Supply Chain Director

AARON P. PELZ

*****************@*****.*** https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronpelz/ 404-***-****

SUMMARY

Director level strategic impact and execution while operating in a Managerial role. Over 20 years of driving financial results, optimizing processes, and leading high-performing teams to deliver measurable results. Experience in Manufacturing, Distribution, B2B, eCommerce, and B2C sectors, in the Automotive, Pet Products, Forestry, Outdoor Powersports, Homebuilding, Residential and Commercial Safety, and Consumer Durables industries.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Wrote and implemented SOP for Operations team that increased inventory accuracy from 45% at 30-day mark

(loss of $547k) to 99.5% accuracy within six months (gain of $3k); (HT)

• Streamlined corrugated packaging sizes, saving 5.5% in annual spend and reducing overstock; (HT)

• 41% savings in emergency airfreight shipments through Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment with China factory; (TriLink)

• Led New Product Development Team, launching 6-8 new vendors per year; (SEP)

• Attained 99% Fill Rate and +20 annual turns on top three vendors. (SEP)

• Adjusted Purchasing and Stocking parameters to achieve $21MM (appx 10%) in Inventory Reduction across US Distribution Centers in 9 months, while maintaining Customer Fill Rate at 95%, three points above corporate target; (Uni-Select)

• Led team of 7 Planner/Buyers with annual purchase of approximately $900MM; (Uni-Select) EXPERIENCE

HEATTRAK, ATLANTA, GA JULY 2021 – JAN 2025

HeatTrak, the award-winning pioneer of portable heated snow and ice melting mats has grown from a startup into an award-winning industry leader, transforming how businesses and homeowners tackle winter safety and maintenance.

Purchasing and Inventory Manger Supply Chain Manager Led weekly executive L10 Leadership team meetings with C-Level, Vice Presidents, Directors of Sales, Operations, Finance, and Marketing. Modeled all sales forecasting, production forecasting, raw material usage and finished goods output for all US and MEX production facilities.

• Ended 2022-2023 Season with $500,000 inventory on hand, exceeding goal of less than $1,000,000. Cash savings for off season operations.

• Led Annual Physical Inventory counts across six warehouse locations in three countries to comply with annual audits for multiple banking partners.

• Secured Prompt Pay terms with top three vendors, representing 75% of raw material spend.

• Saved 10% in annual freight costs by partnering with new international and domestic brokers

• Gained 11% savings in lumber cost by negotiating full season contract with single vendor.

• Filed Sales Tax Exemption certificates with multiple vendors, saving +$10k in first six months, direct impact to P&L.

• Launched WMS and created bin locations for more accurate inventory tracking.

• Led exit from US 3PL partner to company-owned fulfillment center, saving appx $400,000 in annual fulfilment costs, with less than two months planning.

• Designed layout of Shipping Warehouse, achieving fulfillment of 1000 orders per day. Aaron Pelz Supply Chain Operations Resume - 2025

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• Attained 99% Fill Rate out of 3PL partners.

TRILINK SAW CHAIN, ATLANTA, GA MARCH 2019 – JULY 2021 TriLink Saw Chain is a leading distributor of chainsaw chains, guide bars and other accessories used in the arborist and forestry industries, one of the most respected names in the chainsaw supplies industry. Sr. Inventory and Data Analyst

Managed all US warehouse inventory for distribution to dealers and major US Retailers (Home Depot, Walmart, Tractor Supply, Lowe’s). Directed annual physical inventory at 3PL warehouse provider. General financial reporting and analysis. Identified slow-moving items for liquidation to Ecommerce division. 99% inventory sourcing from China.

• New Item forecasting and inventory build for customers’ program resets while sunsetting old program, resulting in less than one month of obsolete product at close of program.

• 11% reduction in inventory-to-sales ratio 2019-2021, while sales increased 80%.

• Built six-month Safety Stock ahead of 3PL partner transition to ensure no service level decline.

• Bid review and vendor selection for freight forwarders. SOUTHEAST PET, ATLANTA, GA NOVEMBER 2012 - SEPTEMBER 2018 A full-line independent pet distributor based in Georgia and Florida, Southeast Pet operates out of two distribution centers totaling over 200,000 sq.ft. of warehouse space. We service six southern states (AL, FL, GA, TN, NC, and SC) as well as parts of the Caribbean. Southeast Pet believes in bringing new products and fresh ideas that retailers need to stay competitive in this fast-changing industry. Purchasing Agent

Led New Product Development Team and vetting process for potential new Vendors. Coordinated with warehouse, vendor, GA Dept of Agriculture, USDA, and FDA during product safety recalls.

