Senior Category Manager Work-from-Home Eligible
Resume:
Jim Simkins
*** ******** ****, **** ******, Maryland, 21061
***********@*****.***
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-simkins-12610823
SUMMARY
A highly experienced Category Manager with comprehensive strategic planning, and implementation skills with Fountain Soft Drinks, Coffee and Frozen Beverage categories within the convenience channel. Specializes in driving sales, operation management, and world-class customer service while consistently improving the bottom-line. Known for bringing strategy to life. An innovative product development leader with a passion for directing flawless execution. Forms and leads high- performance cross functional teams. Extensive food, beverage, platform and process development experience from ideation through in-market sustainability. Proven track record of contributing to the growth of a company. EXPERIENCE
CROSSMARK,
Retail Representative (part-time), 12/2023 – Present Worked on a Team that represented General Mills, Hormel Foods and Perfetti Van Melle in the Convenience channel. The goal for each client is, while working with store management, insure as many of the top selling items in the convenience channel as possible, are carried by each convenience store serviced.
CROSSMARK,
Retail Supervisor, 12/2013 – 12/2015 and 9/2016 – 12/2023 Retail Supervisor of 16 routes for Convenience Solutions Dedicated Team in the Delaware- Maryland-Virginia-Washington, DC territory representing Kraft Food Group, General Mills, Hormel Foods and Perfetti Van Melle in 1900 convenience Stores and 100 Walmart locations. Previously a Retail Supervisor for the Field Intelligence Team (FIT), trained and supervised 40 part-time Data Collection Associates responsible for the collection of data and completion of surveys for clients such as Coca-Cola, CVS and Nielson. Survey results were consistently competed prior to deadlines.
• Selected as Supervisor of the Year by Kraft-Heinz CROSSMARK, Lewisville, Texas
Retail Representative – Kraft Dedicated Team, 11/2010 – 12/2012 Responsible for increasing sales of Kraft Food items in 240 C-Stores, Food and Mass Merchandisers. Collaborated with retail operators identifying opportunities to enhance, display and shelf space/placement, develop and implement secondary display locations and Introduce new items.
• Persuaded a category manager of a 500-store convenience store chain to introduce a new product line of Trident gum in their stores.
• Worked with a Walmart Manager through increased in-stocks at the front-end, and increased sales of all items at the checkouts by $100,000 on an annual basis.
• Convinced all my assigned Walmart locations to permit placement of permanent racks in departments throughout the store with customer checkouts. STRIPES, LLC, Corpus Christi, Texas
Category Manager, 5/2002 – 8/2010
Responsible for overall management and development of various categories including: Bread, Pastry, Coffee, Dairy, Fast Food, Fountain Soft Drinks, Frozen Carbonated Beverages, Grocery, Health and Beauty Care, Ice, Ice Cream and Krispy Kreme doughnut program.
• Upgraded Fountain Soft Drink program that included re-negotiation of contracts, revised flavor line-up and new fountain equipment, resulting in a 135% increase in per store day unit sales, a 98% increase in retail sales and a 97% increase in Gross Profit over a 4-year period.
• Developed a new Hot Dog program that included contract negotiations, training materials and signage package. The program delivered increased unit sale of 29%, retail sales of 13% and gross profit dollars of 8% respectively over the prior year.
• Negotiated a new ICE contract that reduced costs $335,000 on an annual basis.
• Developed and implemented a hot hand-held burrito program increasing retail sales for gross Profit for the category by 77% and 92% respectively over the prior year.
• Increased 5-Hour Energy unit sales fromm 2,000 per week to 18,000 per week over a 12- month period through enhanced product display and shipper program. ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
EVERYDAY STORES, DEVEON CONVENIENCE HOLDINGS, Austin, Texas National Food Service Category Director, 4/2000 – 5/2002 Developed, implemented, and branded “Everyday Café” food service and beverage program in 250 stores. Created and implemented a new coffee program which increase cup movement, revenue and margin dollars by 50%, 20% and 20% respectively. Responsible for the complete redesign and strategic development of the Fountain Soft Drink category resulting in a 10% volume increase per store over the prior year. Developed and implemented a hot dog program, which increased unit movement by 70%, revenue by 30% and margin dollars by 30% over the previous program.
CONOCO, INC., Houston, Texas
National Category Manager, 11/1998 – 04/2000
Responsible for the management and strategic development of assigned categories which included coffee, fountain soft drinks, hot dogs, bakery, dairy and ice cream in 5,250 stores. Created and implemented a new coffee program which resulted in revenue and margin dollar increases of 15% AND 35% respectively. Developed, implemented and branded the
“Super Fresh Frank” hot do program resulting in revenue and margin dollar increased of39% and 60% respectively. Managed the centralization of the dairy and ice cream categories, which increased revenue by 10% and margin dollars by 24%. Re-negotiated contract with Coca-Cola USA which increased allowance dollars by 43% and profits by 58%. E-Z SERVE CONVENIENCE STORES, Houston, Texas
National Category Manager, 9/1997 – 11/1998
Responsible for management and strategic development of multiple food/beverage categories in 500 stores throughout the Southeast. Created a new frozen beverage program that increased annual gross profits by $1,200,000. Created new hot dog program which resulted in a new contract that improved product quality, reduced annual cost by $300,000, increased sales by 70% and gross profit by 25%. Developed a new coffee program that improved the quality and reduced annual costs by $480,000, significantly increasing category sales by 49% and profits by 58%.
7-ELEVEN, CHESAPEAKE DIVISION, Alexandria, Virginia Division Merchandiser, 4/1985 – 9/1997
Responsible for the overall management and development of various product categories to include hot dogs, coffee, food service, fountain soft drinks, frozen beverages, bakery, fresh and fast foods in a 900-store division of 7-Eleven. EDUCATION
High School Diploma – Milton Hershey School, Hershey, Pennsylvania Electronic Computer Programming Institute, Baltimore, Maryland Computer Programming/Operations
MILITARY
• Served 12 years in Maryland Army National Guard
• Staff Sergeant – Honorable Discharge
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