John L. Beechnau

**** ******* ****, **** ******** 48842

231-***-**** advnqv@r.postjobfree.com

General Manager- Manufacturing

Operational Excellence Change Management Technical Leadership Exceptional Quality

Manufacturing Operations professional skilled in leading high-producing teams and using lean manufacturing to reduce costs and increase process efficiency. Extensive experience and success in turn-around situations and change leadership. Exceed expectations in financial objectives while instilling stability and accountability. Customer focus with Automotive, Commercial, and Government experience.

Career & Achievements

WLS Processing LLC. – Detroit, MI Sept 2021 – Present

General Manager

Manage all of the functions in a startup company to convert raw material into high quality aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of safety critical automotive components. First year achieved $5M in sales.

Develop and improve process through engineered principles

Developed and establish record keeping format and practices, scheduling, invoicing, payroll, product certifications.

Developed technical expertise in self and others resulting in consistent productivity and scrap rate below 0.003 percent processing over five million pounds of certifiable A356.0 aluminum.

Establish KPI's that aligned with projected financial targets and hit them.

Key player in the development of financial system and budgets

Provided leadership with owners and employees which was key to the success

Evan’s Industries Inc./ Specialty Castings, LLC. – Springport, MI July 2018 – Feb 2021 (closed1/sold1)

V.P. General Manager

Multiple plant leadership for Evan’s Industries (Ball Brass & Aluminum, Auburn IN, Multi-

Cast LLC, Wauseon OH, Specialty Castings LLC, Springport MI), Lead Production, Sales, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Accounting, P&L, Cap X, Continuous Improvement, Senior Project Manager, Safety and Environmental in a vertically integrated manufacturing job shop environment.

Built a team of employees that were committed to change resulting in constant state of change to improve process, safety, and on time delivery increasing profitability by 30 percent on $4.5M sales at Specialty Castings LLC.

Re-established financial reporting reliability, built the best overall workforce and office team I have had in years, used scheduling to drive improvement as challenges and advancements to reliability of process and profit.

Manchester Metals, LLC. – North Manchester, IN September 2016 – July 2018 (Closed)

Plant Manager

Lead Production, Engineering, Quality, Continuous Improvement, Project Manager, and Maintenance in a vertically integrated manufacturing job shop environment.

Established functionality of process and reliability within a few weeks’ time resulting in restored confidence of customers and employees.

Developed supervisory leadership in effective management skills necessary to build trust amongst the workforce and accelerate improvement activities.

Chassix-Bristol. - Bristol, IN March 2015 – September 2016 (Closed)

Plant Manager / Melt Manager

Lead production and Engineering with over 1,000 employees to produce Automotive Safety Critical aluminum castings. High and low production Tier 1 for Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, and Nissan

Launched an intensive root cause analysis of problems and issues, which resulted in quality improvements and a major reduction of maintenance-related downtime

Hired and developed 15 superintendents to manage individual work centers resulting in accelerated improvement of process and employee retention.

Attained goal of 100 percent on-time delivery, significant scrap reductions, and sound inventory levels.

Achieved six consecutive months of improved profitability with productivity gains ahead of plan, and significantly under budget.

Recognized for 1M hours worked without a lost-time injury and one year below the national manufacturing averages.

DePere Foundry Inc. - DePere, WI May 2013 – March 2015 (mining industry collapse)

General Manager

Provide hands on leadership Responsible for P&L, Safety, Customer Service, Quality, Environmental, Maintenance and Facilities Engineering, Tooling.

Led studies to engage and restore environmental air permit compliance eliminating five years of non-compliance practices and threat of significant fines and ultimate idling of the plant.

Developed leaders to be better communicators with their employees resulting in trust and commitment which ultimately provided much needed ownership to improved productivity.

Didion Milling Inc. - Cambria, WI March 2012 – May 2013 (returned to industrial manufacturing)

Pack Logistics and Operations Manager

Reporting directly to the President providing change management to support 5x growth in domestic business including: lean manufacturing implementations, manager development, business system and FSSC/ ISO 22000 certification implementation, support AIB guidelines, on-site rail yard, packaging, pneumatic bulk trailer-van, and rail loading of bulk and packaged product.

