Eric Bliss Email & Phone Number

Denver, Pennsylvania, United States

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Served as chief engineer for $1B producer of chocolate and cocoa products. Directed up to $40MM per year capital program, including preparing annual budget and coordinating capital projects for (5) plants. Standardized project management procedures and design standards across the company. Created and managed process development group resulting in OEE improvements and commercialization of new processes. Directed design, renovation, and construction of new $40MM chocolate processing plant in Shanghai, PRC. Directly managed projects up to $17MM for new processes and utility systems upgrades. Initiated and directed corporate energy conservation program; realized $1MM+ annual returns and reduced energy intensity by 20% in 3 years. Assisted with due diligence of two acquisition targets.

Oversaw engineering and maintenance for $25MM fresh-baked goods facility. Planned and carried out $3MM annual capital budget, including developing and executing capital projects. Completed repair and upgrade projects to reduce annual direct costs by $250K. Reduced annual R&M costs by $170K while increasing overall direct labor productivity and ingredient yields by 10%. Implemented work order-based CMMS to improve effectiveness of spare parts inventory, systematize preventive maintenance, and track equipment repair costs.

Directed design and engineering projects for $6MM (fee revenue) A/E firm. Food industry segments served include Dairy, Meat, Confections, Baking, Processed Foods, Beverage, and Storage & Distribution. Directed EPC services for construction projects up to $15MM. Acted as account manager for five major clients realizing $800K - $1.5MM annual fee revenue. Prepared client proposals, including negotiating contracts, defining scope of services, developing engineering budgets, and fee pricing. Managed project teams to complete planning, design, and construction of food processing plants, refrigerated warehouses, and food processes with P&L responsibility for each project. Annual fee revenue of projects totaled $1.5MM - $2.5MM. Deployed project team resources to meet or exceed client expectations while achieving profitability goals. Developed project schedules and budgets for design and construction.

Directed capital spending and technical support for $30MM Compact Disc manufacturing facility. Oversaw Environmental and Safety program for 400-person workforce. Implemented safety training awareness, and promotion programs to reduce injuries by 75% and Worker’s Compensation claims by 90%. Managed plant security, housekeeping, and building maintenance for 68K square foot facility and four off-site warehouses. Coordinated operator and maintenance training for Packaging department to reduce unscheduled downtime by 75%. Implemented centralized sourcing and storage of spare parts to realize over $50K savings in pricing and machine downtime. Coordinated site selection and development of technical specifications for $25MM capacity expansion.

Directed operations for $15MM manufacturer of private label candy and cough drops. Supervised 3 managers and 100+ employees. Directed, controlled $10.6MM operating budget. Managed Corporate Quality Assurance for FDA, cGMP, and customer specification compliance. Oversaw $2.1MM facility expansion and third shift addition. Implemented forecast-based planning system for 750 SKU product line to establish production plans and communicate to Corporate managers; reduced cough drop cycle time by 75%, reduced hard candy cycle time by 25%, and improved inventory turnover by 10%. Led process development and start-up of new lozenge co-packing contract accounting for 15% of division sales in first year.

Served in increasingly responsible roles with $1B manufacturer of nuts and confections. Responsible for process development, engineering, and capital investment projects for confections operations. Completed $4.6MM expansion for Breath Savers production; realized Brand objective of market share leader. Directed design through start-up of $5.4MM modernization projects saving $1.4MM annually. Implemented automation systems to track production variables, control process parameters, and generate reports. Patented process for manufacturing LifeSavers Holes hard candy and directed $4.5MM production expansion to support national roll out. Designed and developed process for Sugar Free LifeSavers. Directed design and construction of $2.7MM peanut processing system.

Mba, Finance

Bs, Chemical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Phi Sigma Kappa