Director Manufacturing Operations

Kevin E. Rhody

Orlando, FL 407-***-**** ******@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/RhodyKevin

Operations Management • Program Management • Lean Manufacturing

Executive Profile

Manufacturing Executive combining big-picture vision with the ability to focus on the important details that allow for operations to increase the ability to deliver on revenue needs. With over 20 years’ experience in transforming and building teams that deliver superior results. Experience in the areas of manufacturing operations, program management, engineering, and supply chain. Demonstrated business and leadership skills in multiple manufacturing segments, DOD industries, automotive, aerospace, and semi-conductor with progressive vertical movement within each business.

Professional Experience

Kaman – KPPI 2017–Present

Kaman Fuzing & Precision Products provides design, development, test and manufacture of Fuzing, safe and arm, and flight termination products and systems for extreme environment military applications. JPF is the largest manufacturing cell within Kaman.

KPPI (KAMAN PRECISION PRODUCTS, INC.)

Sr. Cell Manager Manufacturing Operations

Responsibilities include the management and leadership of dual-site and multi-program manufacturing operations to include the day-to-day guidance and coordination with the site’s various support functions. Leading the oversight of day-to-day activities that support the overall growth and success of the business. Actively collaborating with Program Management, Continuous Improvement, Contracts, Engineering, Finance, and Quality Assurance Departments to improve on the delivery of quality systems that are consistent with cost and schedule targets.

Key accomplishments include:

Change agent driving a culture of excellence that has systematically led to 100% On Time Delivery (OTD) in 2020, throughout the pandemic supporting a 25% increase in sales. Areas of direct influence include safety, quality, continuous improvement, and operational effectiveness. Heightened employee contributions in all areas by providing opportunity and development through the formation of meaningful and contributing positions, accountable for production readiness, production flow, and oversight. Direct involvement with future Leadership Development Candidate (LDC) program from campus recruiting, interview process to development rotational plan.

Providing tools to make employees' task easier. Instituted visual manufacturing tools to empower the workforce to identify, act, and escalate obstacles preventing down time. Areas of reporting include safety, quality, production readiness, on-time delivery, and obstacles. Results include year over year production increases while experiencing key performance indicator (KPI) improvements in the areas to include First Pass Yield (FPY) over 99.6%, on-time delivery (100%), touch time reduction 10% year over year, and lot acceptance test (99%). In a three-year period, production was able to produce at an increase of 30% and 25% respectively in systems produced year over year.

Champion of employee engagement. Alignment of continuous improvement initiatives that return a profit to the bottom line while achieving future growth targets. Lead CI Fair winning team in 2019 – utilizing unskilled operators, reduced product weld time from 30 minutes to 2.5 minutes allowing for the year over year increase without the purchase of additional capital equipment.

Strategic planning and initiatives targeted Delivering on Commitment of operational controls and KPI. Short term achievements include building engagement through celebrating and highlighting team achievements with unique one-of-a-kind solutions. Long term initiatives include strategic development and alignment of ‘Lean Managers’ with the responsibility of delivering on production and support to deliver on process optimization, resulting in raising the operational performance level of each leadership group. Continued improvement of production optimization based on value stream mapping, level loading, and production forecast allowing for ease of assembly and improved quality of life for operators. Improved product quality resulting in a paradigm shift in the way we view Lot Acceptance Test (LAT). LAT’s are no longer feared but rather another step in the process.

Promote Environmental Health and Safety initiatives while ensuring compliance with company, customer, and governmental requirements to maintain a safe and healthy work environment. Targeted initiatives include ergonomics and COVID-19 response. To reduce ergonomic strain a targeted stretching program was created, instituted, and led by team leads. Continued ergonomic improvements include seating to be followed by heads-up displays. COVID-19 initiatives included physical distancing of production floor stations where possible and barriers in areas non-conductive to distancing. Temperature scans, staggered breaks, and utilization of PPE are additional steps taken to assure a safe work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading an essential workforce delivering a historic year performance on all measures.

Prior Relevant Experience

Veeco – 2015–2017

Veeco is a capital equipment manufacturer for the Semi-Conductor industry. Veeco’s process equipment support the manufacture of LEDs, flexible OLED displays, power electronics, hard drives, MEMS and wireless chips. Our high-performance systems drive innovation in energy efficiency, consumer electronics and network storage and allow our customers to maximize productivity and achieve lower cost of ownership.

PSP (Precision Surface Processing)

Director Manufacturing Operations

Key accomplishments include:

Transformed operations of this recent manufacturing acquisition from a privately own traditional manufacturing company into a Lean Manufacturing Center of Excellence. Bringing together the core functional groups to identify and act on continuous improvement efforts. Removing tribal knowledge and providing training to allow for flexibility in production and maintain a competitive advantage in cost, quality, and delivery.

Re-organized staff to allow for process management, centralized planning while de-centralizing execution.

