Continuous Improvement Supply Chain

JOHN BUSKIRK

Everett, WA ***** 425-***-**** ***********@*******.*** https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbuskirk

SENIOR MANAGER, FACILITIES, QUALITY & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Reducing costs and accelerating growth by transforming complex manufacturing challenges into scalable, high-efficiency solutions

Operations leader, optimizing manufacturing, engineering, and business processes to drive efficiency, cost reduction, and quality improvement. Leverage deep expertise in continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and cross-functional leadership to deliver sustainable solutions, enhancing productivity and profitability. Spearhead technology-driven transformations, build high-performing teams, and navigate complex business challenges with data-driven decision-making. Integrate IT, facilities, and engineering functions to streamline operations, improve supply chain efficiency, and foster innovation in high-tech and industrial environments.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement Operations & General Business Unit Management Cost Control

Facilities & IT Infrastructure Management Strategic Planning & Budgeting Cross-functional Collaboration Team Building

Engineering & Manufacturing Process Optimization Supply Chain & Inventory Management Regulatory Compliance

ERP Implementation Business Software Solutions Personnel Management Financial Data Analysis

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Aligned business operations, finance, HR, and product management to drive profitability and sustainable growth.

Optimized IT infrastructure and security, enhancing efficiency, protecting data, and supporting business continuity.

Led high-impact special projects with CFO, including cost optimization, inventory planning, and strategic decision making.

Drove lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives, increasing efficiency and reducing waste.

Integrated cross-functional teams to streamline engineering, manufacturing, and product development, accelerating innovation.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ACCESS LASER CO., Everett, WA

Manufacturer of high precision gas lasers for scientific and photolithographic use

IT Manager 09/2015 – 02/2025

Directed 3 IT personnel, overseeing help-desk support and system maintenance. Led transition from 23 randomly networked PCs to structured IT infrastructure with 6 servers, high-capacity switches, and Wi-Fi, supporting 100 employees and 250+ devices. Managed annual budget of $1M. Guided IT staff on challenging projects and provided targeted education to build skills. Monitored asset use and capacity, maintaining secure and efficient IT systems and networks.

Collaborated with management to develop and implement IT strategies and equipment requirements supporting engineering, production, accounting, purchasing, quality, continuous improvement, and dashboards.

Created and enforced policies for network security, disaster recovery, and IT infrastructure. Coordinated weekly external cybersecurity training and quizzes; reported monthly results to managers; achieved zero breaches and phishing successes over 6 years.

Designed and implemented particulate monitoring system sampling air quality every minute at 23 locations in Cleanrooms.

Selected and implemented new ERP system integrating production, purchasing, inventory, and quality systems; boosted data accessibility and accelerated analysis from days to extract data from disparate systems to minutes from an integrated database.

Designed and managed video surveillance and intrusion detection systems, strengthening security and reducing break-in and vandalism expenses to $0.

Facilities Manager 09/2015 - 02/2025

Managed development and maintenance of facilities, with budget of $5M+ initially and $1M/year ongoing.

Managed construction of company’s first cleanroom achieving ISO7 certification. Maintained strict 66 +/- 1 F temperature.

Led the design, construction, permitting, and operational startup of new company facility, critical facility expansions, optimizing compliance, functionality, and efficiency. Managed contracts with architects, subcontractors, and permitting authorities for admin, engineering, IT, purchasing, inventory, shipping/receiving, and cleanroom areas.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (continued)

ACCESS LASER CO. Continued

Facilities Manager Continued

Managed relationships with landlord, security teams, and utility providers, facilitating smooth facility operations.

-Secured $50K+ from Electric Utility for energy-efficient HVAC and lighting installations.

-Renegotiated lease to eliminate triple net fees, shifting capital improvement responsibility to landlord while retaining expense obligations and reducing annual costs $104K.

Special Projects Manager 09/2015 – 05/2022

Partnered with CEO and CFO on cross-functional projects, driving operational improvements and strategic decision-making. Led financial analysis on lease vs. buy decisions, optimizing asset management based on key insights. Developed business continuity plans to mitigate operational disruptions. Delivered monthly special reports to CFO, providing data-driven insights for financial planning. Conducted in-depth analysis of building lease versus purchase options. Collaborated with an external assessor to determine building value, future capital improvements, and ongoing expenses.

Analyzed material usage and made recommendations for initial stock setpoints and reserves based on usage, availability, lead times, and out-of-box failure rates.

Performed cost-of-money analysis to compare current value scenarios, leading to strategic decision to continue leasing.

Provided CFO with monthly inventory overstock/obsolescence reports per parent company accounting standards.

Developed disaster recovery plan focused on rapid response to total loss of ISO7 production cleanroom.

Led projects addressing regulatory compliance, including radioactive ionizing isotope gases, annual carbon footprint, fugitive gas emissions, and wastewater discharge requirements.

Quality Manager 10/2013 – 9/2015

Managed quality inspection processes, corrective actions, and documentation, enhancing compliance with customer requirements.

Developed and authored the company’s first quality manual aligned with ISO 9001 standards, fulfilling key requirement for company’s largest client, ASML, the world’s leading photolithography machine provider for computer chip foundries.

Reduced MRB item backlog by documenting corrective and preventive action procedures, increasing production visibility, and aligning processes with the new Quality Manual.

Created standard inspection procedures and purchased inspection tools with sufficient precision for physical, surface finish, and electronic testing.

SYNRAD, INC., Mukilteo, WA

Manufacturer of high-power industrial gas lasers

Lean Manufacturing Manager 06/2007 – 07/2013

Managed the QA and cleanroom personnel while spearheading the introduction, training, and company-wide implementation of Lean Manufacturing principles.

Conducted manufacturing and supply chain assessments to identify improvement opportunities.

Reorganized the flow in the cleanroom and re-implemented standards for cleanliness to maintain ISO8 cleanliness.

Designed and implemented a visual order entry and scheduling system that produced a demand-based production schedule.

Realigned the overall production flow. Reduced WIP 75%, cut lead times 50%+, and increased productivity 40%+.

Analyzed the inventory and purchasing methods and drove the transition from forecast-driven purchasing to a demand-pull Kanban, reducing stores inventory 28%.

Additional experience as Operations Manager with DCI International and General Manager with Tandar Corporation

EDUCATION

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY, Corvallis, OR

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

MS Office Applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Visio, Teams) Visual Basic

Creation and management of data warehouse information

Statistical analysis of data principally using queries and Excel

QMS development and training/auditing

Lean Manufacturing – Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, Continuous Flow, Root-Cause Analysis, Kaizens, Six Sigma FMEA, 8D, 5 Whys

Production and Inventory Management

Production & Inventory flow Analysis and simulation using Excell and/or visual basic

General Accounting and Bookkeeping Skills

Facilities construction and management – parking, security, production areas, inventory, shipping and receiving, admin areas, clean rooms, HVAC, utilities, electrical services, IT server rooms and IT infrastructure

LICENSES / CERTIFICATES

ISO 27001 Certified Information Security manager

Lean Bootcamp Certification

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