Lab manager, R&D Chemist, Material Scientist

Polymer Chemistry Research & Development Materials Science Laboratory Design /Management

An aggressive contributor bringing over a decade of broad ranging, hands on experience and a track record of success in laboratory, manufacturing and process improvement arenas. The versatility to make significant contributions across multi-departmental lines and leadership of cross functional teams and the focus to lead specialized departments to increasing metrics and performance utilizing sound business tactics and proficient use of analytical chemistry and engineering concepts. A data driven decision maker and risk calculator with strong fiscal management and budgetary skills. A top performer recognized for proficient management and direction of up to 26 professional, technical and support staff as well as managing operating budgets of well over $1 Million.

Created, executed and made significant contribution to many high-impact programs, projects and business strategies within start-ups, turnarounds, and Global Fortune 500 Leaders, amassing a set of unique skills and abilities with the confidence to implement them effectively. An adept negotiator of multi-million dollar equipment, construction, software and service contracts, with an in-depth understanding of environmental stewardship practices and “Green” chemistry initiatives from product development through facility design. A builder and manager of critical relationships and strategic collaborations utilizing divergent talents to achieve shared goals and business objectives.

Core Competencies

Product Development

Competitive Analysis

Analytical Equipment

Laboratory Design

Polymer Compounding

Patent Law

Technical Sales Support

Quality Control

Quality Assurance

Market Intelligence

Public Speaking

Regulatory Compliance

Project Management

Process Improvement 6Σ

Team building/training

Professional Experience

Encore Wire Corporation – McKinney, TX Nov.2008 – Mar. 2011

A Global Top 25 manufacturer of insulated wire and cable products serving a multitude of markets including commercial and residential construction, healthcare facilities and retail outlets such as Lowes via direct sales and a nationwide network of distributers, with approximately $1 Billion USD in sales annually. A publically traded, vertically integrated and centrally located company with a 230 acre campus of over a million square feet under roof consisting of the corporate headquarters, five manufacturing facilities, and onsite plastic and copper rod mills as well as a state of the art 13,000sqft Research and Development Center constructed to LEED Platinum environmental criteria.

R&D Chemist & Principal Investigator-

Retained by Encore Wire Corp. to design, equip and staff a state of the art, environmentally conscious research and development center and develop the corresponding department. To utilize this new facilities capabilities to develop new, innovative products allowing for new market penetration, increased market share, counter act market erosion and obtain industry leading product performance, establish compliance with Underwriters Laboratory regulations, ISO 17025 and ISO 14001 certifications as well as securing USGBC LEED Platinum criteria certification.

Encore Wire – continued

Challenges –

Pushing the necessity of a well-equipped, high-end analytical laboratory to corporate executives and board members in a culture that previously was not research oriented and a staff that was not qualified to operate or function effectively in such a facility. Identifying, specifying and purchasing millions of dollars of laboratory equipment, determining the staffing needs for this facility and designing the site and structure to be certified as a LEED Platinum facility, one of only a dozen or so in the country.

Selected Results –

Authored and presented comprehensive project charter, work breakdown structure, and cost estimation to C-level executives and local economic development committee to successfully secure corporate support and over $400K in direct outside funding for this $6 million LEED Platinum facility.

Extensively researched, specified and purchased $3 Million dollars of analytical, electrical, mechanical and physical testing equipment for successful completion of the laboratory.

Authored Quality Management System documentation for ISO 17025, ISO 14001 and ROHS/WEEE compliance by a US corporation, drafted 11 job descriptions for required additional qualified staff.

Through multiple meetings with OEM and extensive knowledge of manufacturing process, designed and purchased over $500K of manufacturing equipment allowing for new product offerings and new market entrance.

Brought technical and analytical expertise to preexisting patent infringement litigations with Encores largest and most litigious competitor in the market by utilizing analytical testing knowledge and 3rd party contract labs to prove non-infringement resulting in the court ordered re-examination of the patent in question by the USPTO, a multiyear stay as well as the successful rejection of all claims on said patent. Provided certified deposition to opposing council regarding a second infringement case. Both alleged infringement charges were filled prior to my personal tenure at Encore Wire.

