Transportation Logistics Distribution Supply Chain

CHARLES R. BLACK

312-***-**** Greater St. Louis area *****************@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/charlieblack

DIRECTOR SUPPLY CHAIN, LOGISTICS & TRANSPORTATION

Innovative executive with extensive supply chain management experience. Analytical strategist skilled at assessing existing procedures, identifying opportunities, and implementing creative solutions to enhance performance, increase customer satisfaction, and deliver sustainable margin growth. Collaborative communicator focused on building relationships and promoting teamwork across business lines to drive positive change, comprehensive business approaches, and enhanced profitability. Strong team builder and leader – champion for performers, promotion of key people, and talent management.

•Transportation / Logistics Service Management

•Sourcing / Procurement / Contract Negotiations

•Ocean / Rail / Truck / Parcel / Air / Forwarding

•Third Party Logistics Management

•Rail Car & Trailer - Maintenance / Procurement

•Distribution Center Management / Leasing

•Supply Chain Optimization

•Forecasting / Budgeting / Expense Management

•Personnel Management / Team Building

•Inventory Management

•Supply & Demand Planning

•Lean Practices & Quality Assurance

•Regulatory Compliance & Licensing

•Transportation Sales & Marketing

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODS COMPANY, INC. – St. Louis, MO 2018 – Present

Director, Global Logistics

Responsible for directing management of all logistics functions for the enterprise, including transportation, distribution, inventory management, carrier management, shipment management, contract negotiations, process improvement, distribution facilities, capital budgeting and deployment, expense budgeting and management, etc. Oversee light manufacturing in helmets, and product transformation in apparel, bats, helmets, and balls. Oversee health, safety, and environmental initiatives for the company. Managed 5 direct reports, 6 indirect reports (leads, managers, supervisors), and 180 hourly workers.

Debottlenecked distribution functions allowed growth of the top line – 7 straight quarterly records.

Redesigned material flow in 500,000 sq ft DC to gain efficiency/speed and grow e-commerce volume.

Maintained leveraged purchasing economics from prior owner’s contracts – logistics/leasing/trans.

Identified and sized opportunities available from budgeted IT infrastructure investments.

oTMS – Transportation Management System potential to save over $1MM/year.

oWMS – Warehouse Management System potential to improve warehouse velocity.

Responsible for light manufacturing for quick-turn batch items at Washington, MO facility.

Ensured pay competitiveness for hourly labor to maintain smooth operations.

Developed key people to foster engagement and continuous improvement.

CROWN PAPER GROUP, INC. – Port Townsend, WA 2015 – 2017

Independent Transportation and Logistics Consultant

Analyzed operational data and developed improvement plans for rail, truck, and intermodal operations for the company’s Port Townsend mill and its corrugated box plant in Richmond, BC. Was engaged by owners in subsequent project to assess transportation operations of new assets in northern California.

Identified opportunities to improve key supplier mix for the mill operations.

Developed mill and box plant work plans for the completion of the improvement projects.

Presented study results and plans to senior management and to its private equity partner.

Identified opportunities for synergies between plants in same geographic area.

EVRAZ NORTH AMERICA – Chicago, IL 2012 – 2014

Director of Transportation

Developed and executed category plans for strategic sourcing of rail, truck, ocean, and customs requirements for all North American locations. Analyzed data, identified opportunities, and delivered sustainable cost improvements. Conducted negotiations, managed key supplier relationships, and served as export compliance manager.

Implemented operational improvements, resulting in cost savings of $14.5MM in 2013.

Reduced shipping and AP workload by adopting transportation management system.

Secured favorable commodity classification, eliminating need to apply for ITAR export licenses.

INGREDION – Westchester, IL 2011 – 2012

Director of Logistics and Planning

Managed team responsible for site transportation, third party logistics operations, and procurement, optimization, and maintenance of rail car fleet for 10 mills, 37 break stations, and 7 warehouses. Delivered goals for production planning, inventory management, and shipping performance; and ensured supply chain compliance with federal and organizational quality and safety regulations.

Saved $2MM through implementation of motor carrier lane realignments.

Served on the North America Sweetener and Industrial Solutions Business Leadership Team.

oComprised of BU VP, and leaders from Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and Logistics.

oGoal was to maintain alignment cross-functionally to develop and execute strategies.

