Robert Edwards Email & Phone Number

Indianapolis, Indiana, Us

Indianapolis, In, Us

Managed and led all manufacturing aspects for the new vacuum forming tub and shower operation startup consolidated into the Greensburg plant. Implemented shop floor management and lean execution principles on each of the four startup lines. • Improved startup cost of quality from $64 to $18 per unit.• Implemented people based safety observations to drive out unsafe acts and improve ergonomic issues.• Reduced man hours per unit by 54%.• Implemented hourly performance check points and root cause analysis on all production lines.• Improved OEE to 75% average on the 4 lines.• Reduced defects/million by 40%.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Worked directly with product management to design/develop/implement approved product projects that align with the overall product strategy. Create and implement project plans on time and under budget. Identify product improvements with product management and be able to effectively implement them. • Developed the process and launched a new LifeStory and LifeView platform feature that is proprietary only to Batesville. These new product features generate over $70 million dollars in annual sales. • Launched approximately 175 new product introductions in both metal and woods, supporting Batesville’s position as the continued leader in new and innovative product offerings.• Made numerous cycle time and lean improvements to design processes such as new interior testing, hardware design and plant implementation.• Managed the design and specifications of all current and new products.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Focus was on labor reductions, reducing lost cycles, improving product flow through the plant, implementing lean processes and standard work for hourly associates. • Reduced the plant’s labor and over time cost by $13.16 a unit. Annual savings of over $2 million dollars.• Improved lost cycles through the plant by 58%.• Mentored and coached plant production team on lean training and implementation.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Managed and led all manufacturing aspects of the main assembly and hardware plants, including engineering, quality, maintenance, facilities, continuous improvement, safety and environmental controls. Focus was on lean manufacturing techniques to drive out waste in all business processes. • Selected by Industry Week (September 2006) as one of the ten best run plants in North America. (2002 - 2005 performance period).• Generated over $1 million in daily continuous improvement savings and cost avoidances annually.• Cost of quality was reduced by 48% and defects per million improved by 27%.• Manufacturing returns were improved by 71% by focusing on departmental containment of defects and root cause analysis of problems.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Focus was on material flow through the plant and general lean process improvements. • Began initial plan to transfer Stamping Plant cap cells to the Assembly plant. This move allowed us to improve the supplier / customer relationship, improve quality and gain a productivity reduction of 10 operators. The moved generated a savings of $450,000 for the year.• Developed a tig welding process on the Hageman Cap line. This new process eliminated the hand-crimping process on steel & stainless units and resulted in a personnel savings of $80,000.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Responsibility included the daily management of all personnel and lean execution within the area. • Implemented $320,000 in cost reduction ideas for the year.• Improved the containment of defects through use of Kaizen coming out of the department by 40%.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Coordinated and executed the consolidation of the Campbellsville Plant into the Batesville and Manchester Assembly Plants while achieving better quality, cost and delivery. • Team Leader for plant consolidation generated $7.6 million annually savings.• Improved productivity by 55% and manufacturing returns by 50%.• Lead time was improved 41%.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Managed all daily aspects of all personnel and manufacturing within the Fabrication and Finishing Departments. • Implemented a cost reduction program through point Kaizen’s that successfully reduced the bed manufacturing cost by $1.1 million dollars annually.• Successfully implemented a 10,000 reject reduction plan in the finishing area, through the use of Kaizen, allowing for the rerun line to be eliminated saving the company $500,000.• Utilized Kaizen to create a pull system on the cap line, eliminating inventory by 50% and increasing productivity by 20%.

Batesville, Indiana, Us

Area Manager, Fabrication Department: (1991 to 1994)Second Shift Production Superintendent: (1989 to 1991)Third Shift Die Casting and Clean-up Supervisor: (1988 to 1989)