Brian Melgaard Email & Phone Number

Towaco, Nj, Us

Sold assets to a strategic buyer in May 2022. Currently winding down operations and managing NJ DEP ISRA environmental clearance. • Lead vertically integrated company that manufactures new and replacement freezer cabinet lids and parts for ice cream carts and drop-in freezers. • Managed a staff of 10 full and part time employees. Recruited and hired key employee for foreman position to learn from 30+ yr current foreman. • Established secondary sources for critical raw materials that experienced lead-time pressures over the last 2 years. • Adjusted staffing, supply chain, material sourcing, and manufacturing processes in response to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced WIP to improve cash flow.

Towaco, Nj, Us

• Modernized the company's processes and procedures,accounting software, sales orders and invoices, purchasing, and website. Added online sales capabilities. • Improved documentation on manufacturing processes, revised company handbook and PTO policy. • Strengthened supplier and key customer relationships.

• Co-founded office product company with over $20M in profitable sales annually. Sold company to a strategic buyer in December 2012.• Led global product design, manufacturing, and engineering group with team members in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Taiwan and China.• Managed product specification, engineering, and manufacturing phases for product line of 20 products and hundreds of SKUs.• Established and nurtured relationships with Asian manufacturing partners. Traveled frequently to 5 factories in Taiwan and China to manage product development and production startup, negotiate all product and tooling costs, coordinate cost improvement initiatives, and manage product improvement processes.• Created, reviewed, prioritized, and managed all product proposals. Oversaw all stages of product development from conception to market, including prototyping, manufacturing, SKUS, and packaging. • Designed visual branding and packaging for all products, including integrated “try me” feature.• Personally named on 4 patents, co-invented 4 products. Assisted in writing new patents and patents pending. • Successfully navigated through litigation against patent infringing companies

• Led engineering, design, and quality functions. Implemented manufacturing and design improvements resulting in over $500K in annual cost savings.• Grew company revenue from $10M to $35M in under 3 years.• Managed 10 product models: 4 made in USA and 6 made in China.• Integrated $250K of new tooling development, doubling capacity of exclusive Sears private label product.• Co-developed and implemented an integrated marketing display for Home Depot, increasing product revenue by 20% per year.• Managed Production and Quality Managers in offsite facility (Wytheville, VA). Oversaw operations both remotely and through monthly visits.• Invented method of packaging product.

Worked in three manufacturing environments during a highly selective two-year management rotational program.• Fluorescent Lamp Plant (Maybrook, NY): Received Six Sigma training and implemented techniques to improve manufacturing process efficiency by 2%, saving company over $100K annually.• Halogen Lamp Plant (Winchester, KY): Identified and purchased infrared spectrometer used to analyze and measure gasses in lamp capsules. Established internal calibration capabilities for 60% of calibrated equipment, saving $20K in costs annually.• Glass Plant (Central Falls, RI): Collected and analyzed productivity and scrap data for frost line process. Implemented process and equipment changes, decreasing scrap rate by more than 5%.

Bs, Mechanical Engineering, Minor - Physics

Mba, Executive Mba