Carl Couch Email & Phone Number

North Charleston, Sc

Managed the operation and maintenance of three paper machines, roll finishing and shipping departments, generating 1400 tons ($1,000,000) of production during a 12-hour shift using 8D problem solving to meet and exceed productivity objectives.• Led a team of 52 operators and 7 maintenance mechanics to safely maximize production efficiency and product quality in a Lean, results-oriented environment.• Ensured all safety procedures were understood and followed in order to promote a safe and healthy work culture.• Maintained vigilant communication and visibility with operators and maintenance personnel to facilitate immediate response to any issues that could impair operational excellence.• Built a team culture that fostered personal initiative to reduce bottlenecks and improve product quality.• Confirmed product quality inspections were performed and documented in accordance with specifications, procedures and best practices.

North Charleston, South Carolina

Directed and supported the cross-functional, interdisciplinary team of maintenance supervisors, leading the short and long-term Operational Excellence efforts of the paper machine and Cartesian robotics roll finishing area. • Led the team in a daily process reliability review for the allocation of short and long-term resources to drive continuous improvement initiatives.• Used predictive observations and time-based preventive maintenance to determine the scope, schedule and budget of projects affecting production efficiency.• Developed standards and procedures and then conducted needed training. • Captured Operational Excellence initiatives / corrective actions to track these projects to completion.• Continually improved systems impacting safety, production, reliability and quality using the DMAIC cycle.• Planned/executed 16-hour scheduled maintenance outages, typically utilizing 20 supervisors, 20 operators and 100+ mechanics while communicating status/resource updates at scheduled intervals. • Reviewed and documented each outage project performed against scope of work/schedule/budget.

North Charleston, South Carolina

Managed multiple, simultaneous aspects of 13 chemical systems, including material transportation, loading/unloading, delivery as well as material selection and equipment inspection.  Supervised a 180-ton process safety management covered process. Conducted the mill security vulnerability assessment. Ensured mechanical integrity through predictive observations and time-based preventive maintenance, operation/maintenance training and established a management of change system. Incorporated process hazard analysis, incident investigations and emergency response into operation and maintenance procedures. Audited highly hazardous chemical systems as a member of the team of process owners, charged with achieving the process safety management standard throughout the corporation. Collaborated with the Environmental Department to develop the worst-case release scenario for the process safety management covered process. • Led equipment trials/design/selection/installation/startup and developed operating/ maintenance procedures and training for an innovative $9.6 million stock prep system that allowed for product differentiation, added product value and process flexibility.• Led a team to develop a new process using the Lean techniques, administered lab and pilot plant trials, new equipment selection, installation and start up, wrote operation and maintenance procedures to allow $2000/day savings by using lower cost raw materials while achieving excellent product quality.• Led in the design/installation/startup of a $4.3 million sodium hypochlorite system to replace elemental chlorine, allowing the decommissioning of the process safety management covered process.

North Charleston, South Carolina

• Led application of the DMAIC cycle to determine the root cause of repeat equipment failure and determine appropriate corrective action. Then, track the corrective action to completion.• Used predictive observations and time-based preventive maintenance to determine the scope, schedule and budget of projects affecting production efficiency.• Developed mill wide standards and procedures for equipment alignment and then conducted needed training. • Conducted vibration analysis to determine equipment health and scheduled maintenance.• Conducted equipment and lubricant inspections to determine equipment health and scheduled maintenance• Performed equipment balancing onsite and oversaw offsite balancing efforts. • Performed mass energy balance on individual dryer cans to determine dryer rotary joint health and schedule any required repairs.