ELIJAH RICHARDSON, JR.

*** **** ********* **** ****: 302-***-****

New Castle, DE 19720 sjob8r@r.postjobfree.com Cell: 302-***-****

SUMMARY

Accomplished Senior Operations Management Professional with diverse, progressive experience with industry leading manufacturing and logistic corporations. Drives and sustains performance results in manufacturing and logistic environments that contribute to strategic and operational priorities. Enforces strict control and delivers under annual operation budget. Displays superior leadership qualities, communication, and management skills. Teacher, mentor and coach. Tenacious in building and forging strong relationships with internal/external customers. Quality focused and results driven.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CSM BAKERY PRODUCTS NA, Houston, TX 2010-2011

Director, Plant

Responsible for 500+ diverse employees operating three shift productions (frozen decorated cakes and muffins) and eleven direct reports: Production Manager, Quality Manager, Human Resources Manager, Warehouse Manager, Controller, Commercialization Manager, R&D Manager, Maintenance Manager, TPM Coordinator, CI Manager, Sanitation Manager, Inventory/Procurement Coordinator and responsible for outside Contract Manufacturing.

• Reduced overall monthly financial loss from -$867 K to a $30 K financial gain within a four month period through improved communication on the floor and intense focus on KPI’s.

• Decreased annual OSHA recordables by 79% and achieved company best record of 474 days without LTA through introduction of safety walk-throughs, incident investigations and increased accountability at all levels of the organization.

• Implemented 5 S methodology and standards throughout the production floor areas with heavy employee engagement.

• Managed 3rd party manufacturing and storage of raw materials/finished goods

• Quarterly interaction with Rabbi on Kosher re-certifications

BIMBO BAKERIES USA, Norristown, PA 2009-2010

Plant Manager

Responsible for Norristown, PA facility (Flagship facility) three shifts/24 hours (bread and rolls) production operation, 72 million units with a total P&L responsibility of $58 million. Responsible for Director of Operations, Production Manager, Warehouse Manager, Quality Manager, Maintenance Engineer, Maintenance Manager, Safety Coordinator and 240 employees. Mentored 3 Plant Managers.

• Shared best practices (safety-incident investigations and monthly performance reviews) within facility to other Plant Managers throughout the organization.

• Leveraged strategic continuous improvement initiatives to drive waste and productivity by championing three Kaizen events (on waste) at plant.

• Delivered $1,966,000.00 productivity vs. target of $1,900,000.00 for 2009 by conveying a strong sense of urgency and driving issues to closure with heavy employee engagement.

• Reduced amount of overall grievances by 70% within a 60 day time period by creating strong morale and spirit within facility, sharing wins and successes.

• Reduced overall 2009 OSHA recordable injuries by 53.6% vs. PY by implementing sound systems policy, procedures as an institutional practice and constant monitoring on-going adherence to safety and standards policy.

PEPSI BOTTLING GROUP, Wilmington, DE 2005-2009

Plant Manager

Responsible for 230 employees and 7 direct reports along with safety, quality, cost, delivery, and morale for entire facility. Leveraged personal and motivation skills to drive Employee Insight Survey up by over four points. Project Lead on removing equipment asset value of $18 million out of the Wilmington, DE location, installing new conveyors worth $90,000.00 into the Piscataway, NJ location, and installing a new palletizer worth $175,000.00 in the Cranston, RI location as new cost effective measures.

• Established daily re-cap meeting with sales team to discuss previous day’s results.

• Reduced overall YTD line labor by 35%, production breakage by 50.4%, increase bottling line efficiency from 69% to 83%, and 5 safety incidents in 2005 to 1 safety incident in 2006 by engaging employee involvement and focusing on self sufficient work teams.

• Established monthly performance reviews with Managers/Supervisors to evaluate results vs. objectives and define action plans to fill “gaps”.

• Increased 2008 overall safety audit results from 84% to 92% by making safety a priority throughout the facility.

KRAFT FOODS, INC., Houston, TX 1998-2005

Business Unit Manager-Maxwell House (AMCO-Decaffeinated and Soluble Processing) (2004-2005)

Responsible for 60 hourly employees, one Business Unit Leader, five Operation Supervisors, one Mechanical Engineer, and two Maintenance Supervisors over a 3 shift operation. Responsible for a P&L worth over $100 million and delivered a 2004 Operation Budget positive variance of $114,132.07. Mentored one Business Unit Manager, five Operation Supervisors, and two Production Supervisors.

• Established a cross functional team to reduce overall Aquachem operating cost. The 2004 YTD reduction = $20,969.42 by utilizing project management processes.

• Delivered an average of 69,123 lbs. a day of agglomerate coffee against a 2004 standard of 62,600 lbs. a day.

Business Unit Manager-Convenient Meals & Foodservice (Minute Rice) (2003 - 2004)

Managed five Operation Supervisors, two Maintenance Supervisors, and one Mechanical Engineer. Directed all departmental production activities over three shifts, while maintaining /improving operating standards in the areas of cost, quality, safety, and Good Manufacturing Practices.

• Delivered $770,000.00 in productivity versus a goal of $458,000.00 to the Minute Rice Division in 2003.

• Project Manager on $2,500,000.00 capital project which delivered project scope, on-time and on-budget, exceeding expected time of delivery by two weeks.

• Delivered an operation supply cost savings of $107,000.00 for Business Unit Area by focusing on leadership and accountability.

• Established an outside source for rice fines with productivity improvement of $87,000.00.

Business Unit Leader-Oscar Mayer (Raw side Production) Newberry, SC (1998-2003)

Managed 520 hourly employees, five Production Supervisors and nine Leaders.

• Eliminated five hourly positions with an annual cost savings of $250,000.00 by managing KPI’s across the department.

• Increased BPM (birds per minute) on evisceration production line, yearly productivity improvement of $175,000.00 by driving network optimization programs to increase production and efficiency.

• Monthly interaction with Rabbi on Kosher re-certifications and evisceration process

WAL-MART DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Sharon Springs, NY 1996-1998

Replenishment/Orderfilling Area Manager

Managed 32 associates in the following processes: purchase order processing, damages, rewrites, and label voids.

• Increased cases per minute from 30 to 50 by resorting labels prior to picking.

• Increased productivity results by $50,000.00 per quarter.

MILITARY SERVICE

UNITED STATES ARMY 1985-1994

Noncommissioned Officer

• Led and trained 18 personnel on operator and direct support maintenance on small arms.

• Developed and initiated management extensive shop safety practices, training and supervision for reduction and elimination of loss time accidents.

EDUCATION

MBA, Management, University of Maryland University College, College Park, MD

BS, Business Management, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC

AA, General Studies, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Certificate, Lean Six Sigma, Villanova University, Villanova, PA

TECHNICAL TRAINING

• HACCP certified

• Sanitation/Microbiology certified

• Sensory certified

• Maxwell House Coffee School

• Beverage Packaging Processing Equipment

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Life Member of National Black MBA Association, Inc.

• Member of International Who's Who of Professionals.

• Past member of African American Leadership Council – Kraft Foods Global, Inc.

• Past Co-Leader, Grocery & Beverage Sector Operation Diversity Council-Kraft Foods Global, Inc.

• Past Leader of Facility’s Operation Diversity Council – Kraft Foods Global, Inc.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

• Elected to serve on the South Carolina State University School of Business Alumni Advisory Board.

• Volunteer at Texas Southern University’s Career Development Center and Morgan State University’s School of Business Honor students, mentoring students in transitioning from college into the workplace.

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