Leader of and responsible for Manufacturing, Packaging, Warehousing, Logistics, Distribution, 3PLs, Engineering, Maintenance, and Capital Projects within the Supply Chain Organization for a rapidly growing VMS Company.

Grew the Operations Leadership role to include create of the Maintenance, EHS, and Engineering groups to drive transformational change through the implantation of process changes, technology introductions, and a leadership team expansion that yielded a manufacturing capacity that grew >100% YoY. Select accomplishments:• Challenged operational management practices and pushed a high margin, low output business to embrace the methods of management more typically found in a larger CPG company to deliver exception results through measurement, goal setting, and problem solving.• Bolstered preparedness for external audits (NSF, FDA, EPA, OSHA) through the education of the organization of the team on standards and expectations and execution of industry standard engineering and construction methods.• Built Out Capital Expenditure program and developed Long Range Capital Plan with roadmap for completion. • Delivered results, including a 2x capacity of all manufacturing operations in less than 1 year with less than $3MM of CapEx, delivering a 30% reduction in COGS.• Introduced new technologies and equipment into a VMS manufacturing environment that led to a 50% reduction in consumer complaints and 20% reduction in scrapped blends due to errors or process inconsistencies.

Responsible for daily operation of the MegaFood manufacturing operation, including 3 separate business units (nutrient manufacturing, tablet manufacturing, packaging) consisting of >120 hourly associates and a leadership team of 6 managers and supervisors. Multiple building responsibility in a 24/5 manufacturing environment that consists of refractance window dryers to produce nutrient powders, tablet presses and encapsulation machines to produce bulk vitamins and supplements, and a glass bottle production line.Served as the leader of manufacturing operations, providing day-to-day operational strategic and decision-making for a high cost/high margin VMS business with a focus on ultra-high quality ingredients and manufacturing requirements. Responsible for full manufacturing COGS and associated KPIs.

Responsible for the SAFE daily operation of the Mott’s factory, one of the largest apple sauce production facilities in the world, consisting of 6 apple sauce production lines, including raw apple receiving, sorting, cleaning, processing, and packaging, as well as 8 beverage production lines, including hot-fill pasteurized, cold-fill preserved, and aseptic filling technologies in PET bottles, cups, injection molded shapes, aluminum cans, and bulk containers. Directly manage a team of 12 supervisors and 450+ union employees in a 24/7 environment. Responsible for the plant budget of $40MM. Serve as the plant operations leader, providing day-to-day operational management and decision-making for 14 production lines spanning multiple product types and packaging technologies, in both vertically integrated and aggregate just-in-time business models. Manage the receiving, processing, and use of >1MM pounds of apples and the batching of > 100K gallons of single strength juices, teas, and alcohol beverages, daily. Drove the transformation and reinforcement of a safety focused culture, where decisions are made in the order of safety, quality, delivery to customers, productivity, and growth of people, while always keeping cost adherence in focus. Focused on building an Engaged team of employees that drive continuous improvement through the implementation of Lean Manufacturing tools, such as Kaizen events, Visual Management, center-lining, SMED, CIL, LPA, and Standard Work. Manage and develop a team of 12 Operations Supervisors and 19 Group Leaders through building a culture of learning, development, accountability, respect, and humility, by balancing the dichotomies of leadership. Leverage analytical skills and continuous improvement tools (RCA, 5Y, Lean, 5S, 6σ) to drive improvements and ensure performance goals are exceeded.

Manage the daily operation of and lead the improvement efforts for the Kenosha, WI production facility, consisting of two high speed, hot-fill PET beverage packaging lines, two aseptic Tetra Pak lines, and a hot fill canning line, in a 24/7 environment. Work as the operational leader, providing day-to-day operational management and decision-making across three business units to facilitate the maximization of resources (man and machine) to ensure plant objectives are met in the safest, highest quality, and most cost effective manner. Develop, monitor, and communicate business critical KPIs to drive improvement and ensure performance levels are meeting or exceeding plant committed targets. Ensure plant goals and KPIs (Safety, Quality, & Productivity) are constantly met. Focus on People Leadership to create a culture centered on Safety and Engagement, to indirectly enhance overall plant performance. Manage and support of direct reports, including supervisors, Engineering Support Technicians, and a Controls and Automation Engineer who all have a focus above and beyond their traditional responsibilities to include an emphasis on continuous improvement projects, including planned event improvements, material loss reduction, throughput improvements, training tool development. Leverage analytical skills and continuous improvement tools (RCA, 5Y, Lean, 5S, 6σ) to drive improvements and ensure performance meets established goals. Challenge operational methods, imagine and execute innovative solutions to push the performance of the plant and company to continuously be an innovator and benchmark in the food and beverage industries.

Supported the network of Ocean Spray food and beverage facilities as a corporate based engineer. Worked to develop, design, manage and execute food processing plant expansion projects, focusing on adherence to scope, schedule, and budget, while ensuring a quality result. Served in a project leadership role for Cooperative critical projects, from project concept, throughout design and planning, and during execution. Supported projects spanning many disciplines, including: research and development, engineering, procurement, finance, accounting, quality, and operations. Provided engineering support for multiple company facilities and complete projects with minimal supervision. Developed an understanding of the business structure, specifically the unique aspects of an Grower-Owner Cooperative.

Wine Storage Tank Farm Expansions • Led the design, planning, and day-to-day operations of two major wine storage tank expansion projects. Worked with engineering, operations, and upper management to develop a project and schedule that satisfied company requirements. Forecasted project costs, developed project component scopes, and selected appropriate contractors to complete tasks. Ensured compliance with state and federal requirements and gathered required permits. Communicated project schedule and budget to managers.Ammonia Refrigeration Plant• Consulted with a professional engineering firm and licensed contractor to design, construct, and commission a 1050 nominal Ton ammonia refrigeration plant. Established process specifications and requirements allowing for appropriate equipment selection and control system design.• Completed required, PSSM’s (Pre-startup Safety Review), RMP (Risk Management Plan) updates, and ensured compliance with local, state, and federal ammonia regulations.• Conducted training of operators and maintenance personnel with the goal of empowering and educating employees to improve leadership skills and knowledge, resulting in improved product quality and efficiency. 108 BPM 750mL Wine Bottling Line• Adapted & Optimized a 108 BPM bottling line from a mobile bottling line into a high efficiency semi-mobile bottling line with increased capacity and designed the capability to be relocated quickly by inclusion of a modular, skid-based, line design. Facility Infrastructure Development and Management• Selection and Procurement of grape and wine processing equipment including, destemmers, crushers, presses, pumps, valving, and filtration equipment.• Design of whole facility utilities, including air compressors, nitrogen vaporizers, and fresh water wells, including usage monitoring and downtime prevention.• Managed office space remodeling projects, facility lighting projects, and paving projects.

I worked as a graduate research assistant in the mechanical engineering department on a fully funded (DOE) project in conjunction with a private company, Aspen Aerogels. My research involved the manufacturing of aerogels and the development of a model of this process in an effort to minimize manufacturing time. My thesis was based on this research and was completed in May 2011.

Worked as a supporting design engineer for various electro-optical, electro-mechanical, and laser systems in a variety of stages of product life over the course of 3 summers. I designed mechanical packages for optical systems to be used in military and defense applications, noting optical alignment, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and weightMy responsibilities included the design, drafting, and assembly of various products and prototypes, in addition to conducting laboratory experiments. I conducted thermal and mechanical finite element analysis using IDEAS 12 and NX6.

Worked as a youth soccer coach at summer camps.