Created a detailed work flow analysis encompassing 7 production facilities, hundreds of machines and thousands of SKU’s to assist accounting department in the implementation of an action based accounting system resulting in much stronger data concerning P&L, JIT inventory requirements, decreased carrying costs and LIFO benefits due to a volatile non-ferrous metals commodity market (COMEX).

Worked closely with multiple material suppliers to set up exclusivity contracts for novel, high performance compounds creating sole supplier standing in the market and the accompanying marketing campaigns resulting in increased sales volume, customer education and market share.

Created a vendor / supplier certification database to be used by purchasing and procurement departments in an ISO 9001scorecard style distributed via mass email to vendors and the accompanying vendor response database bringing organization, compliance and accountability to a previously lax set of protocol.

Compounding and formulation work for new product development, product optimization, raw material analysis and component level testing for quality and process improvement opportunities (PVC, Nylon, XLPE, copper and aluminum alloys primarily)

Extensive hands on experience with Continuous copper rod casting ,drawing and stranding, aluminum alloy rolling and drawing, thermoplastic and thermoset extrusion and compounding and the analytical and physical testing of these systems.

Contributed to multiple departmental goals, worked on many cross-functional projects and spent ample amounts of time and effort lending my broad ranging experience, technical, analytical and engineering knowledge wherever and whenever they could be of assistance.

Plastipak Holdings Inc.–Garland, TX April 2008 – Nov. 2008

A $1.9 Billion dollar privately held injection and blow molding of specialty packaging company. The Garland, TX facility is a state of the art, highly technical facility of more than 1 million square feet, progressive business strategies and aggressive quality programs. A customer list including Gatorade, Kraft foods, GM, AquaFina and many more demands superior quality and Six Sigma levels of production are required by these accounts.

Manager of Quality Control –

Tasked with managing quality control department and programs, decreasing DPMO to satisfy corporate contracts with customers requiring constant improvement from year to year. Maintain Six Sigma or better quality metrics, maintain ISO 9001 certification and system, handle customer relations and issues, identify opportunities for improvements in process and finished goods quality and implement procedures to realize these improvements.

Challenges –

Being available to assist staff and customers 24 hours a day via phone or travel to site. Maintaining current trending and SPC data on over 50 production lines ranging in speeds from 8000 – 62,000 finished products per hour, a laps in control at these speeds creates massive amounts of scrap and all of the accompanying incurred losses rapidly. Dealing with high profile and extremely demanding customer base. Leading process improvement teams separated over 3 shifts and 7 day production schedules.

Selected Results –

Management and manipulation of ISO 9001 quality management system, focused on “Zero Defect” resulting in true Six Sigma levels of operations quality, less than 3.4 DPMO. Participated in Management Review process presenting trend analysis, metric improvements and continuous improvement opportunities.

Initial responder to customer concerns or issues related to product quality, continuous improvement and new product development. Many on-site visits with customers to discuss product performance and opportunities for improvement, maintained close contact and strong relationships with customers.

Direct management of 26 quality control inspectors and regulatory staff members over 3 shifts, seven days a week. Responsible for all product and facility quality requirements as well as training, scheduling, evaluating and continuous support of staff in a state of the art facility with over 1 million square feet under roof, month over month performance gains.

Fostered and developed strong trusting relationship with high profile clientele that was previously a source of discontent for both parties, creating a much more open, trusting and amiable working relationship.

DOE (Design of experiment)

SPC (statistical process control)

FMEA (failure mode /effects analysis)

HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point)

Six Sigma (Yellow Belt $100K project)

RCA (Root Cause Analysis)

*Substantial decrease in sales volumes due to volatility and decreases in the market and customer base led to sweeping reductions in force and given my brief tenure I was one of many to be laid off with a severance package, creating a very brief but learning intensive tenure at Plastipak.

Consolidated Container Company – Sherman, TX June 2007 – April 2008

A 2600 employee blow molding company utilizing multiple polymer feeds and specializing in production of specialty containers and rigid packaging solutions.

