Tier 1 Operations

D. GREGORY PLATE

Howell, MI ***** 517-***-**** ************@*****.***

MANUFACTURING PLANT MANAGEMENT

Tier 1 Manufacturing Operations Management – Public and Private

Metal Forming/Assemblies - High Growth and Established Companies – 40 to 300 employees

Facility Launch Lean Champion X2 – New Manufacturing Technology Initiator – SOP Driven

Participative management professional: results focused, enterprising and practical. Progressive leadership experiences have created a passion for surpassing financial and service objectives.

CORE PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES

PERSONAL

Two out of state facility launches for the same company in the last 15 years in the role of plant manager has been a wonderful adventure and learning experience for our family. However, once grandchildren began to arrive, my wife and I relocated back to MI to be part of their lives. Currently looking for a career with the rewards and challenges of automotive manufacturing operations.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Eberspaecher 2019 – Current

Materials/Operations – Wixom, MI

• Eliminate material shortage disruptions via SAP

• Train employees

• Optimize material flow

• Assist managers, supervisors and leads with operational challenges

Marsh Plating 2017 - 2018

Plant Manager – Ypsilanti, MI

• Hire, coach and develop front line leadership.

• Publish SOP’s. Minimize process variation.

• Stabilize workforce.

• Optimize asset utilization.

• Exceed operational metrics.

Genesee Group A&B

Plant Manager – Mount Juliet, TN 2015 - 2017

• Renegotiated or terminated low margin lines and successfully quoted and procured new business.

• Co-authored, implemented and enforced SOP’s to stabilize safety and quality metrics.

• Restructured management team, yielding measurably improved moral.

• Attained 1st bonus payout for plant employees in 3 years, based on controllable profitability.

• Promoted internal talent to train and implement employee-owned quality.

Delaco 2001 - 2015 MI, NY and TN Locations

Kenwal Delaco JV

Plant Manager Lebanon, TN

Directed operations for a 120,000 sq. ft steel service center

• Formed and employee owned steering committee to focus on employee retention.

• Reduced vendor costs yielding $9K in monthly savings.

• Drove SOP initiatives to give production published methods with accountability.

• Site leader for EHS.

• Implemented CI projects yielding 15% reduced downtime

• Introduced and trained plant on Lean 5S. Completed packing area Kaizen event that improved workflow, ergonomics, and reduced headcount.

Delaco ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks (DAMTB), Delaco (Kenwal) Laser Welded Blanks (DLWB), Noble Metal Processing.

Plant Manager – New Facility Start-Up – Murfreesboro, TN

Selected internally to relocate and launch a Tier 1 automotive supplying laser welding facility. APQP Champion responsibilities included plant layout/design and customer relations. Full P&L including all capital improvements, daily operations, capacity planning and metrics development.

• Proactive customer and supplier contact resulting in process improvements and cost reductions over forecasted estimates.

• Reduced budgeted launch loses by advancing Job 1 PPAP delivery date, securing grants, changing material ownership pay points and negotiating favorable vendor contracts.

Delaco

Plant Manager – New Facility Start-Up – Buffalo, NY

Promoted and charged with the launch of a Tier 1 automotive supplying laser welding facility. Introduced a supplier driven Kanban process resulting in reduced space requirements and hands-off ordering. Co-authorized SOP’s to achieve QS, TS, and ISO 14001 certifications within 13 months of launch. Conceptualized and staffed an on-site weld analysis laboratory.

• Attained profitability in the 2nd month of operations, 6 months ahead of forecast.

• Regularly attained metrics score card performance results superior to sister plants.

• Ranked #1 in corporate mandated employee satisfaction survey measuring management trust.

• Conducted Green Belt training for Ford managers at Ford Buffalo Stamping.

Delaco (formerly Noble Metal Processing)

Supervisor, Production Manager, Operations Manager – Warren, MI

Hired to oversee the operation of a $31 million dollar fully automated laser welding production line. Delivered the monthly metrics reporting package (town Hall meeting) to 180 plant employees. Implemented an effective employees-owned, behavioral based safety program that resulted in improved labor relations and zero LTAs.

• Interim position as QM allowed me to focus on supplier development, yielding a 23% sustained reduction in scrap, by minimizing process variation.

• Implemented an employee-owned quality system that positively impacted morale, lowered internal/external rejections, and eliminated the need for roaming QC technicians.

• Optimized labor costs by implementing flexible shift structure, which enabled company to react to sales fluctuations without invoking overtime or layoffs, yet maintain a stable workforce.

PRIOR POSITIONS

Capital Plastics – Bowling Green OH Production Supervisor, Production Superintendent

Guardian Industries – Carlton, MI Production Supervisor

United Parcel Service – Toledo, OH Loader, Sorter, Supervisor

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science – University of Toledo, Toledo, OH – Business Interdisciplinary Studies

Associate Degree – Audubon Expedition Institute, Cambridge MA – Environmental Education

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