Supported multiple cross-functional department leaders such that cooperation between them developed into a pattern resulting in consistent and reliable production.

Senior Member of the HACCP team to earn the AIB "superior" audit rating.

Grede Holdings LLC - Berlin, WI January 2011 – July 2011

General Manager full P&L responsibility

P&L responsibility providing hands on leadership with 450 union employees in a turnaround situation: Administration, Sales, Purchasing, Maintenance & Engineering, and Manufacturing assuring profitability through planning, coordination and execution.

Led a team of managers in an inclusive manner that allowed their individual talent to contribute to a group accomplishment of seven consecutive weeks of double the previous production and quality records in the history of the company.

Slashed double digit EBITDA losses to breakeven within three months.

Restored confidence in customers and workforce with the gains allowing for significant reduction of labor, overtime, and a third shift.

Century Foundry Inc. — Muskegon Heights, MI 2004 to June 2010

Vice President /GM, Operations and Finance, Owner

GM, Operations and Finance, Owner Provide C-level, P&L, and hands on leadership to an aluminum casting facility with $6M in annual sales and 50 employees working across value-added design, casting, machining, finishing, and assembly.

Implemented and developed new business system, scheduling system, and inventory management resulting in real-time and reliable financial reports and customer satisfaction.

Led a team of managers that supported each other in a manner that ultimately changed the attitudes of hourly employees such that within five years’ time nearly all employees held at least four years seniority for the first time in company history.

SHAPE CORPORATION — Grand Haven, MI 2002 to 2004

Manager, Value Stream

Led a $20M International Business unit cell for a tier-one automotive supplier to Honda and Mitsubishi using roll forming, stretch bending, punch presses, and robotic welding.

Led and developed team that achieved 100 percent on-time delivery, sustainable process and inventory, with the highest quality for the first time in the history of the program model.

BLACKMER (a Dover Company) — Grand Rapids, MI 1985 to 2002

Manufacturing Operations Manager, 1998-2002

Manager & Superintendent / Process and Tooling Engineer, 1993-1998

Supervisor, 1985 - 1993

Directed machine shop, tool room, maintenance, repairs, safety, master scheduling and MRP, productivity, cost control, and scrap reduction. Facilitated training and development programs in the areas of engineering, CNC machining, cellular manufacturing, maintenance, and foundry practices. Provided leadership to 128+ employees (all levels) and UAW affiliates. Certified ISO9001.

Embraced and implemented ISO9001 certification, Demand Flow Technology, Lean Manufacturing, and work teams that effectively changed the culture setting the company up for 12 years of record growth and profits.

Led teams that excelled in the challenge to reduce inventory by fifty percent, reduce lead times of the bread-and-butter rotary vane lead times from rotary six weeks to days, inventory accuracy better than 99.5 percent that could be completed in six hours or less.

Education & Credentials

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX — Grand Rapids, MI (2003-2005)

Completed Master's Coursework in Communications, Marketing & Business Law

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY — Kalamazoo, MI (2003)

B.S. Industrial Management (Manufacturing Engineering) Cum Laude 3.87 gpa

BAKER COLLEGE — Muskegon, MI (1995-1998)

Majored in Business Finance

MUSKEGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE — Muskegon, MI (1985-1989)

A.S. in Industrial Engineering; A.S. in Cast Metals Technology; Certificate Industrial Maintenance

Professional Development:

Financial Statement Analysis Five S and Visual Factory Management Factory Physics World-Class Manufacturing Industrial Ventilation Industrial Maintenance Business and Accounting

Affiliations & Publication Contributions:

Active Board Member, American Foundry Society - West Michigan Chapter (2008-2010)

Technical Editor, "Basic Principles of Gating & Risering," 2nd edition (2008)

APICS Member, Association for Operations Management-Grand Rapids, MI Chapter

A-1i Storm Water Management Industrial Site Certification NO. I- 16965 EXPIRES JULY 1,2025

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