Manager Sales

ROBERT (BOB) KNISS

***** *. ******* ******, ***** 806-367, Grand Blanc, MI 48439 ******@*******.***

Cell: 810-***-**** http://www.linkedin.com/pub/robert-kniss/1/91/b94

PRESIDENT / VP OPERATIONS / GENERAL MANAGER

Performance-driven Executive with a career demonstrating visionary leadership, expertise, and distinguished performance in engineering, sales and operational leadership of national and international multi-site manufacturing operations. A catalyst for change, combining tactical execution of strategic initiatives with strong leadership of cross-functional staff and development of key alliances to capture and enhance overall quality, productivity, business, and bottom-line financial performance. With more than 25 years of significant senior management experience with manufacturing companies, and experience in eight different countries on three different continents with staffs up to 1,500.

Core Qualifications

P&L Responsibility Plastics & Coatings Multi-site Management

Budgeting / Cost Control Automotive Exteriors & Interiors Lean / Six Sigma Principles

Sales & Marketing Organizational Development Product Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

BK & Associates, LLC, National & International – President & General Manager 1997 to Present

Executive Management & Contract Engineering Assignments – Managed projects and assignments in France, Germany and 15 locations in the US, most overlapping in time!

Including the following executive management assignments:

Aqua Graphics, LLC, Michigan – President & General Manager

Full-service supplier of decorated interior and exterior automotive and consumer goods products, supplied to OEM’s and Tier 1’s. Technologies included injection molding, hydrographics, color fusion, dye diffusion, base coat/clear coat paint systems and pattern & color development.

Collaborated with automotive coating suppliers in the design, engineering and development of coating systems for OEM’s and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide.

Fabricating Engineers, Inc., North America – C.O.O.

Re-engineered a steel fabrication and conveyor manufacturing company faced with losing financial backing. Negotiated extended credit terms with bankers and suppliers to manage cash flow and business recovery.

• Managed two fabricating plants, 40 man engineering department, and 8 field operations, nationally, comprised of 1,500 employees. Sales of over $150 million per year.

Reitter & Schefenacker, GMBH, Schwaikheim, Germany – General Manager, Paint Operations

Worked for this global German automotive supplier to turnaround their plant in Schwaikheim, Germany. Their paint system was operating at less than 30% efficiency, and with identified equipment problems.

• Designed, engineered, and supervised changes to paint system.

• Trained the management in the efficient operation of the painting system. Results exceeded expectations by achieving more than 95% first-time capability and received additional bonuses for performance.

• Also, helped design the paint systems for plants in Hungary, England, Mexico and South Korea.

Andover Industries, Inc., Andover, OH, Meadville, PA – Paint Engineer

Lead the re-engineering of their painting operations. Their first time quality, scrap and rework from the painting operations were excessive and out of control.

Re-designed two systems and trained the staff to properly operate and manage the production. These successes lead to me to designing, engineering and building a new class-A paint & assembly systems.

P&B Automotive, Inc., Anderson, SC, Pueblo, Mexico & Paris, France - Vice President & G. M.

Recruited to manage joint venture between American and French Tier One automotive suppliers to revitalize lackluster manufacturing, assembly and logistics operations. Repositioned company for long-term growth and profitability. Full operating, manufacturing, technology, engineering, and P&L responsibility.

• Managed 2 plants and 600 employees with sales of over $200 million per year. Also, spent time in France and Mexico working with the R&D group of Plastic Omnium SA.

Many other assignments, which included:

Adac Plastics, Plastech, Perfection Plastics, Kalfact Plastics, Becker Group, Plastic Omnium, SA, Schefenacker Vision Systems, I.M.C. Plastics, Magna International, Groupo Antolin & Revere Plastic Systems.

Plastic Research Corporation, Michigan – Vice President & C.O.O., Michigan 1993 to 1997

Manufacturer of lawn and garden products and building materials. Planned and orchestrated an aggressive turnaround of this specialty manufacturer faced with tremendous competition, cost overruns, poor market penetration, and faltering sales performance. Held full engineering, operating, sales and marketing, product development, technology, and P&L responsibility. Managed over 250 employees, with sales of over $120 million per year. Set-up and directed new logistics/supply chain system and became the #1 producer of lattice in the World.

• Accelerated sales revenues from $6 million to greater than $120 million and improved EBIT to over $30 million.

• Researched competitor products and implemented new and existing product development initiatives to revitalize dormant product line, increasing market share by 70% within two years.

• Assembled design team tasked with developing three dimensional lattice product; new, patented design rocketed sales to over $100 million per year within three years.

Dott Manufacturing Company, Inc., Michigan & Iowa 1989 to 1993

Promoted to President - (3 Plants) + Plasti-Paint, Inc. – (2 Plants)

Vice President - (2 Plants)

National leader in ornamentation producing various metals / decorated second surface acrylics and polycarbonate products. Operating executive directing operations of three manufacturing facilities comprised of 500 employees. Given full responsibility for recreating the entire business infrastructure, introducing advanced technologies to improve productivity and profitability, redesigning Tier 1 and Tier 2 sales programs, realigning engineering and manufacturing operations, supply chain and eliminating excessive costs.

• Designed and implemented innovative management and engineering practices resulting in turnaround of company from losses to over 20% pre-tax profit within six months.

• Conceptualized and developed new mold design for Glass Encapsulation niche, reducing scrap to 1%.

Increased sales from $9.5 million to over $100 million and improved EBIT to over 22% within four years.

Included the founding of Plasti-Paint:

Plasti-Paint, Inc., Michigan & Iowa – Owner / President & General Manager

Designed, engineered and built facility for class-A painting service to OEM’s and automotive suppliers. Generated new business with John Deere, General Motors, Ford, Bombardier, Arctic Cat and numerous Tier 1 and 2 automotive suppliers. Established company as number one painting supplier for John Deere.

• Forged strategic alliances with paint suppliers to gain access into new markets, developing new customers and technological niches.

• Designed and built innovative paint system enabling company to process all approved automotive paint technologies with a minimum of overhead and labor.

United Technologies Automotive, Inc., Michigan & North America 1982 to 1989

Promoted to Vice President - (10 Plants)

Promoted to Operations Manager - (5 Plants)

Promoted to General Manager - (5 Plants)

Promoted to Director of Operations - (5 Plants)

Promoted to Plant Manager

Promoted to Engineering Manager - (2 Plants)

Production Manager

Tier One Supplier / Automotive Division of Fortune 100 Company. Managed the flagship plant in this multi-plant division, later promoted to Director of Operations, then V.P.. Processes included injection, compression, transfer, reaction injection, and low-pressure structural foam molding, “Class A” painting and rotational molding, vacuum metalizing, painting, profile and sheet extrusions and many assembly processes. Over 1,000 employees.

Successfully reversed major losses and achieved a breakeven within the first year.

Became the most profitable plant in the division, with the division’s highest quality rating.

Received the highest SQA rating, at the time, ever given by Ford Interior Trim Group.

Personally recognized as the “Best Plant Manager” in the Division.

Best operating plant with the lowest variances, highest efficiency and world-class record for never-ending improvements.

Recognized as the “Best” R.I.M./Class-A painting operation in the world.

Worked way up from the manufacturing floor, having had, at various times, responsibility for all tool, facility and process engineering, maintenance, quality control and program/project management.

EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, Engineering & Marketing, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA

MASTER OF SCIENCE, Business, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA

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