Currently live in the Pacific North West growing timber (Owner/Forest Management) for lumber (Wildwood Tree Farm). Sideline is building and remodeling log cabins as well as nature walks, forest lore and firewood. I love the peace and quiet

My job was to do a total renovation, reset and reorganization of their warehouse system. I removed the old storage racks, updated the layout and installed new racks. Re-set the stock so that aisles had a common theme ie. electric motors, belts, gear drives, sprockets, etc. With a French parent company, the language difference presented a particular challenge as well.

Coordinated shipping with production supervisors/planners, scheduled staffing to accommodate shipping needs, confirmed record of incoming shipments, arranged supplies, supervised shipping foreign and domestic. Restructured the warehouse and inventory. Set up a new satellite warehouse in Lindsay Ca for casting patterns.

Started in demolition of the old plant then moved on to construction, unloading and assembling the plant’s machinery. When operational, supervised the batching department ordering and receiving truckloads of raw material, operating the hammer mills, inventory control, and product formulation. Then appointed temporary warehouse manager until a permanent manager was found. Next promoted to Sanitation Supervisor in charge of three facilities and got the plant from a start-up at an SQF level of zero to a level two and then on to a level three a year later. Corporate certified forklift, scissor lift and boom lift trainer, sanitation training and certification was through AIB in Kansas City.

The business idea came from cutbacks in government programs funding. In the past the DA’s office would mark OAN numbers on equipment such as trailers, tractors, etc. at no cost to the owner. Federal funding was discontinued for the program resulting in a business opportunity. Often property is not returned because the owner cannot be identified. The only system designed to be used on virtually any type of equipment is an Owner Applied Number (OAN). Numbers are issued by the ACTION PROJECT from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. By the time the startup was operational, minimal program funding had been restored to the county, just enough to eliminate the need for the service.

As Senior Overnight Logistics Team Lead, I managed the overnight process My job was to supervise the Overnight Flow Team as they unloaded incoming trailers, restocked the sales floor, and returned overstock to the warehouse. All of this had to be completed before the store re-opened the next day. I was also in charge of special projects such as Inventory Prep, scheduling, reviews, and anything else necessary to complete the store's goals safely, on time, and on budget.

Independent Contractor With a staff of four the contract was to sort and deliver mail, packages, and material to the mountain area on the west side of Sequoia National Monument in California using 4 wheel drive vehicles. The Contract was for 4 years-6 days per week, 52 weeks per year. The job involved detailed organization, accurate deliveries, and completion according to a hard deadline.

PCI Retail Solutions was a startup merchandising division of Payless Cashways Inc. As territory manager, my area extended throughout Central California. I was assigned to cover Lumberjack and other home improvement stores in a variety of ways. This included sales improvement ideas, special promotions, service events, merchandising, resets, displays, and training for various products.

As the West Coast Supervisor of Merchandisers, I was assigned 4 western states. Using schematics, blue prints and planagrams (POG’s) My job was to set up (merchandise) or re-set more than 120 new or existing stores. New stores were usually set up by 3 six person teams and completed in one week. Remodels of former Thrifty Drug, Payless or Longs stores were normally finished in 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the location and size.

Management Consulting ServicesFor two years I freelanced as a consultant to various auto racing businesses/entities in and around California. This involved extensive and intensive research, working closely with many different racing venues (NHRA,NASCAR,SCCA, etc.), government officials, manufacturers, corporate sponsors, suppliers, and construction companies. I wrote business plans that included store layouts, track layouts and service facilities. Car shows and special events for nonprofit benefits (hospitals etc.) were held to promote projects. It was very hands on. During this time period I learned more about business than at any other time in my life.

GovernmentThis position was a case of Private Enterprise meets State and Local Government. As an experienced professional I was recruited to develop a modern Commissary Services System for the new Detention Division of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department and the State of California Return to Custody Facility. This job was created to buy time and stave off privatizing for as much as five years. I improved their gross sales from $60,000 to more than $1.5 million, and profit from 10% to 49%. Responsibilities included all management functions from profit & loss, to fiscal budget, product selection, purchasing, shipping, receiving, merchandising, warehousing, personnel issues concerning both civilian staff, sworn officers, and inmates, safety, security, etc. I wrote and established a policies and procedures manual for the system, and accurately processed and delivered 4,000 to 5,000 inmate orders per month. These orders were shipped to four separate detention facilities. I received security clearances from local law enforcement up to and including the FBI. This was intended to be a maximum five year project that was successful for almost ten years.

I was hired by a very close friend to set up a new marine sales and service facility from the first design on a napkin to grand opening and daily operation. This included the site plan, building remodel, store layout, product selection, merchandising, displays, service area, and boat and RV storage. The project involved sales of new and used watercraft, trailers, parts & accessories, and equipment. To promote this business, I held watercraft demonstrations, special events, and boat shows. I am a high performance boat specialist and certified scuba diver

This was a commission sales position, selling pleasure and sport marine craft, mainly Sea Ray’s, Boston Whalers, Rangers and ski boats. This involved working the showroom floor and office, setting up boats for display, holding special events, and working boat shows. It also included obtaining loans, insurance, and vehicle registration etc. My next move was a promotion to Parts Department Manager. This position was at the heart of the business. My decisions could make or break a deal. It involved sales and customer service, inventory control, product selection, writing work orders and service requests. This included demos and boating instruction to new owners. During this time, I received my United States Coastguard Certification for Marine Safety and Operation while in this position

While in this position, I went from new hire to Manager Trainee to General Manager within 3 months. My responsibilities included new store start ups and grand openings, advertising, public relations, special events, security , personnel functions, payroll, product selection, inventory control, and warehousing, etc. Products ranged from toys and gift items to diamonds and gold. As General Manager I opened and operated both new and existing stores. I was the trouble shooter for the Western Region. My job was to discover why a store was not operating up to par, then fix it or close it down..

Commission Sales/BuyerMarch 1974-Novmeber 1977 - JC Penney Company, Inc. Visalia, CaAutomotive Sales and Repair ServicesIn this position, I bought and sold high performance auto parts and accessories as well as standard auto items and equipment. This was a dream job for me coming from the drag racing world. The best part was that tires, wheels, batteries, sound systems and standard automotive accessories proved equally as lucrative as the high performance products. I set up a budget based on my open to buy allotment, established a product selection, and arranged purchasing, inventory levels and promotions. The regular part of this position included service writing and commissioned sales. Products ranged from tires and batteries to engine parts and custom wheels. This store/unit was rated in the top 5 stores nationally before it was phased out due to corporate restructuring.