Lean manufacture of quality products that dogs love wearing and people love using! Contracted to support broad growth initiatives and acquisitions.

Hired into the Advanced Materials group to be the main technical contact between Zymergen and various contract manufacturing organizations. Tasked with executing the $5MM process commercialization campaign of a novel polyimide for the additive manufacturing market.* Built and maintained a strong relationship with the CMO despite a historically difficult relationship* Ensured the expectations and requirements of both organizations were visible and met* Led root cause investigations and corrective action implementations* Established process improvements that resulted in product conformance improvements and cycle time reductions* Successfully completed the campaign just as the company was soldIn July, 2022, Zymergen was purchased by Gingko Bioworks and the majority of the Advanced Materials group was let go.

Promoted to be Responsible for Research & Development activities worldwide (North & South America, Europe, and Asia)* Developed and implemented initiatives for future business growth while satisfying operational, commercial, and financial needs* Developed a key new product (Ionic® topical) for further market penetration * Developed a novel malodor quantification protocol focused on quantifying body odors and environmental malodors* Interacted with key brands and mills to understand both specific and overall market needs such as seasonality, quality control systems, consumer risk, and upstream operational constraints*Established project-based financial reporting, forcing prioritization of work and limiting project driftIn March, 2020, Noble’s response to the pandemic was to immediately halt SG&A spending and I departed the business.

Temporarily assigned to advance commercialization of Noble’s extruded product in the US and in parallel develop manufacturing capacity and a supply chain in Asia.* Developed a fully commercial supply chain for extruded filament yarn and staple fiber in Taiwan and China* Redesigned and overhauled existing operations away from ’build to order’ to a ’ship from inventory’ model* Interacted with customers and suppliers to smooth a difficult transition in the supply chain* Migrated away from non-scalable legacy supplier to a fully scalable supply chain beginning with masterbatch and ending in filament or filament assemblies* Defined, recruited, and hired technical resources in Asia to continue and manage the work

Retained as a full-time employee tasked with leading Noble innovation efforts and liaising with strategic partners’ research and development teams while supporting short and long-term Noble commercial initiatives.* Focused on opportunities to increase speed to market by understanding and accepting technical and commercial risks* Studied sensory perception, quantification, and the effects of odor on consumer behavior* R&D liaison for multiple large strategic consumer brands (lululemon, Nike, Anta, etc.)* Developed and contracted with a robust group of subject-matter experts from various fields to support product development efforts

Recruited as a subject matter expert in polyurethane chemistry and application to commercialize an existing product design and enter a new market for the business.* Commercialized an antimicrobial hemostatic hydrophilic polyurethane foam wound dressing* Managed the foam-based active ingredient delivery platform through its initial sales and deliveries* Drove gross margin increases by reducing manufacturing waste* Maintained on-time deliveries for the first 3 years of the platform’s life cycle* Negotiated product specifications throughout the supply chain

Foresaw a market need in a rapidly growing residential area for an upscale retail garden center. Acted to locate and secure a prime greenfield property for the business and negotiate financing for the development, construction, and operation of the business. Developed the site plans and negotiated contracts for the land development and constructionof the retail store. Obtained building permits from various county agencies and then oversaw construction of thebusiness on deadline and on budget. Successfully pivoted the operating strategy to include meeting an unforeseen market need for landscape installation. Oversaw the business through four years of operation until ultimately deciding to close in 2012.* Developed the business plan* Secured financing* Obtained all permits including the final building permit* Negotiated site work and structure contracts* Obtained retail license on budget and on scheduleIn 2012 we took the business through the Chapter 11 restructuring process. Negotiations with the main creditor reached an impasse and we subsequently closed the business.

