Purchasing Mgr / Buyer /Manager Store

Erik Carlson

651-***-**** • *******@***.*** • St. Paul, MN • linkedin.com/in/erik-carlson-40520b154

Purchasing Manager

Dedicated and ambitious professional offering more than eight years of purchasing and demand planning experience with an inventory control and sales management background. Record of success contributing to top- and bottom-line results. Excel at driving growth and efficiency through ongoing process improvement. Coordinate efforts with internal and external teams and vendors for resolution of complex issues and seamless planning and execution of valuable initiatives. Core strengths include:

• Purchasing

• Inventory Control

• Product Management

• Training

• Forecasting

• Client Service

• Product Planning

• People Management

• Budget Management

• Process Development

• Project Management

• Vendor Relationships

Professional Experience

Hotline Products: Brown & Bigelow, Inc. – St. Paul, MN Feb 2018 – Present

Purchasing Manager

»Manage all purchasing functions for Hotline Products, such as all internal and external- vendor print jobs and related components, as well as ordering business supplies.

»Prepare forecasts for annual raw materials purchases and biannual line/catalog purchases and stand-alone forecast for largest client.

»Complete year-end clean-ups and critical component reviews throughout year.

»Fulfill project manager functions, including reviewing bill of materials, creating work orders, tracking to factory for completion, purchasing specialty/out-of-stock components, and creating purchase orders (PO’s) for external vendors.

»Maintain inventory and conduct reviews to eliminate out-of-date and obsolete items.

Special Accomplishments

»Decreased turnaround time and enhanced efficiency by reducing redundancies, removing obsolete stakeholders, and improving communication through implementation of new electronic processes.

»Reduced continuous inventory by $1M and decreased outside vendors’ stored paper to zero by reviewing over 250 SKU’s to identify obsolete items and developing processes for vendors to consume or return excess stock prior to additional ordering.

The Tile Shop, LLC. – Plymouth, MN

Buyer/Demand Planner (May 2011 – Nov 2017)

»Managed all aspects of procurement process to meet inventory goals, maintaining $60M-$80M of various inventory across multiple categories through appropriate ordering from 60+ domestic and international vendors; constantly reviewing forecasts, replenishment reports, and raw sales data; and regularly evaluating discontinued inventory to determine best practices for reduction.

»Product was shipped to 4 different Distribution Centers with different regional demand requirements.

»During my time as demand planner the company grew from 50 to 150 retail locations. Providing experience in a rapid growth environment and extreme demand challenges.

»Further responsible for project management/ordering of fixtures and tile for new store construction (10-12 stores per year. 30-50 displays each).

Special Accomplishments

»Decreased waste by and eliminated shortages through identification of redundant ordering and improving communication and ordering processes with a specific vendor.

»Increased efficiency in opening new stores to ensure at least 97% completion of displays by developing an ordering process that allowed for better sorting and shipment. including creation of tracking systems for non-SKU items, coordination of distribution center teams and construction crews, and configuration of materials and shipment schedules.

Store Manager (Mar 2007 – May 2011)

»Oversaw operations and personnel of two commission-based retail locations, to include management of store budgets, customer service, employee training, and inventory.

»Responsible for in-store marketing displays and product merchandising.

»Managing both of these locations involved the grand opening in brand new regions.

Special Accomplishments

»Successfully opened and managed brand new retail location, recognized as a top-producing manager, being one of the top paid managers in a performance-based pay structure in the opening year.

Additional Positions

Assistant Manager, Tile Shop, LLC – St. Paul, MN (2003-2007)

Sales Associate, Tile Shop, LLC – St. Paul, MN (1998-2003)

Education & Professional Development

Bachelor of Science in Business

University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management

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