Sales Manager

Eric Blankenship

***** ********* *******

Westlake, Ohio, 44145 USA

E-mail: ****-***********@*******.***

Cell: 440-***-****

Home: 440-***-****

EXPERTISE

Operations Management / Manufacturing / Sales & Marketing

EXPERIENCE

ECB CONSULTING, Westlake, Ohio 2009 - Present

Have provided consulting services to Rhenium Alloys, ALCOA, GLG Councils and a

variety of other business entities in several fields during the past several years.

Fields of endeavor have included refractory metals applications and analysis

metals manufacturing techniques and improvements, parts manufacturing, factory and

shop operations, inventory control techniques and applications, purchasing, planning

and scheduling techniques and operations, as well as all related areas of plant operations.

RHENIUM ALLOYS, INC., Elyria, Ohio 2000 – 2007

A leading manufacturer and supplier of refractory metals

serving aerospace, space defense,

semi-conductor, medical, industrial, and scientific research markets.

Operations Management: 2003 – 2007 Vice President

Reporting to President & CEO, I directed all manufacturing

activities including quality, production, shipping &

receiving and purchasing. Managed staff of four production

supervisors. Acted as consultant to various governmental

groups. Maintained role as Director, Sales,

Marketing & Client Services, servicing top three clients.

Selected contributions:

Served on executive acquisition team that identified and

integrated target company. Led due diligence efforts,

conducting research on company financials, product lines,

customer base and equipment to ensure strategic fit.

Developed and implemented plan to relocate and integrate

acquired company’s physical assets within two weeks of acquisition.

Collaborated with R&D/Production units to improve product

quality by creating standardized methodology for production

of sheet and plate products.

Process expanded to all product lines after successful launch.

Co-led development efforts to create new processes/products

that reduced run time. Redesigned shop-floor layout to

increase production/decrease motion reducing down-time by

20%. Successfully led effort to improve communications

between inventory control, production control and shop

floor resulting in increased efficiency.

Created scrap recycling program for

cost/inventory reduction resulting in overall cost savings.

Solidified relationships with top three

customers by offering improved quality assurance guarantees.

Collaborated with R&D and legal teams to obtain patents.

Director of Sales, Marketing & Client Services 2000 – 2003

Selected contributions:

Led sales/marketing efforts resulting in

annual sales growth from a 20-year average of $3M to $12.4M.

Developed and implemented CRM program for major customers

to provide better service and lower prices through

long-term order agreements. Successfully transformed ad-hoc

pricing practices into a standardized pricing model for all products.

Increased brand awareness by developing and implementing a

two-year program involving increased publication of

propriety research, launch of highly successful image ad

campaigns, placement of company R&D chief into significant

industry trade organizations and professional conference attendance.

Edited fourteen scientific/technical papers on material

processes, products and applications in two years with all

papers accepted for publication internationally.

Research team contributor for two published technical

papers, facilitating presentation to scientific/technical community.

Created multi-year advertising/marketing program, writing

multiple ads for various product-specific trade

publications. Wrote multiple ads for company image/products

in scientific publications achieving ten to one ROI.

Earned three first-place AD-Q national awards for advertising/marketing efforts.

Created collateral material for all products/testing/R&D

services. Wrote copy and co-designed interactive company web site.

Sales Engineer 2000

Developed and implemented improved sales practices

transforming sales function from “order-taking” to a

proactive customer relations model.

Created and implemented program requiring minimum purchase

cost. Developed program for international clients with

option to bundle shipments for reduced shipping/tariff

costs. Provided large-order clients with the option to

alter material specifications from standard

to application-specific requirement at minimal cost.

DRECO INDUSTRIES, North Ridgeville, Ohio 2000

Plant Manager

Managed 300 employees in multi-shift plant operations for

this manufacturer of injection-molded plastic parts, pieces

and products. Chose to pursue new opportunity following

family management turnover that resulted in significant organizational changes.

Developed scrap reduction program for improved efficiency.

Worked with QA/QC to improve overall quality of products.

Created “Work-in-Progress” routers/trackers for shop floor.

