Keith Fischer Email & Phone Number

Wisconsin, United States

Sheboygan Falls, Wi, Us

Coordinate the formulation and improvement of market development plans including products, price, channels, distribution, and messaging. Work interdependently with the full Bemis NA team to successfully execute the created market development plans to grow sales and generate an acceptable profit margin ensuring Bemis MFG remains a world class leader of bathroom products and remains the market share leader with a proactive product portfolio.Work with the Engineering and Sales functions to clearly define the market required products, the market based pricing, the appropriate distribution path to the customer and the effective value proposition messaging to the customer, both consumer and channel.- Develop product roadmaps- Improve market development plan- Create and manage the annual Market and Business Development plan

Kiel, Wi, Us

Drive business growth domestically and globally by delivering quality manufactured and tested machine lines through a streamlined operations organization, PMI style Project Management processes, revamped manufacturing and assembly practices from a push to pull operational system, building a comprehensive purchasing, supply chain and logistics competency and delivering to an operations master planning functionality for scheduling and tracking.- Increased production capacity through 3 main initiatives; double production floor space through capital expansion, increased internal production headcount by 40% (including the addition of 2nd shift) and quadruple the contracted manufacturing services to offset increased demand creating capacity to fulfill the pipeline orders.- Created a business vision and business plan to grow operations capacity both internally and through contracted labor to deliver on an all-time high order workload. Taking into consideration the 20-year order average to ensure the business can sustain and maintain headcount through traditional cyclical order fluctuation. Additionally installed and built an operations support team of Continuous Improvement, Quality, Scheduling/Planning and Project Management functionality to drive world class processes and methodologies to sustain a healthy balance between spend, production capacity and margin.- Converted traditional manufacturing practice of build in place individual craftsmanship into modular manufacturing by introducing cellular manufacturing and cells of excellence. Implementing and driving procedures, methodologies, and efficiencies into operations to execute on a significantly increased booked business with a targeted taking lead-times of 8 month (order received to delivery). Results will drive maximized throughput and reduced contracted labor needed while increasing margin.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Transitioned Program Management organization of 22 leaders across 4 separate and independent regions into single, complex interconnected global organization to drive optimization, efficiencies and business profit. Led 20 product development projects with initiatives that included global product design, market penetration and products connected by digital IoT.- Restructured group to align more closely with faucet product categories, creating product development efficiencies that resulted in 10% reduction in time-to-market for product launches.- Partnered with Product Marketing as Co-owners of Global Faucet category, replacing under performing program managers with key internal leaders, improving management of $48M annual project development with net-neutral headcount.- Drove significant global, multi-regional, and regional product development initiatives, addressing emerging market trends and complex and diverse variations required in 5 major global markets.- Launched global projects encompassing connected (IoT) products and builder channel categories, capitalizing on $100M market opportunity.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Moved understaffed NPD Purchasing organization into highly functioning, sought-after group within NPD and grew organization from 4 to 12 while providing even more value than expected for NPD community.- Reorganized and built up understaffed and under performing purchasing group for greater alignment to product categories, achieving significant efficiency gains in processes, standards, and business partnerships. Filled 8 key positions with emerging leaders, with 5 moving into management roles.- Spearheaded new vision for group, building purchasing strategy to add value to NPD, followed by constant reinforcement and leadership, arriving at goal within 15 months.- Led team that drove $2.5M in annualized cost avoidances and built process and system to identify, equip and support strengthened supply base.- Initiated incremental sourcing purchasing process to provide way to produce gap-filling products in faucets, drains, accessories, fittings and lighting utilizing supply base, freeing up internal resource to focus on value-add activities. Increased product launches and added $3M-$6M in annual sales.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Owned full P&L for $18M product category. Led new product development team of 6 - 7; managed up to 5 concurrent projects. Collaborated with sales to create refined market strategy, drive support of plan and launch marketing campaigns to build awareness and turn around under performing category.- Improved under performing Commercial space product category by building executable 5-year strategy with relevant product launches, increasing net margin from 10% to +13% in <2 years. Strategy remains in effect 5 years later.- Create field initiative to drive market and consumer insights by developing sales consortium of sales staff with vested interest in product category, who knew market trends better than anyone. Joint effort connected with customers, building trust and gaining thorough understanding of product needs, gaps, and features that were in demand.- Redefined marketing strategy based on sales consortium, creating cohesive vision of product offering, sales opportunities and markets, bringing meaningful products to the market with intentional customer service, quality improvements and customer buy-in.- Increased market share 30% in under 18 months, driving sales training, gaining allegiance and support of sales, and driving execution of plan and launch of relevant new products, moving to positive net income.- Revamped outdated, incomplete product line, eliminating under performers, identifying gaps and bringing winning portfolio of products to market.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Championed and led initiative with cross-functional product development team of 28 - 35 associates to launch new large displacement engine platform with highest torque, lowest emissions and competitive costs in 30 months.- Led single largest and most challenging program in engines business to product launch, meeting HP / torque expectations and emissions objectives within appropriate time-frame and development budget.- Created, organized and drove teamwork initiatives, changing culture and improving performance of effective, engaged, high-performing product development team with more complete ownership of all objectives.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Created and executed business and go-to-market strategy for non-faucet bathroom accessories. $10 - 12M sales for Residential and Hospitality (hotel) products.- Led product development team for Accessories business, cutting development time in half by eliminating over-engineering of accessory products, speeding time to market from 24 to 12 months.- Developed specific supply chain to match industry and produced shipping and warehousing solution, reducing cost by approximately 18% on average.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Led development of supply base and created vendor partnerships to ensure Kohler quality manufacturing standards.- Educated existing supply base on Kohler requirements, business practices and expectations. Consolidated supply base, reducing suppliers from 37 to 25 key suppliers.- Identified, developed and matured 6 new Faucets suppliers, resulting in ~$45M in annual spend by 2015.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Kitchen Faucet Team Leader

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Coordinated, managed and lead a core team to identify, justify and execute cost reduction and product improvement projects.

Kohler, Wisconsin, Us

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President, I was able to perform many different functions within this small business. Roles such as: quoting injection mold tooling jobs, creating 100% of tooling designs, programmed EDM’s (wire cutting + die sinking), plus manufactured and built molds. I was called upon to step in when others were not able to perform their function and was taught how to run every piece of equipment within the business to be a counted upon backup.

Performed the duties of a tool Room Associate with the following responsibilities:- Design and build new metal forming tools and fixtures as required for production as a Tier II automotive supplier- Study, learn develop expertise and train other associates in advanced metal manufacturing such as Aluminum and Stainless Steel TIG weldingFunctioned as a back-up for several roles, including tool designer, press operator, facilities maintenance and shipping/receiving

Co-led the 3rd shift tool room requiring the building and maintenance of metal stamping, welding and laser cutting tools and fixtures to satisfy the requirements necessary to keep production serviced and running smoothly.Ran all machines required to execute to responsibilities including wire cutting EDM, MIG & TIG welder, CNC lathe and Mill, wet grinder and sample presses.General laborer of center-less grinding, press brakes, milling machines, stamping presses and laser cutters.

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, International Business, Mandarin

Associate Of Science - As, Manufacturing Engineering