Production & Operations Manager (Food/Bev)
Resume:
Jerome Thomas
Quincy, IL
*********@*****.***
Professional Summary
Dynamic, results-driven Production and Operations Manager with over 30 years of manufacturing experience and 30+ years of high-consequence leadership experience. Proven
track record leading high-volume food and beverage manufacturing operations, including major
liquid bottling, commercial bakery, and packaging lines. Expert in driving continuous improvement, slashing product waste, and building safety-first cultures for global brands like
PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, and Coca-Cola. Accomplished leader is adept at managing teams of up to
155+ personnel, managing multi-million case weekly outputs, and orchestrating full-scale new
line startups.
Core Competencies
• High-Volume Beverage & Food Production (25years)
• Commercial Bakery Operations (7 years)
• OEE Optimization & Throughput
• Lean Manufacturing, MDI & KPIs(20 yearss)
• New Production Line Capital Startups (5 years)
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership (155+ Directs)
• SQF, FDA, HACCP & OSHA Compliance (25 years)
• Inventory, Warehousing & Supply Chain Logistics(25years)
• Waste Reduction & Material Yield Control (15 years) Professional Experience
PepsiCo / Wis-Pak Location (Quincy IL)
Production Manager 2021 – Present
• Massive-Scale Throughput: Directed daily liquid manufacturing operations, successfully scaling production to manage a peak volume of 1.5M to 1.7M cases weekly and averaging 300,000+ cases daily.
• OEE Optimization: Doubled Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by 100% and slashed machine-related downtime by 80% within a 6-month period via aggressive root-cause strategies.
• Cultural & Structural Evolution: Developed, mentored, and empowered frontline supervisors and leads to making autonomous operational decisions, improving retention and accountability across a safe, non-hostile workplace.
• Quality Assurance Goals: Implemented a targeted 100% compliance initiative, tracking process variations and aligning cross-functional teams to eliminate product holds.
• Proactive Onboarding: Created and executed Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) for all onboarding employees to embed strict safety compliance into daily floor routines. Tyson Foods (Acquired Landshire) Caseyville, IL
Production Manager / Operations Manager 2016 – 2021
• Commercial Bakery Management: Overwatched a massive commercial bakery footprint producing 200,000 to 300,000 units weekly of cookies, bread dough, pie products, gluten-free, and ready-to-eat goods.
• Capital Infrastructure Startup: Spearheaded a new bakery production line startup; drove equipment purchasing, budget control, installation coordination, contractor oversight, blueprint review, and facility/concrete floor modifications.
• Dramatic Waste Reduction: Countered employee complacency and weighing errors by Engineering process controls that reduced dough scrap by 30% in six months and 73% by the second year.
• Rigorous Process Controls: Devised and enforced a mandatory two-person ingredient verification process to protect recipe compliance, exact measurements, and accountability across three 50-foot commercial ovens.
• Large-Scale Team Leadership: Directly managed, scheduled, and supervised up to 125 employees (and a broader warehouse team of 110), defining work assignments, driving productivity metrics and resolving labor conflicts.
• Supply Chain Logistics: Planned the physical layout of stockrooms, yards, and warehouses based on item turnover, size, and weight; integrated warehousing routines with purchasing, sales, and manufacturing departments. Rembrandt Foods Neosho, MO
Production Supervisor 10/2014 – 2016
• Managed day-to-day production flow and supervisor teams to meet quality and safety benchmarks before facility closure due to regional agricultural disruption. Coca-Cola St. Charles, MO
Production Supervisor 05/2011 – 10/2014
• Supervised frontline beverage production employees, monitored line efficiencies, and executed high-volume bottling schedules.
HJ Heinz Muscatine, IA
Production Supervisor 06/2010 – 05/2011
• Enforced product specifications, managed labor scheduling, and tracked shift KPIs on fast-moving food processing lines.
Continental Research Corp St. Louis, MO
Production Manager 08/2007 – 01/2010
• Supervised and managed 65 personnel for a chemical manufacturing firm, overseeing safety protocols and chemical plant-protection activities. Viking Supply Net Hazelwood, MO
Warehouse Manager 07/1993 – 06/2007
• Directed total warehouse logistics, inventory control, and shipping/receiving workflows for a high-volume distribution hub.
Military Experience
US Marine Corps
Supply Clerk 03/1980 – 03/1993
• Managed tactical supply chains, equipment logistics, material tracking, and military inventory records over 13 years of dedicated service. Education
St. Charles Community College St. Peters, MO
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