Manager Manufacturing

Employment History

Colony Display Systems January 2012 to Present – Colony is a custom store fixture manufacturer that produces both wood and metal fixtures in a single facility with 500 employees. The company supplies fixtures to Kohl’s, J.C. Penny, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Walmart and other retailers.

L.A. Darling Company 1990 to January 2012 - L.A. Darling Company is a custom store fixture manufacture that consists of two divisions, Wood and Major Metal with annual revenue of $188 million and 900 employees. Major Metal supplies custom POP fixtures, shelving and gondola for retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Dollar General and Walgreens. The Wood Division provides custom checkout counters, displays and shelving made of laminated processed wood and real wood veneers. This division has annual revenue of $35 million and 150 employees.

Plant Manager 1/2012 to Present, Colony Display

Directly responsible for all of all operations in the facility producing both wood and metal fixtures, including manufacturing, distribution, inventory control and facilities management, reports directly to the COO. Manage the scheduling of both metal and wood fabrication and assembly areas consisting of 500 hourly and 25 salary employees. We are beginning to implement lean principles in the production process through process improvement and cross training of key employees. Implementing stage two of an ERP system through the use cross functional teams and the training of power users in the operation of the system.

Operations Manager 8/2011 to 1/2012, Wood Division

Directly responsible for all operations of Wood Division, including manufacturing, distribution, IT services, production planning and facilities maintenance currently consisting of 75 hourly and 15 salary employees. I implemented new production scheduling procedures to give manufacturing a clearer picture of upcoming demand to reduce shortages on the day of shipment. This process reduced shortages on the day of shipment by 50% in the first full month of implementation. Set up direct communication between distribution and manufacturing managers to facilitate greater cooperation between the two. Lead team that analyzes all make vs. buy opportunities to determine best fit for capabilities of facility.

Manufacturing Manager 5/2011 to 8/2011, Wood Division

Managed all of manufacturing, IT services, production planning and facilities maintenance which consisted of 195 hourly and 20 salary employees and has $35 million in revenue. Efficiency was increased by 20%, from 64% to 84% in the first three months in the position by active personnel management and process improvements. Re-segmented business units by product family based on 80/20 of production parts being produced on each line and established finished good kan ban for High Volume parts. Developed and implemented standard work instructions for all final assembly jobs.

Business Unit/Operations Manager 8/2010 to 5/2011, Major Metal Division

Began operations of a new business segment, powered cashwrap systems, it was targeted for growth over the next three years. Responsibilities included segmentation and movement of unit to stand alone facility, sourcing equipment, site selection, hiring of employees, equipment set up and layout and the development of a business plan. I acted as a liaison between the customer and product development to maintain continuity between expectations of the customer and the execution of the manufacturing team. Worked in tandem with sourcing team to set order quantities from foreign partners to ensure consistent availability of parts for manufacturing kan bans established by customer demand. Downturn in business resulted in operation not being segmented into new division.

Rapid Continuous Improvement Manager 5/2009 to 8/2010, Wood Division

Developed and maintained the 80/20 segmentation for all production units, facilitated the movement of product from each business unit and from active production to outsource as different levels of criteria were met. During this assignment I was chosen by the company President to part of an autonomous cross-functional team addressing corporate wide processes and productivity to prepare for the implementation of a new ERP system. Team assumed control of Distribution operations in two facilities after they did not meet customer expectations; implemented policies and procedures, and work practices to ensure the expectations of customers were met. Operation had 6,000 backorders at the start of the assignment, reduced backorders to 60 by the end of the assignment

Business Unit Manager 8/2006 to 5/2009, Wood Division

During this assignment I managed the operation of an $18 million business unit; which included operations management and sourcing of raw materials needed by the unit. I worked with our sister company in Taiwan to supply wood products for their fixtures for sale in the Chinese market. Collaborated with an international sourcing firm to find a source of raw material from South America, unfavorable currency exchange rates ultimately lead to a decision to keep domestic supplier of the raw materials being sought out. Set up visual kan ban for raw and finished goods for the unit and streamlined the shipping procedures that were in place. While in this position maintained an operating income of 22% plus with productivity of 95% or higher.

Production Supervisor 8/1996 to 8/2006, Wood Division

While in this position I was responsible for the day to day management and scheduling of the fabricating department. I managed 45 people directly and supervised the activity of the off shifts and maintained all performance records and metrics. Also during this time I facilitated the movement and layout of the machinery in the department to increase thru put all based on Lean manufacturing principles. During numerous Kaizen events I took the role of facilitator to move forward with our continuous improvement initiative.

Lead Setup 5/1990 to 8/1996, Wood Division

This position ensured all jobs within the department were run to specification and expedited orders through the shop to meet scheduled goals. Conducted weekly safety meetings and communication meetings with associates and was a certified trainer for lock-out tag-out and NESHAP requirements due to our air permits and chemical usages.

Education

May 8, 2010 Master of Business Administration Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR

December 14, 2007 B.S. Business Administration Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR

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