Brad Kuik Email & Phone Number

Lynden, Wa, Us

Lynden, Washington

K2 Performance Management is a US-based strategic business consulting firm devoted to helping organizations think, plan and operate efficiently.In this position I have the opportunity to serve clients in a variety of industries throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia.My primary focus is to help my clients understand, embrace, and implement a set of business principles that allow them to become increasingly independent over time. This highly collaborative process involves a high level of commitment from all parties. This results in incremental daily improvement, which leads to long term dramatic and sustainable improvement. One of the primary methods for driving this improvement is through the implementation of lean thinking/manufacturing.I've been developing my skills through the application of lean principles in a variety of businesses over the last 15 years. See the results for yourself here: www.k2pm.co

Abbotsford, Canada

West Coast Machinery/Work Truck West services a variety of industries with heavy duty hydraulic attachments and service trucks, including full service for all our products. We serve municipalities, the mining sector as well as privately held businesses.

Perth, Australia

General Manager of Nathan's Cabinets, where I have the opportunity to serve a number of top builders in Western Australia by focusing on providing increased customer value through the implementation of LEAN manufacturing.

Web-based content management software

General Manager with full P&L responsibility for $9.5 million business including three printing plants.Accelerating growth and maximizing efficiencies based on the principles of Lean Manufacturing.• Direct responsibility for 400+ employees in a multi-shift environment over 3 plants.• Manufacture and deliver 7,000,000+ student planners per summer: 17,000 custom orders over a 12-week production window.• Embrace and implement Lean Manufacturing tools throughout stewardship.• Oversee material requirements in order to increase inventory turns and reduce inventory levels on hand.• Identify, communicate and drive implementation of capital investments and improvement projects. Provide ROI evaluation of all major initiatives.• Develop and lead the company's vision as it pertains to positioning, branding, and public relations.• Manage marketing, sales, pricing strategy, including competitive analysis and profit margin evaluation.

Led the LEAN transformation efforts since the beginning of Premier’s LEAN transformation in September 2005. (LEAN is a variation on the Toyota Production System, and is sometimes also called "kaizen.")Responsibilities included selecting the Rapid Improvement Events (RIE’s) for all areas in the enterprise, in conjunction with President and COO and the subsequent team selection, event planningFunctioned as internal sensei (facilitator, leader, guru) during over 50 rapid improvement events. Ensured that LEAN principles are understood by Premier associates, as well as monitoring that event outcomes are being followed. Drove continuous improvement within Premier so that everyone, everyday is participating.

Led the purchasing activities, managed the key vendor relationships for the agenda project as well as the unique print partner relationship with up to 14 external plans and 4 internal plants which represented approximately $45 MM in total cost. Responsibilities included selecting and de-selecting the vendors and print partners to ensure that we would produce quality product on time and cost effectively as well as managed Premier’s fulfillment center activities. Successfully managed the transition into offshore sourcing initiatives in conjunction with Premier’s parent company School Specialty, Inc.

Responsibilities included managing the agenda project from receipt of order to shipping with line responsibility for all bindery and inventory activities and staff related to both the agenda project and commercial printing projects. • Led a full-time staff of +/- 30 full-time associates, as well as a seasonal staff of +/- 90 associates.• Responsible for all hiring of full-time bindery staff and seasonal staff for the agenda project during this time.• Responsible for quality and on-time delivery for both 3.2 MM units of agendas over a 12 week period for the agenda project and commercial bindery. This volume of work represented approximately $4MM in agenda activity and $4MM in commercial activity on an annual basis.• Key involvement in equipment design and manufacturing to ensure that improvements continued to take place regarding production rates (automation of collators, punching equipment and improving coil inserters rates from +/- 200/hour to +/- 400/hour).

Operated a variety of equipment in the pre-press, pressroom and bindery, with a specific focus on leading seasonal work crews on the agenda project during the summer months.• Worked in pre-press on imposition and layout of files as well as preparing plates for the pressroom.• Operated a number of single and multiple color printing presses – Hamada 500 and 550, Heidelberg GTO, Windmill, and Miller etc.• Operated all bindery equipment in the plant – MBO and Stahl folders, Muller Martini perfect binders, collators and saddle-stitchers, Polar Mohr cutters, Sickinger spiral punch equipment etc.• Performed maintenance on all of the above equipment as necessary.• Worked in the automation division helping build agenda project specific equipment (collators, punches, coil inserters etc.)