LAWRENCE H KING

**** ********** ***. ***********, ** 60154 / adtpda@r.postjobfree.com / 708-***-****

PRODUCT / BRAND / MARKETING MANAGER PROFESSIONAL

A creative professional with a strong work ethic. A take charge individual who has thorough knowledge of bringing consumer products to market and a person who forms initial concepts to produce product launches based on current trend research, VOC, and trend reporting agencies. Products types are all consumer and business products (B2C / B2B) including medical devices (that need to follow FDA guidelines). A hard worker with proven abilities in a team environment, leading and directing a multitude of departments, with a focus on quality and company profitability.

Vast experience in:

Microsoft Office, forecasting, negotiating, sourcing vendors, creating and tracking purchase orders, writing Bills of Materials, project timelines, specification sheets, making technical jargon understandable for consumers, analyzing market trends and sales, training Sales and Customer Service on all new products and features, presenting to all levels of customers, creating all types of marketing collateral and selling tools, dot.com content writing, and keeping track of every step regarding product development to guarantee on time delivery of quality products to set standards.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Application Administrator 11 / 2021- Present

Robert Half / Deval / State of Virginia

Remote Position - Temporary

Assessment of Covid-19 Relief applications for the state of Virginia residents.

Product Manager – Bath 10 / 2018 – 02 / 2020

SUREFIT Home Décor – Wheeling, IL

Producer of Home Textiles for Indoor and Outdoor

Developed and oversaw hookless shower curtains, hooked shower curtains, bath accessories and collections for retail accounts and the hospitality industry.

Worked with cross functional teams including Sales, Design, Graphics, Customer Service, Supply Chain and Purchasing

Corresponded daily with overseas factories in China, Taiwan, and India to negotiate prices and delivery

Created marketing collateral for sales calls, trade shows and packaging

Wrote and edited copy for catalogs and the website for all company categories / SEO Marketing

Attended / planned Market Shows in New York City and Las Vegas

Produced product roadmap and competitive analysis for Bath categories

Sourced textiles, resin, metal, plastic, and sustainable materials

Created new lines: Hookless Kids, Hookless Premium and Hookless Sustainable

Major customers: Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Meijer, QVC, Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, and all major hotel chains

Product Manager 02 / 2017 – 02 / 2018

ORBUS Display Group - Woodridge, IL

County’s Largest Supplier of Trade Show Display Merchandise

Was responsible for sourcing new products, moving all newly developed products through a Stage Gate development process and growing product categories

Had daily interaction with overseas factories, coworkers in UK and China offices, Sales, Marketing, Graphics, CAD Designers, QC, Shipping and Manufacturing

Created a Global Team for better communication between all country offices

Directed the creation of instruction manuals

Negotiated contracts for product features & purchase prices / set selling prices to ensure margin goals

Inputted new product information in PIM system and Global Project spreadsheet

Supervised a staff of 2 Product Coordinators and 2 Engineers

Managed projects from initial concepts through rollout

Created all new product lines and innovations sales presentations / training sessions for Sales and Customer Service

Reviewed all products (over 2000 items) via SKU rationale for discontinuation or product updates

Traveled to Asia and Europe for sourcing, special projects, and Global Product Development

Developed new lines of LED lighting, outdoor tents and displays, improved VELCRO / adhesives sourcing

Created product landscapes and roadmaps to track competition and launch new products

5S Training – oversaw all CAD personnel, PD, Marketing and Sales departments to be 5S efficient

Consultant – Project Manager, Imports / Channel Marketing Manager, Storage 06 / 2016 – 11 / 2016

Home Products International – Chicago, IL

Manufacturer of Home Storage and Garment Care

Was responsible for all correspondence with overseas factories

Worked with Product Managers, Channel Managers, Import Coordinators, and Industrial Designers

Collaborated with national accounts, presented injection molded plastic storage pieces

Visited major retail accounts for product reviews / Staff interviews

Created sales presentations / competitive analysis spreadsheets

New Product Development Manager 04 / 2015 – 12/2015

LDR Global Industries – Chicago, IL

Supplier of Plumbing and Bath Products

Sold to Hardware and Mass stores under the EXQUISITE brand. Main objective was to develop new lines and categories to broaden customer base and make LDR a one stop shop for small accounts to gain greater presence at Big Box stores.

Was responsible for the development of new categories to compliment current product lines.

Created product roadmap which showed category directions for 2016-2018 fiscal years

Developed product landscapes to compare competitive lines for each category

Had daily interaction with teams in Marketing, Sourcing, Purchasing, Graphics and Sales

Directly interacted daily with Asian factories / Taiwan sourcing team

Assisted Sales on customer sales calls / created presentations

Engaged in sourcing trips to Asia

Wrote copy for packaging and customer use

Developed new products using textiles, wire, injection molding, etc.

Sr. Product Manager / Product Manager 08 / 2008 – 06 / 2014

Taylor Precision Products – Oak Brook, IL

Manufacturer of Bath Scales, Kitchen Scales, Timers, Thermometers, Garden and Weather Devices

Taylor acquired Springfield Precision Instruments adding to the line. Category leader at Ace Hardware, Do-It-Best and Amazon.com. Other customers: Bed Bath & Beyond, Lowes, Target, Tractor Supply, Fleet Farms, Wal-Mart, True- Value and various other Hardware Chains. This category also has many business-to-business customers.

Sr. Product Manager – Weather and Outdoor Decor

Was responsible for all Weather line concepts / development for the company brands Taylor and Springfield. Also oversaw private label branded weather products geared towards adult consumers.