Re-assigned approximately 80% of third shift production to

create a “Maintenance/Set-up shift” operation.

Worked with schedulers to improve communication between

supervisors and shop floor. Decreased downtime on all

shifts to alleviate congestion on shop floor/break areas

.

MERIAM INSTRUMENT, Cleveland, Ohio 1990 – 1999

Buyer/Planner/Scheduler

Reduced product lead time from twelve to fourteen weeks to

six weeks or less for gauge line within first six months on

the job. Reduced in-house inventory by more than 45% in

collaboration with Engineering to locate universal parts

within product line. Modified/adapted prints/build-sheets

to reflect change, reducing drawings by approximately 45%.

Reduced number of vendors from approximately 400 to 60.

Negotiated with selected vendors to hold product in order

to further decrease in-house inventory. Created routers & WIP trackers for shop floor.

Worked with QC/QA to create TQM system specifically for

each product line. Worked with inventory control and QA/QC

to create, develop and implement SPC/SQC system unique to

each product line. Worked with Engineering to eliminate

discrepancies in product line build sheets, parts

requirements and product structures.

Developed open order reports utilizing product structure/build sheets.

NATIONWIDE ADVERTISING, Cleveland, Ohio 1986 – 1990

Staff Copy Writer

Provided strong industrial experience to company primarily

focused in healthcare, hospitality and banking/finance.

Developed large account with Chrysler for recruitment of LH

series engineers in Power Train and Design divisions.

Developed large account with Saturn for recruitment of all

Engineering staff and hourly workers as well as image

campaigns. Developed campaign for McDonnell-Douglas to

recruit mechanics and technicians for aircraft purchased by foreign governments.

VOSS INDUSTRIES, INC., Cleveland, Ohio 1983 – 1986

Unit Manager – Raw Materials/Warehousing/Order Fulfillment/Inventory Control

Organized warehouse by product line to decrease order

fulfillment time for this manufacturer of couplings,

clamps, retainers and v-rings. Redesigned assembly and

machining areas to maximize work flow.

Created product-specific SPC/SQC format for shop floor.

Created TQM program in conjunction with QA/QC.

Standardized part number/order number system for all

product lines. Created and implemented effective

MRP/inventory control system. Created open order report systems for each product line.

SOHIO DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Brookpark, Ohio 1981 – 1983

Assistant Warehouse Manager

Shop floor leader during consolidation of six warehouses

operated by independent contractors to one Sohio-managed

location in one week. Led shop floor efforts to become

operational in only six weeks. Reduced number of ground/air

carriers by approximately 80%.

Cut shipping costs nearly 40% through increased volume of carriers.

AARON INDUSTRIES, Medina, Ohio 1976 – 1981

Foreman, Warehouse/Shipping & Receiving

Duties included supplying parts to the manufacturing area,

inventory control and daily supervision of seven employees.

Created and implemented inventory control and MRP systems.

MAGNAVOX CORPORATION, Westlake, Ohio 1974 – 1976

Warranty Claims Clerk

Responsible for verification and disposition of warranty

claims against Magnavox products for an eight state area,

both commercial and retail. Duties included verification of

authenticity of claim, inventory of parts and

shipping/receiving goods and parts.

Created verification procedure that became

standard method for Magnavox used throughout North America.

STREAMWAY PRODUCTS, Westlake, Ohio 1973 – 1974

Shipping & Receiving Clerk

Responsible for loading and unloading of trucks, supplying

manufacturing areas with parts, inventory control and general warehousing duties.

U.S. ARMY: 1970-1972

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Joint Services Materials Conference – Space, Space Defense & Shuttle Applications, Cocoa Beach, Florida, 2001 – 2005

Wire Association International – Ferrous/Non-Ferrous

Wire/Cable Processing & Applications Conference, Atlanta, Georgia: 2001, 2003, 2005

Heat Treating, Material Processing & Applications, International Conference Attendee, Indianapolis, Indiana/Columbus, Ohio, 2001 – 2004

Wire Association International (WAI), Member, 2000 – 2007

American Society of Technical Metals (ASTM), Member, 2001 – 2005

Materials Research Society (MRS), Member, 2002 – 2007

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