Established collaboration and communication within the facility to include a functional support staff Gemba walk performed daily allowing for functional groups to focus on the removal of obstacles from the production floor. Communication was followed up and further bolstered with the development of the Integration alignment & communications electronic site acting as hub and knowledge management.

· Tool on-time shipments increased from a historic rate of 25% (avg. 27 days late) to 100% on time ship (OTS).

· Upgrade modules and spares on-time shipments increased from a historic rate of 58% to 99%.

VFT (Veeco Flow Technologies)

Senior Manager Manufacturing Operations

Key accomplishments include:

Team engagement allowing for the transformation of this traditional manufacturing facility into a Lean Manufacturing environment. Instilled a lean foundation to include 5S, Standard Work, and elimination of waste leading to the removal of Tribal Knowledge.

Value Stream Map the manufacturing process leading to significant reductions in waste.

Championed the use of MRP (SAP) to drive manufacturing needs.

Instituted KPI’s that relate directly to the corporate goals and allow for sound decision making.

On Time Delivery of 100%

Reduction in build times from over 20 weeks to 5 weeks

TUV Rhineland named VFT “The most improved facility

Leidos (Formerly SAIC) – Orlando FL 2013–2015

Leidos is a fortune 500 company dedicated to delivering technical solutions in national security, engineering and health.

Leidos McCoy Facility provides support solutions for Military live and simulation training.

(Deputy Director of Manufacturing)

Key Initiatives:

Knowledge Management System – Designed and implemented a systematic tool that enforces the removal of tribal-knowledge while selecting, collecting, aligning, and integrating value add data for tracking daily operations.

Quality Assurance – Managing the process to include instituting training for the skills and developing leaders out of subordinates while removing and replacing the idea of costly inspection and sorting out the bad from good with a system of continuous quality improvement approach based on the customer’s requirements. Quality is built into the process and reinforced by placing tests early in the process allowing for reaction and adjustment to identified and act on trends that lead to process improvements.

Manufacturing – Spearheading facility-wide effort to change the way of thinking and performing the day-to-day activities through training and mentoring on the basics of lean in five areas, focusing on value to the customer, Elimination of waste, Standardization, Customer Driven, and a change of culture. Lean adoption has led to a reduction in manufacturing process time by over 40%.

Supply Chain Management – Sought out and establish suppliers, conduct on-site vendor surveys to assure the ability to deliver on cost quality and timing. The collection of KPI (Key Performance Indicators) to include On-Time Delivery, Quality rating, and Historical Cost, allowing for a preferred Vendor list to be created that key relationships with vendors can be established.

Leidos Continued

Program Manager WFF Spares

The Spares program consists of serviceable and replacement wireless electronic assemblies and integrated equipment within the War Fighter Focus program.

Responsibilities include setting and communicating product vision by collaborating with Division Management, planning, engineering, and service team members. Track and act on innovative solutions to increase revenue performance of serviceable and replacement components. Key Initiatives have netted a 60% reduction in production process time, resulted in a 100% on-time delivery to our customers, and allowed for a 100% repeat business awarded on Request for Quotes.

Production Manufacturing Manager

Responsible for manufacturing and scheduling as well as strategy and planning; Champion work within cross-functional teams to implement best practices and lean principles. Championed the creation of an Auto Scheduling tool that gave the ability to run “what if “scenarios in real-time, adjust workforce and resources day today to allow for adjustment on the shop floor that has aided in the ability to meet customer needs 100% of the time.

Nepean, Transport Division, – Australia 2010–2013

Nepean is Australia’s leading privately owned, specialized engineering & industrial manufacturing group. The Group capabilities are diverse, including manufacturing and marketing products to customers in the Mining, Aviation, Transport, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Residential, Commercial and Industrial construction, and Food production sectors. Nepean Group operates in international markets in the USA, Canada, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Global Manufacturing Manager

Position Overviews

While serving as Global Manufacturing Manager for the Transportation Division I collaborated extensively with the Division Director and the GM of each core business to develop and grow manufacturing effectiveness through continuous process improvement and champion of lean initiatives to bolster competitiveness in a global market. Areas of emphasis include improving quality, cost, and delivery in North America, Thailand, and Australian facilities.

North America Manufacturing Manager

Key Initiatives

Within this Senior Management role, I championed the plan for the startup of North American manufacturing operations to include the planning phase through the operation phase. Manufacturing process time was reduced by 50% while total component cost was reduced by 30% over historic values. Successfully shifting manufacturing from Oceana to North America.

Education & Professional Development

Michigan State University–East Lansing, MI

BFA- Focus in Math and Engineering

United States Army - Fort Sill, Oklahoma

Canon Fire Direction Specialist (13-E) - Distinguished Honor Graduate

Professional Development

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Pete Messner) - Training

Thompson Group Leadership Development Process

Coaching Cohort (Leader)

CAPA (Corrective Action Preventive Action) - Seminar

DFx (Designed for Excellence) – Seminar

Leadership Training

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