SMURFIT-STONE CONTAINER CORPORATION – Chicago, IL 2006 – 2011

Director of Container, Mill and Recycle Logistics (2010-2011)

Directed group charged with ongoing analysis and improvement of site transportation, freight procurement, and third-party logistics operations, including 12 mills, 100 plants, 35 recycle facilities, and 125 warehouses. Managed over 177K truck/intermodal shipments and over 50K rail shipments per year.

Drove identification, budgeting, and logistics initiatives for 3 divisions worth $14MM in 2011.

Managed staff of 14 management professionals to achieve logistics goals.

Director of Container Logistics (2006-2010)

Supervised and led staff of nine management professionals responsible for the optimization of site transportation and distribution operations for 100 plants and 150 warehouses. Implemented lean practices, including finished-goods inventory reduction initiatives.

Reduced finished-goods inventory by 36% and improved cube utilization of truck loads by 30%.

Reduced trailer fleet by 48% by elimination of trailer pools and returning trailers to carriers.

Implemented numerous process improvements, resulting in cumulative savings of $30MM.

GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORPORATION – Atlanta, GA 2004 – 2006

Senior Manager of Supply Chain Operations

Led rail, truck, and warehousing category management for packaging division. Supervised seven professionals responsible for negotiating relationships with motor carriers and railroads while minimizing logistics costs. Oversaw truck freight operations audit processes and provided logistics solutions for box network strategy.

Proactively sourced and negotiated dedicated trucking contracts for over 40 box plants.

Identified and captured $7.5MM in one-time and recurring savings in 2005.

CHEVRON PHILLIPS CHEMICAL COMPANY – The Woodlands, TX 1998 – 2004

Manager of Motor Carrier and Terminal Services (2000-2004)

Implemented lean practices to optimize distribution network and enhance operations of leased petrochemical storage and bulk transfer facilities. Ensured strict compliance with industry standards, company obligations, and federal guidelines. Served as liaison to information technology department for development of transportation and logistics information cube within SAP.

Cut distribution expenses by $7.8MM annually, including $2.2MM in annual freight and inventory savings and $1.5MM in annual savings from a dedicated logistics solution for tank truck business.

Avoided car detention charges and reduced misuse of working capital by designing and implementing plastic heel policy for partial rail carloads.

Minimized freight premium of nearly $5MM per year through close collaboration with planning and customer service personnel to reduce the number of non-standard bulk hopper truck shipments.

Manager of Rail Services (Legacy company Chevron Chemical Co.) (1998-2000)

Led new rail services group designed to address internal customer dissatisfaction. Managed commercial relationships with rail carriers and directed improvement efforts which significantly enhanced efficacy of rail car logistics, including fleet monitoring/optimization, and fleet sharing.

Led team to negotiate annual rail freight reductions in excess of $3MM from 1998 to 1999.

Improved internal customer service by creating enhanced rate/route request process.

Recipient of two President’s Awards (Paraxylene Swap & Conrail Split) in 1999.

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY – Raleigh, NC & Omaha, NE 1991 – 1998

Business Manager (1997-1998)

Managed revenue, contribution, and customer satisfaction for major soda ash customers, including Solvay Minerals, Tg Soda, AFG, Anchor, and Libbey Owens Ford. Negotiated contracts and cultivated mutually beneficial business relationships.

National Account Manager (1994-1997)

Negotiated price, service, and equipment offerings for major chemical customers, including Anchor Glass, AFG, Eastman, Texasgulf, and Vulcan. Developed transportation conversion plans in adherence with safety guidelines.

Increased customer satisfaction survey scores by 15 index points, from 76 to 91.

Market Analyst (1991-1994)

Conducted transportation analysis, contracting, and pricing activities for hazardous waste remediation sites. Introduced numerous process improvements, including the expansion of scope of pricing tools.

Secured five-year contract/avoided loss to barge competition on 500 styrene cars per year.

Contributed to UPRR’s penetration of nontraditional waste markets.

Selected to be Quality Improvement Team Leader in formal quality program including QI principles and leadership training – improved contract administration for chemical group.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

MBA, Marketing and Finance - J.J. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Economics – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Production and Inventory Management Certification (CPIM) – APICS

Chemistry for Executives Certification – Duke University

Transportation and Logistics Certification – American Society of Transportation and Logistics

Contact this candidate