Oversaw all aspects of running 1M sq.ft manufacturing facility with 1,000 team members. Held responsibility for improving safety, quality, delivery, productivity, hiring, positive team member relations, and people development. Led continual improvement and Lean manufacturing, beginning with providing full and meaningful employment for team members, 5S and workplace cleanliness, daily gemba walks, line status boards (hour by hour), accountability boards to highlight problems and ownership, value stream mapping to define optimum plant layout, and daily roll-up meetings with emphasis on problem solving.• Managed P&L and developed annual operating plan focused on delivering productivity of 3% net of inflation and year-over-year improvements in safety and quality. • Developed and utilized annual budget planning tool driving new productivity ideas to exceed productivity of 3% net of inflation in eight of ten years as plant manager; delivered productivity of $3-6M annually focused on labor and material savings.• Improved safety OSHA incident from 1.5 to 0.40 by implementing behavior-based safety, including peer-to-peer observations.• Implemented leadership review of corrective and preventive actions in response to customer concerns, driving down customer complaints by 40% and CPPM down to single digits.• Developed generation of new leaders for plant, specifically three value stream managers, advanced manufacturing engineering manager, and two quality managers. • Utilized multiple communication tools, including Team Member Forum, to drive results and keep communication lines open, which successfully kept plant union free in heart of Chicago.• Developed and communicated health initiatives to keep manufacturing plant running and team safe and healthy during COVID pandemic.

Completed turnaround of the rule die value stream driving productivity up by 45% over three-year period. Increased productivity in other assigned value streams utilizing Lean manufacturing as driving strategy. Rebuilt quality team, stepping in as quality manager while simultaneously running value stream. Launched high-volume front cover assembly line for large automotive OEM. Implemented just-in-time heijunka for high-volume front cover assembly line.

Tore down and rebuilt quality system from ground up, with focus on quality ownership in value stream. Led drive to single digit parts per million defect rate, winning numerous quality awards from Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, and Cummins. Developed next quality and process engineering manager as part of succession planning. Oversaw numerous successful new product launches for key customers.