Daily interacted with Asian factories regarding design and production

Had daily interaction with all internal departments which included Engineering, Graphics and Sales

Directed all aspects of design, new innovations, prices, and packaging for the line

Was the liaison with outside vendors and designers

Was responsible for trend research, competitive analysis, and item specifications

Worked with all materials including plastic, metals, resin, and glass

Wrote copy for ALL categories, Weather, Bath, and Kitchen for Amazon.com and other online customers

Product Manager – Bath Scales

Bath scales were the company’s largest category worth $60,000,000 at retail. While running the category, the bath scale category grew $11,000,000. New growth happened at Wal-Mart, Costco, QVC, and The Container Store.

Was responsible for all development of Taylor, Salter, Biggest Loser, and private label branded bath scales, along with the line of Home Touch branded trouser presses geared towards adult consumers.

Had daily interaction with Asian factories regarding design and production

Interacted daily with all internal departments including Engineering, Graphics, and Sales

Directed all aspects of design, new innovations, pricing, and packaging for line

Was the liaison with outside vendors and designers

Concepted bath scale design with Patent Pending

Worked with various materials including plastic, glass, bamboo, metals, LED, and LCD lights

Developed private label, licensed lines for Bowflex, Homedics, Nautilus, and Biggest Loser brands

Managed the FDA certification for medical devices (body fat scale line)

Wrote scripts and gave direction for product videos shown on Amazon.com

Wrote and translated dot.com content, technical jargon, into easy-to-understand copy for all readers

Created marketing collateral in all forms for dot.com, social media, and trade magazines

Was responsible for trend research, competitive analysis, and item specifications

Director of Insulated Products 2007 – 2008

InGEAR Corporation - Buffalo Grove, IL

Manufacturer of luggage, sport bags, backpacks, and insulated items

Developed all insulated coolers and meal carriers geared towards both adult and adolescent consumers.

Had daily interaction with Asian factories and all internal departments including Graphics and Sales

Directed all aspects of design, new innovations, pricing, and packaging for both lines

Performed as the liaison with licensors, outside vendors, and designers

Developed private label licensed lines for Rubbermaid, Blue Ice, Wilson, Champion and Laura Ashley

Accomplished trend research, competitive analysis, and item specifications

Oversaw a staff of 1 Product Manager and 2 Assistant Product Managers

Position included frequent trips to Asia to work with factories for production and development, sales calls to all major Mass accounts and attendance at industry trade shows

Product Development Coordinator 2006 – 2007

Precious Moments Inc - Rolling Meadows, IL

Established 30-year brand in the giftware industry now doing business on their own

Developed plush items, giftware, and bisque porcelain figurines for mass market accounts, gift stores, catalogs, and websites.

Directed all aspects of development including product design, packaging, production, and pricing

Was the liaison with outside illustrators, sculptors, and packaging designers

Copywrote for packaging, catalogs, and website

Marketing Manager, Soft Cooler Line 2003 – 2006

Thermos - Rolling Meadows, IL

Award-winning, 100-year-old, company which produces container products that keep food and beverages fresh and temperature controlled away from home

During my time with the company, the insulated category grew from a 3-million-dollar category to an 8-million-dollar category from 2003 to 2006. The new lines introduced gained shelf space in new retail accounts like Target, Dick’s Bass Pro, Farm & Fleet, BJ’s, Lowes and were purchased by catering/hospitality accounts. Press coverage was attained through all major morning programs and major family publications.

Directed all aspects of marketing activity including product design, production, pricing, and negotiations with factories in Asia

Took on additional responsibilities introducing a line of reusable ice products, developing a line of catering bags and designing soft lunch kits for youth and adult markets following set product development processes

Developed licensed product with Barbie, NASCAR, and Warner Brothers

Managed sales efforts which included training, public relations, customer service, trade shows, and key account calls to major mass, specialty, warehouse, and food & drug accounts (all with national distribution)

Produced all marketing materials which included catalogs, sell sheets, hang tags, print advertising, press releases, and sales presentations

Led cross-functional teams for each project, this included interaction with Purchasing, Graphics, Engineering, Customer Service, Logistics, Quality Control, and Sales

Brand Manager, Accessories / Purchasing Agent 1999 – 2003

H2O PLUS - Chicago, IL

A manufacturer/retailer of water-based, oil-free skincare products and accessories

Brand Manager, Accessories (2000 to 2003)

Managed an assortment of 80 permanent private label items which included garments, personal care products, home products, and bath products

Created seasonal lines for Holiday, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day (included specialty gift sets)

Sourced all promotional items for retail locations, website, and catalog (included all GWP and PWP items)

Introduced dog care line, children’s line, and home fragrance line which resulted in increased store sales

Negotiated with vendors including setting price, quantity, and freight arrangements

Coordinated in-house design team to develop / design packaging and to develop / write copy

Interacted daily with cross-functional teams of Design, Packaging, Materials, Logistics, Production, Quality Assurance, Purchasing, Merchandising, Training, Marketing, and International Sales

Purchasing Agent (1999 to 2000)

Placed purchase orders through an MRP system for tube components, accessories, and in- house building supplies for all departments

Arranged freight schedules, negotiated rates, and ensured on-time delivery

Saved the company $100,000 through negotiations with current vendors and sourced new vendors both domestically and internationally

Additional Experience

Purchasing Agent 1997 – 1999

Bradner Smith & Company - Chicago, IL

Was responsible for purchasing all paper stocked in the facility and for all special orders

Purchasing Agent 1995 – 1997

Donald Bruce & Company - Chicago, IL

Had purchasing responsibilities for earrings, lockets, religious items, and children’s line

EDUCATION

Master of Science (MS)

Major: Integrated Marketing Communications.

Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Major: Retail Merchandising,

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Associate of Arts (AAS)

Focus: Marketing,

Morton College, Cicero, IL

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