Dennis Hughes Email and Phone Number

• Built, coached, and managed team of application engineers and lab technicians to support and grow powder metal valve seats and guides business, and perform application engineering for all automotive, heavy duty, and small engine P/M present accounts.• Worked closely with customer engineers to gain business at automotive and heavy duty customers. Directed efforts of team members to maximize customer coverage. • Expanded team from one engineer (self) and one technician to four engineers and two technicians while expanding business at Ford (from 0 to 70% of valve guides in North America) and heavy duty customers (from 0 to 100% of VGs at John Deere and Caterpillar). • Managed annual budget over $1M, which included engine testing, rig development, and testing, with results from testing allowing group to work closely with customer engineering groups, growing business from $38M to $85M in eight years while maintaining position as most profitable group within Federal Mogul and Tenneco. • Supervise metallurgical technician in continuous product and process improvement projects at P/M manufacturing facility in Waupun, Wisconsin. Reduced process variation in heat treatment for valve seat inserts and improved compaction rate for valve guides. • Coordinated between design, R&D, material, prototype, and production departments to ensure highest quality engineering service to customers from conception through production.• Supervised one application engineer and provided proactive customer application engineering for current and new engine developments, including design, material selection and compatibility, machinability, and assembly.• Organized and coordinated new material developments through R&D from conception through engine durability testing, machinability testing, and manufacturability testing to production launch.

• Performed research & development of P/M products and application engineering for automotive, heavy duty, and small engine accounts.• Served as project leader for design and relocation for new R&D metallurgical laboratory at P/M manufacturing location in Wisconsin.• Hired staff of three metallurgists and two technicians to work in new R&D lab. Supervised staff in new material development, production process improvement, and cost reductions. • Developed valve seat insert and valve guide materials to support and grow business in North America, with VSI materials growing business at Chrysler (100% share) and GM (90% share)• Promoted and developed new materials for automotive and small engine VSIs and VGs.