Researched the market and launched the business from concept to operation utilizing bootstrap financing. Developed industry contacts and suppliers into a commercial supply chain for the business. Planned the commercial and operating strategies and then executed them successfully. Presented commercial opportunities to influential custom home builders and synergistic product suppliers to leverage their existing sales forces. Executed a strategy to team with several larger, regional installation firms to both secure contracts larger than AEF’s capabilities and also to take on additional smaller-sized work.* Developed all aspects of the new business, including the product line, advertising, sales strategy, pricing, supply chain, installation process, financial systems, website, quality systems, and customer interface* Produced all revenue for the business through sales to individual homeowners, custom home builders, commercial contractors, and industrial customers* Formulated coating systems utilizing base materials rather than commercial systems, resulting in increased margins, reduced inventory, and superior products* Negotiated a license agreement for a third party to independently operate the business in North Carolina in 2009* Used manufacturing principles to develop a training program and integrate it into daily operations, allowing deployment of a semi-autonomous installation crewIn 2012 the North Carolina licensee withdrew due to illness and I chose to close the business.

Recruited to turn around the laboratory that had been a detriment to the organization due to poor service levels, unmet deliverables and missed commitments, and position the department in anticipation of growing the business from $10 million in sales to supporting $50 million in annual revenues. Tasked with developing new polymer technology platforms used to broaden the product offering, as well as designing and maintaining products employing the following polymeric systems: polyurethanes, epoxies, methacrylates, cyanoacrylates, polyesters, lacquer coatings, UV cured polyurethane acrylates, and alkyd coatings. Also charged with maintaining regulatory compliance of all products, material safety datasheets, and product labels worldwide.Began the revamping process by interviewing customers to gain an understanding of their expectations. Also analyzed the department and discovered that while the lab was overtly measured on large-scale projects, approximately 12 per year, the majority of the work that was done was minor product adjustments for the customer that were not being tracked. On average, about 60 of those projects were taking place per year. Established working product development timelines, from concept to first shipment and project review, for the entire new product launch process, documenting the product development cycle for the first time and highlighting opportunities to parallel path work and reduce cycle times. Hired a new lab chemist to contribute to the growth of the business and ensure continuity in the technical staff.* The lab successfully met its deliverables for the year* Significantly improved the relationship with manufacturing customers by increasing their involvement in the product design, development, and commercialization process * Instilling accountability and continuous improvement in the lab resulted in the return of the lab to the position of a contributing member of the organizationLeft to launch American Epoxy Floors.

Promoted to establish a new organization, which had recently changed from having several internal customers to having both internal and external customers, all with widely varying needs and contractual obligations. Tasked with meeting ongoing internal customer needs, while maintaining the gains from the recent turnaround effort.Compiled and analyzed data from consumers, customers, and businesses to understand needs and improve client satisfaction. Drove patent and intellectual property development projects, and maximized product performance by conducting design experiments related to non-linear high-frequency interactions. Conducted designed experiments on various golf ball constructions to determine optimum materials of construction and geometry. Led the commercialization of polymeric articles produced through the following unit operations: rubber compounding, extrusion, compression molding, injection molding, reactive casting, painting, and pad printing.* Significantly improved speed to market through parallel-pathing and cost of delay evaluation* Reduced product defects and cut cycle times by 50% at launch* Led senior management team in developing the planning and strategy for product research, development, production, and commercialization* Led high-performance team to develop and launch 17 new distinct products in one year.* Gathered, compiled, and analyzed data from consumers, customers and businesses to understand needs and improve client satisfactionOnce the business was profitable, it was sold to Sports World International (SWI), which proceeded to explore taking the manufacturing business offshore.* Responsible for a $1.5 million R&D budget* Developed 20 products in 2003 and 32 products in 2004, many of which were brought to market* Instrumental in the planning and preparation to execute the move to SWI* Planned and forecast for the shutdown of the US facilityLeft for a better opportunity with SEM products after the transition to SWI

Selected to implement best practices for eight discrete systems and processes from the ground up to streamline facility operations. Facilitated and monitored eight system restructuring teams, including Safety, Quality, Customer Service, Productivity, Competency-Based Training, High Performance Work Teams, Innovation and Information Systems.Led meetings and individual sessions to describe and promote new systems and processes and generate buy in.

