Manager Sales

ROBERT KNISS

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

Cell: 810-***-****

SENIOR MANUFACTURING EXECUTIVE

Performance-driven Senior Executive with a career demonstrating visionary leadership, expertise, and distinguished performance in engineering 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.

Core Qualifications

P&L Responsibility Start-up, Turnaround, Change Multi-site Management

Budgeting / Cost Control Resource Management Lean Manufacturing

Business Reengineering Organizational Development Product Reengineering

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Aqua Graphics, LLC / BK & Associates, LLC 2002–Present

Owner / General Manager

Full-service supplier of decorated interior and exterior automotive and consumer goods products. Technologies included hydrographics, color fusion, dye diffusion and base coat/clear coat paint systems. Responsible for all operations, engineering, quality, sales, accounting, and financial management.

Grew annual revenue from zero to over $4 million and improved EBIT to $300,000 within three years.

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

Spent one year in Germany working with Reitter & Schefenacker GMBH to turnaround a large manufacturing facility. Also, consulted with the set-up of plants in Hungary, England, Mexico and South Korea.

Fabricating Engineers, Inc. 2001-2002

C.O.O.

Re-engineered overextended 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 efforts. Delivered organizational development and operational strategies of two fabricating plants, engineering department, and 8 field operations, nationally, comprised of 1,500 employees. Sales of over $250 million per year.

P & B Automotive, Inc. 1998-2001

Vice President / General Manager

Recruited to manage joint venture between American and French Tier One automotive suppliers to revitalize lackluster manufacturing, assembly and logistics operations. Reposition company for long-term growth and profitability. Full operating, manufacturing, technology, engineering, and P&L responsibility. Managed 600 employees with sales of over $300 million per year. Also, spent time in France and Mexico working with the R&D group of Plastic Omnium SA.

Plastic Research Corporation 1993–1998

C.O.O. / GENERAL MANAGER

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.

Plasti-Paint, Inc. 1989-1993

Owner / General Manager

Founded, 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.

Built company to revenues of over $14 million and two plants. Garnered industry-wide reputation as the best custom painter in the plastics industry.

Dott Manufacturing Company, Inc. 1985–1989

PRESIDENT – 1988 TO 1989

VICE PRESIDENT 1985 TO 1988

National leader in automotive ornamentation producing various metals / decorated second surface acrylics and polycarbonate products. Senior 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.

United Technologies Automotive, Inc. 1982 – 1985

Director of Operations – 1985 (5 plants)

Plant Manager – 1982 to 1985

Tier One Supplier / Automotive Division of Fortune 100 Company.

Managed the flagship plant in this multi-plant division, later promoted to Director of Operations. Processes included injection molding, vacuum metalizing, painting, profile and sheet extrusions and many assembly processes.

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.

ITT Automotive, Inc. 1976 – 1982

Plant Manager – 1979 to 1982

Engineering Manager – 1978 to 1979

Production Manager – 1976 to 1978

Tier One Supplier / Automotive Division of Fortune 100 Company.

Worked in manufacturing plants involved in injection, compression, transfer, reaction injection, and low-pressure structural foam molding, “Class A” painting and assembly.

Key staff member for this major division of a Fortune 100 company with customers in the automotive and building materials industries.

Ran the best operating plant in the division 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.

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

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, Marketing & Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA

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

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