Record of success in leading and executing continuous supply, timely, and cost-effective procurement of materials, components, supplies, and services essential to manufacturing operations.

Kaizen and Kan-Ban leader with solid history of introducing best management practices, procurement strategies, and standard operating procedures for global purchasing operations. Experienced in sourcing unique products for the North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions. Player-coach skilled in engaging staff in decision-making process, fostering collaborative work environments, and empowering teams to execute. Technically astute with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and experience using Excel to analyze purchasing history and drive efficiency improvements.

Key Highlights

* Championed Kaizen/Lean Manufacturing at Aluminum Trailer Company by instituting Kan-Ban and providing expert project leadership.

* Catapulted purchasing efficiencies at ATC by 75% through restructuring initiative that segmented purchasing by supplier.

* Achieved 100% Kan-Ban materials coverage at ATC by assigning dedicated purchasing agent to solely manage Kan-Ban system and collect purchase orders from each area.

Value offered

* Kan-Ban Systems

* Raw Material, Component & Supply Procurement

* Contract Administration

* Kaizen/Lean Methods

* Vendor Sourcing, Negotiation & Rationalization

* Bill of Materials (BOM)

* Supplier Relationships

* Inventory Management, Control & Optimization

* Training & Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

INTECH TRAILERS INC. – Nappanee, IN

October 2010 – Present

DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING

Manufacturer that specializes in building industry’s finest all-aluminum trailers.

Joined start-up company to establish fully functioning purchasing department. Manage $3M-$4M annual procurement spend. Negotiate vendor pricing and contracts. Provide oversight and direction for purchasing assistant.

Notable Accomplishments:

* Played key role in doubling company’s production in second year by identifying needed parts and suppliers, maximizing inventory turns, and partnering with owner to purchase and lay out new production facility.

* Established optimal purchasing function by instituting Kan-Ban system for raw material procurement (currently at nearly 40% Kan-Ban coverage) and developing Bill of Materials (BOM) tracking system.

* Maximized resources by successfully negotiating discounted terms with top 50 vendors.

THE ALUMINUM TRAILER COMPANY – Nappanee, IN

DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING - December 2007 – September 2010

Manufacturer of world-class, precision-built trailers.

Directed procurement and distribution of raw materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies. Negotiated material pricing and contracts for products including special order/custom materials, steel, and forward purchasing of aluminum ingot. As Kaizen team leader, evaluated workflow, developed purchasing system/procedure instructions, and designed office/clerical practices. Contributed to company’s strategic planning efforts as member of senior management team. Managed $12M-$15M purchasing budget annually. Trained and led team of six purchasing agents and material handlers.

Notable Accomplishments:

* Drove BOM down from 55% to 48%, outperforming industry average of ~59%, through vendor negotiations, vendor rationalization that eliminated nearly 30% of ~150 vendors, and volume purchasing.

* Reduced inventory levels 66% by instituting Kan-Ban, vendor managed inventory (VMI) on consignment, and weekly purchasing and production meetings.

* Played instrumental role in eliminating waste by implementing Lean manufacturing concepts and methods into purchasing function.

* More than doubled annual inventory turns from 6 to 14 in just one year.

THE ALUMINUM TRAILER COMPANY – Nappanee, IN

PURCHASING AGENT - December 2005 – December 2007

Promoted after only two months as Materials Manager (October 2005-December 2005) to purchase all materials required for steel base trailer frame line. Researched and procured specialized products. Negotiated product pricing and schedule with vendors. Maintained detailed procurement records including cost, delivery, quality, performance, and inventories.

Notable Accomplishments:

* Turned purchasing around from poor cash flow and dismal inventory turns by developing and implementing purchasing process that enabled purchase tracking and eliminated 80% of floor traffic to purchasing office. System assigned each part to specific trailer and marked each part with VIN of assigned trailer.

* Delivered significant improvements in production efficiency by implementing traveler cart that included each part placed in order of production and wheeling cart to corresponding trailer, enabling production personnel to remain on floor.

TN TRAILERS LLC – Shipshewana, IN

DISPATCHER - May 2004 – October 2005

Trailer body manufacturer and supplier.

Coordinated shipment of 100 trailers each week. Interfaced between dealers and sales force. Supervised loading and quality control activities. Led team of four direct reports.

Notable Accomplishment:

* Enabled senior management to make sound decisions and develop effective methods to resolve quality issues by creating statistical method to track and evaluate post-production quality issues.

TN TRAILERS LLC – Shipshewana, IN

RECEIVING MANAGER - July 2003 – May 2004

Managed receiving functions including confirming receipt of goods, coordinating inventory movement to production line or warehouse, and staffing operation. Led team of five direct reports.

Notable Accomplishments:

* Achieved considerable reduction in inventory by reorganizing warehouse by department and rotating stock.

* Boosted efficiency by developing and implemented new method of stacking that streamlined both receiving and inventory delivery.

EDUCATION

WALDEN UNIVERSITY – Minneapolis, MN

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Knowledge Management

BETHEL COLLEGE – Mishawaka, IN

Bachelor of Arts

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