Promoted to manage all aspects of design and development through the commercialization phase, and continued to aid in the reversal of declining market share. Developed and led a 10-member team including Ph.D. and Masters level scientists and maintained the functionality of the product development factory. Interacted with sales and marketing to generate and promote new products.* Instrumental in the successful commercialization of 9 projects* Managed all aspects of design and development through the commercialization phase* Interacted with sales and marketing to generate and promote new products

Recruited to develop high-performance golf balls in line with the market cycle, which dictated one or two new products per year and model revisions every two years. Also tasked with assisting in the turn-around of a deteriorating market share, soaring costs, and an excessive debt load. Enlisted and led a five-member team to develop multiple product designs, creating and commercializing new polymer materials designed to take advantage of the synergistic nature of ionomeric polymer blends.* Successfully designed and developed 10 different products* Developed robust manufacturing methods to minimize costs and quality problems associated with the conversion from pilot to mass production* Developed and commercialized new polymer materials designed to take advantage of the synergistic nature of ionomeric polymer blends

Promoted to aid in the revitalization of the division and spearhead the development of new materials needs to ensure that the company stayed competitive in the marketplace. Also challenged with procuring the needed capital expenditures for testing and evaluation equipment necessary for the R&D department to meet its goal of bringing new materials to market.Interacting with technical teams and materials process engineers in the design and development of value-added polymer products, led a team of eight that commercialized five different polyurethane materials. Traveled internationally to assess customer needs, research the use of new equipment, and negotiate specifications for raw materials. Assisted sales staff with providing technical data to clients and conducted research and analysis related to injection molding and reactive extrusion operations. Designed extrusion dies and screw configurations to optimize throughput and meet quality specifications, and analyzed the effect of additives on the behavior of different polyurethanes in injection molding and extrusion operations.* Material variance was controlled and reduced to planned levels* Improved on-time delivery of material to international customers to 95%* Reduced material production scrap levels from 50% to 7%* Directed polymer synthesis efforts in pursuit of new materials for the hydraulic and pneumatic sealing market* Generated, assessed, and implemented toll-compounding opportunitiesLeft to pursue a career in the consumer products industry with Dunlop Slazenger Group

Promoted to this newly created position with three direct reports and tasked with establishing an acceptable ’nominal’ target for in-house produced materials, moving the production of those materials to that nominal, and reducing the variability around the nominal target so that all materials produced could be used downstream. Additionally challenged with improving scrap rates and decreasing material shortfalls that were leading to missed customer shipments. Implemented an operator input relational database that tracked all aspects of the material production process and the results of the process, and developed in-house methods to accurately measure materials to predict downstream manufacturing problems. Analyzed and correlated the data to determine the best nominal targets for materials and the optimum process and formulary variables to ensure nominal targets and reduce variability. Also created, instituted, and oversaw quality control teams to monitor the processes. Managed inventory of raw materials and polymer floor stock.* Studied the effect of modifications to polyurethane chain structure on injection molding operations and finished article performance* Successfully developed a repeatable injection molding manufacturing process for the hydraulic and pneumatic sealing market* Determined coefficients used to model the non-Newtonian fluid flow of internally produced polymers* Conducted the laboratory evaluation of polymer physical properties and fluid compatibility* Interfaced with customers on technical service issues related to materials

Hired to support the company’s expansion into military complex sales of polyurethane-based M1 Abrams tank treads. Worked within the engineering team to conduct investigations to develop and manufacture new polymers, developing and implementing new injection molding systems. Applied material viscosity versus shear rate curves to molding parameters and mold design.* Successfully generated prototype samples for testing and evaluation using a high pressure, insert based, reaction injection molding process* Synthesized and commercialized various polyurethanes to meet a wide range of price and performance targets, four of which continue to generate significant revenue today* Launched a polyurethane production line* Designed extrusion dies to meet desired throughput and quality specifications* Designed extrusion screw configurations to optimize quality and throughput of elastomers during compounding operations