the Cooperative. Responsible for managing the lead electrical engineers at eight (8) primary manufacturing sites and developing them into a company-wide “Controls Network”. The Network was responsible for developing the corporation’s electrical engineering standards and specifications along with setting the electrical engineering strategic direction for the Cooperative. Additionally, I was responsible for managing large-scale capital projects (>$20MM) across multiple manufacturing sites. [Departed position due to extreme travel and career opportunity with Clark-Dietz.]

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

Senior Technical Services Manager

April 2001 – August 2010

Member of the Senior Leadership Team and reported to the Plant Manager with dotted line reporting to the Corporate Director of Engineering at the most complex manufacturing facility for the North American leader in fruit juice beverages. Responsibilities included total management of plant engineering, maintenance, and environmental, health, & safety department (EHS). Total of 47 direct and indirect reports. Total development and management of capital and maintenance budgets in excess of $15 million dollars annually. Additional duties included project management of large capital projects (excess of $10 million), acting plant manager during plant manager absences, and development of contingency plan for union negotiations. Directly responsible for the implementation of $85,000,000 worth of projects during my tenure in this position to assigned scope, schedule, and budget. Led the plant through implementation of RMP/PSM program for anhydrous ammonia, multiple OSHA investigations, and FDA, AIB, and Nestlé audits. Winner of multiple corporate, plant, and other 3rd party awards for engineering, energy savings, and project management expertise. [Promoted to Corporate Engineering.]

Philips Electronics Inc.

Senior Project Manager-Controls & Test Systems

January 1998 – April 2001

Reported to the Vice-President of Manufacturing Engineering (previously my manager at General Electric Co.) at the headquarters of the industry leader in fluorescent and high intensity discharge lighting ballast products. Responsibilities of six person staff included total control and test system electrical engineering for the seven manufacturing locations of this division. Duties included project definition, capital budget preparation, cost justification, and total project management and implementation. Developed automated testing technologies that decreased consumer complaints by 15% for Mexican manufactured product. Departed position due to Department of Energy mandate to prohibit the manufacturing of core and coil ballasts by 2005. This mandate resulted in the closure of most USA manufacturing plants. [Departed position for career opportunity in the foods industry with Ocean Spray.]

Clark Dietz Engineers & Architects

MT Systems

Project Manager

August 1993 – December 1997

At Clark-Dietz, I reported to the Executive Vice-President of this 100-employee multi-discipline engineering firm. Managed two electrical engineering personnel in total project management, design, programming, documentation and startup of all types of food packaging & processes along with commercial water/waste water projects. In January of 1997 the electrical controls engineering group transferred to MT Systems. I reported to the President at MT Systems with the same customers and responsibilities as Clark-Dietz. Project experience with Kraft General Foods, Quaker Oats, North Shore Sanitation District, City of Indianapolis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, S.C. Johnson, Illinois Capital Development Board, and many others. [Departed position to satisfy career engineering management ambitions with Philips Electronics.]

Education

Electronic / Instrumentation Technology

A.S. - Excelsior University

References

Excellent professional and personal references available upon request.

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