Joseph Laperna Email & Phone Number

Greater New York City Area

Handled all costing and purchasing for major retailers in both the US and Canada. Nordstrom, Dress Barn, DSW, Maurices, Wet Seal, Bootlegger, Buckle.Negotiated directly with factories to meet margin requirement. Communicated with overseas vendors to discuss all production details of customer orders.Maintained work in progress ( WIP ) report and monitored factory delivery schedules. Managed all details from pre-production to production stages including review of proto, pre-production and top samples.Communicated with overseas office to monitor production processes and trim purchasing.Managed all product testing/factory evaluations with third party testing facilities/vendors.Liaison with logistics, compliance, design and sales to ensure on time delivery to customers.Updated sales staff and management on deliveries, costing and margins.

Processed customer production orders with domestic and overseas vendors.Negotiated pricing with all domestic and overseas vendors to minimize production costs. Communicated daily with vendors on production issues and flow of orders.Reviewed customer production samples and packaging for approval.Liaison to testing facilities, monitoring product to ensure that the customer specifications are met. Coordinated between overseas vendors and logistics companies in expediting all customer orders.Entered, maintained item pricing and master files in database.

Assisted project manager in the sale and reconciliation of $20M in inventory assets.Assisted diamond manager in the sale of closeout product to buyers. Identified component costs and determined sell prices.Maintained inventories of closeouts.Monitored and valued scrap/melt inventories of jewelry productPrepared, compiled, and distributed product for sample presentation meetings to largest retailers in the US. Ordered and expedited all customer and sales line samples from domestic and overseas vendors.Liaison with overseas vendors to reproduce product for competitive pricing or model changes/new models for sales line, returning defective products for repair or credit.Coordinated between overseas vendors and account executives/salesmen to help in expediting customer sample and production orders.

Responsible for managing five national accounts for the largest retailers in the United States.Worked closely with production department to insure timely shipment of customer orders.Provided price quotes for customer special orders and resolved customer issues.

Designed “sample item bill of materials” creation program with emphasis on inventory control.Analyzed standard-to-actual cost analysis of newly-acquired jewelry division to determine profitability.Entered and maintained end item bill of materials and master files into database.

Prepared, compiled/distributed style price pointed programs and product for sample presentation meetings to largest retailers in the United States.Entered and maintained item bill of materials and master files into database. Ordered and expedited all customer and salesmen samples from domestic and overseas vendors.Liaison for overseas vendors to reproduce product for competitive pricing or for model changes/new models for sales presentations. Coordinated between overseas vendors and account executives/salesmen to assist in expediting customer sample and production orders.Returned defective product to vendors for repair or credit.Attended industry trade shows to promote and strengthen customer relations.Coordinated all inter-office memos concerning production issues and style revisions.

Business Administration And Management, General

Diamond Grading