I oversee ingredients purchases in excess of $350 Million/ year for 60+ Hormel mfg. and copacker locations, across 2,700 unique items. Negotiate, review and contract all applicable ingredients for Hormel locations. Identify and recommend alternate suppliers and materials to improve cost and business efficiencies. Lead enterprise wide sourcing initiatives. Monitor market conditions to optimize company spend. Advise and assist R&D in new product development. Establish and develop positive vendor relations while maintaining personal integrity.

In my current role as Supervisor of our Canned ham, CIB, Retorts and SPAM production, I manage productivity and daily yields, present monthly Safety, Quality, and Continuous Improvement meetings. I am responsible for production scheduling and ensuring all our products are completed and reach our customers in a safe and timely manner.• Supervise of 30-45 employees• Schedule products• Coordinate transportation and supplies with logistics and purchasing• Verify daily and weekly inventories • Plan monthly meetings• Employee Payroll

As a Relief Supervisor, I am responsible for all areas of our Grocery Products Department (including our SPAM, Canned ham, and Cook-in-a-bag items), across three shifts. My job is to provide vacation coverage by managing production lines, employees, processes, ordering and scheduling. I assist with maintaining food safety and product tracking records, as well as facilitating employee training, and contributing to departmental improvement projects.

Developed and completed departmental improvement projects for the Dry Sausage division. Coordinated dry room procedures and process, Line efficiencies, established robust tool accountability program, sanitation best practices.

Assisted with new product launch, responsibilities included the success of the Dry Sausage REV department in our Austin plant.  Managed 50 to 80 employees depending on production needs, leading them to achieving safety, productivity and quality goals. Included scheduling products, coordinating transportation and supplies, verifying daily inventories, enforcing company policies, planning monthly meetings, and motivating employees.

My main focus was to ensure the successful manufacturing of food products by supervising a staff of approximately 15-30 employees. Responsibilities were to lead team members by managing, and executing plant processes, as well as manage team members in attaining production and quality goals. I also made it a priority to ensure appropriate resources (including materials, equipment, and staffing needs) are available to maintain production schedules. I supported our continuous improvement processes to ensure that goals in safety, quality, cost, and customer service were met. A main area of focus for me has been to create and maintain an engaged and team oriented work force to improve business results. My position is very hands-on and the majority of my time is predominantly spent in the production area for the entirety of my shift.

As Market Manager I was responsible for handling the day-to-day operations and ensuring profitability. Among my duties were: To ensure the satisfaction of over 3,800 commercial contractors as well as DIY customers and build positive long-term relationships with them. Interview, hire, train, coach and mentor employees. Handle inside and outside sales, including developing a sales plan and a process for lead-sharing. Supervising, merchandising, inventory, stock rotation and replenishment, and housekeeping functions and delegating work. Hold monthly meetings on new product and strategy testing and training. Communicate with architects and designers in the field regularly. Ensure that the accounts payable and receivable functions are handled appropriately. Ensure that safety, security and loss prevention practices are followed.

As the assistant store manager I handled the day-to-day store operations and other responsibilities that enable the store manager to focus on sales development and outside sales activities. Among my duties were: Ensuring the satisfaction of both wholesale and do-it-yourself customers and building positive long-term relationships with them. Schedule staff and manage employee issues. Handling store merchandising, stock rotation and replenishment, and housekeeping functions. Selling including helping the store manager develop the store’s annual sales plan. Handling the store’s accounts receivable function.

While in the Management Training Program I was responsible for learning and performing a variety of activities that would help prepare me to be an assistant manager. Among my duties were: Ensuring the satisfaction of both commercial and do-it-yourself customers and building positive long-term relationships with them. Assisting with store merchandising, stock rotation and replenishment, and housekeeping functions. Learning about products and making appropriate recommendations for their use. Accepting product shipments. Tinting paint. Making deliveries to customer job sites. Preparing paperwork for processing and paying bills. Assisting in collecting market information on customers and competitors.

The lessons that I learned from College football were many: hard work, discipline, focus, the ability to analyze a problem and work through it. To accept that you don't always win and when you do win that doesn't change who you are!