• Led monthly review of new vendor candidates with Sales, Purchasing, and Operations teams to determine new product lines.

• Partnered with vendors for sample/display products and credit memos for annual Open House event

• Negotiated terms with new vendors on cost, freight terms, and sales targets.

• Negotiated discounts for purchasing in layer and pallet quantities, increasing profit margins from several vendors and increased efficiency in warehouse receiving.

• Contracted with 3rd Party Trucking Company for approximately 25% lower freight vs. vendor rates, resulting in savings of approximately $100K per year, lowering COGS and increasing profits.

• Attained 99% Fill Rate and +20 annual turns on top three vendors.

• Attained consistent 96% or better fill rate for all responsible vendors, greater than goal of 95%. Aaron Pelz Supply Chain Operations Resume - 2025

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UNI-SELECT USA (AUTOPLUS), KENNESAW, GA MAY 2009 - OCTOBER 2012 Auto Plus Auto Parts is a leading distributor in the U.S. for replacement parts, equipment, tools, accessories, paint and related products in the automotive aftermarket industry. We proudly serve customers with 38 distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Corporate Planner Buyer I Sr. Planner Buyer IV, Team Lead Led Weekly conference calls with Regional Vice Presidents, Divisional Operations Managers and local DC Operations Managers to quickly address inventory and fill rate concerns. Worked with direct reports on system and performance questions, workload concerns, best practices and conflict resolution.

• Led a cross functional team implementing a system "Overstock Transfer" feature that saved $4.3MM in purchases.

• Attained 93+% Fill Rate for company’s 2 largest Distribution Centers, greater than goal of 92%.

• Member of SAP Transition Team of conversion from AS400 host to SAP host system, improving DC Performance after each wave.

• Managed over 850 Vendor-DC/DC-DC purchasing relationships, with annual purchase of $45MM. ACKERMAN TECHNOLOGY GROUP, ATLANTA, GA MAY 2004 - DECEMBER 2008 Ackerman Technology Group is an award-winning and industry leading Home Integration and Automation firm. Specializing in the luxury home, Ackerman provides custom design and installation of Home Theaters, Whole House Audio Systems, Crestron and Control4 automation systems. Operations And Purchasing Manager

Managed Inventory and Accounting aspects of growing Home Theater and Automation Integration company. Ordered, received, staged, and delivered all materials needed for pre-wiring and installation. Managed eight 2- man installation crews.

EDUCATION

COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, DECATUR, GA

Master of Arts in Theological Studies

SAMFORD UNIVERSITY, BIRMINGHAM, AL

Bachelor of Arts, Speech Communication and Theater SKILLS

Oracle NetSuite, Advanced Excel, PowerBI, SAP, Activant/Epicor Prelude, Dear/Cin7 Core, AS/400, Manhattan Replenishment, Manhattan Demand Forecasting AWARDS

Core Value Award – Humbly Awesome, June 2024

Value Ambassador Award – Be Resourceful, February 2021 Aaron Pelz Supply Chain Operations Resume - 2025

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Operations Management Professional Certificate by Jack Welch Management Institute Generative AI for Supply Chain Professional Certificate by CSCMP CSCMP Supply Chain Foundations: Demand Planning Professional Certificate CSCMP Supply Chain Foundations: Procurement Professional Certificate CSCMP Supply Chain Foundations: Inventory Management Professional Certificate CSCMP Supply Chain Foundations: Warehousing Operations Professional Certificate OTHER PROJECTS

20-year Soccer Referee, including NCAA Division 1 and NAIA Post-Season tournaments Production Crew and Interim Technical Director for Leslie Stephen Wright Fine Arts Center, a 2,640-seat concert hall on the campus of Samford University. Crew for over 200 events from 1994-2000, including: The Magic of David Copperfield

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival

The New York City Opera

The Bolshoi Symphony

The Bolshoi Ballet

The Miss Alabama Scholarship Pageant

Sesame Street Live!

Condoleezza Rice

Wynton Marsalis

Nickel Creek

Edwin McCain

The Alabama Supreme Court

SUT Guys ‘n’ Dolls

Mercedes-Benz M-Class World Unveiling Gala

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