Manager of Quality Control & Process Improvement Engineer –

Management and direction of the quality control department and the implementation of strategies, protocol, concepts and philosophies to decrease non-conforming product, limit defective product received by customer base. As a true hybrid position, process improvement and optimization was also included in this job description.

Challenges –

Coming into a less than efficient process with a severely limited budget facing the task of creating and implementing a dramatic change in culture. Gaining a solid working knowledge of antiquated and heavily used production equipment and the less than consistent process controls in place.

Selected Results –

Traveled to key account locations and co-developed customer specific action plans for each, returning and implementing these multi component processes to dramatically improve customer relations and the quality of product the received.

Set up SPC programs, trained operators, mandated 100% inspection with automated testing equipment, dedicated quality control personnel to specific production lines resulting in extensive reductions in held ware, non-conformances and scrap rate

Capital equipment purchases and retrofit projects of $300K decreased down time, improved quality, and increased efficiency, allowing for increased capacity and expanded product line (proved ROI in 90 days).

Henkel International – Lewisville, TX Aug. 2002 – July 2007

A $21 Billion Fortune Global 400 company with 48,000 employees that enjoys globally leading product lines in multiple markets, specializing in adhesives, sealants, surface treatment, home and personal care products.

Development Chemist –

Support a sales force of over 100 strong in product recommendations, application assistance, new product development and create value added solutions/products to ever evolving set of customer needs.

New Product development, multiple patents US and International.

Provide excellent technical support to sales force over 100 strong (line trials at customer, all product recommendations, etc.)

Through extensive testing determine alternative raw materials/substitutions to combat margin erosion due to supplier price increases while maintaining a quality product.

Field customer application data and through rigorous testing recommend or develop a product to meet their specific requirements.

Serviced a very broad range of industries and applications from food packaging, automotive, construction to high end niche markets such as the space shuttle.

Investigated customer claims and reconciled in excess of $250K a year on average, and $500K in 2007 alone.

Equipment/Materials Capabilities:

Analytical Equipment platforms:

(PerkinElmer, Thermo-Nicolet, MetlerToledo, Brookfield, Agilent, et.al.)

• Hyphenated Micro-FTIR and ATR

• Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (DSC and TGA) linked to Gas Cell on FTIR for evolved gas analysis

• Dynamic mechanical Analysis (DMA) multiple configurations, tension, dual- cantilever, single cantilever, compression and torsion.

• GC/MS electron ionization, chemical ionization, flame ionization.

• Inductively coupled plasma- optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) trace metal analysis and environmental testing in accordance to various ASTM standards.

• Experience with many other analytical testing methods related to the polymer and metals industries, examples available upon request.

Material Science platforms:

• JEOL 6610 LV variable pressure scanning electron microscope with EDAX genesis silicone drift detector energy dispersive x-ray analysis (SEM/EDS), secondary electron, backscatter electron, shadow and topo.

• Brabender intelli-torque Torque Rheometer- PVC fusion studies, heat stabilities and process ability investigations. Extensive hands on with Parallel Plate Rheology.

• Working familiarity with TOF-SIMS and XPS

• Instron, Lloyd type universal testing machines, ultimate tensile strength, elongation etcetera on both polymeric systems as well as annealing studies of non-ferrous metals particularly copper and aluminum alloys.

• Atlas Ci3000 weather-ometer, accelerated aging, day, night cycling, water spray and UV inhibition studies.

• Non-ferrous metallurgy ETP copper, Aluminum alloys of the 5000 and 8000 series.

• Underwriter’s laboratories (UL) flame chambers for wire and cable testing (VW-1, IEEE383, limited smoke etc.) Detailed knowledge of all wire and cable standards with regards to UL.

Formulation experience:

• Formulated many styrenic block copolymer based adhesives and sealants to include SIS, SBS, SEEBS, APAO , Polyamides, some solvent cast rubber work as well.

• Blow molding experience with PET resins, LLDPE, HDPE, and Polycarbonate.

• Extensive PVC wire and cable insulation and jacket compounding, cross linked PE (XLPE) as well as nylon jacketing.

• Some work with CPE, EPDM and other alternative wire and cable profile extrusions.

• Many types of physical mixers and most other related equipment.

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