Thad Barker Email & Phone Number

Provided daily oversight of Material Review Board (MRB) system used to disposition suspect material for 267,000 sq. ft. Grove City Facility with 250 employees. Ensured optimal plant quality by reviewing material to identify manufacturing issues prior to release for shipment. Managed and drove customer complaints to resolution. Implemented and verified countermeasures. Managed customer and supplier specification changes and updates; ensured accurate entry into specification maintenance database.* Negotiated specification updates with most of company’s material suppliers, successfully tightening spec limits, ensuring higher quality product.

Accountable for all aspects of new program launches, from development to mass production. Ensured seamless transition of programs into mass production. Worked with key customer contacts to understand quality and engineering expectations for new model launches. Managed trial event activity from material procurement stage to finished product shipping. Ensured trial events were built, packaged, labeled, and shipped to meet customer expectations. Created and maintained detailed program timelines that highlighted key events.Managed inventory of new model materials held in engineering location. Performed production reporting of completed trials, including database updates. Worked with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Production Control to schedule trial events. Designed and managed creation of fixtures and tooling for new model programs. Provided input on tool development and modification for specific applications. Visited customer locations to support new model builds at facilities and resolved issues.* Led Plant Readiness process, ensuring preparation of all facets of plant for mass production.* Led countermeasure activity for quality and process issues associated with new model programs.* Developed Ohio Trials Process credited with streamlining flow of every aspect of trial phase, from material procurement to shipping of parts to customers. Process ensured trial event timeliness to completion.* Assisted in developing patterns and chemical formulations for each part style.

Managed Foam in Place Division consisting of 2 supervisors on 2 shifts and 75 direct reports (production associates). Ensured efficient use of departmental budget. Oversaw daily production process, including manpower, training, scrap monitoring, quality issues, 5S, tooling changes, and schedule attainment. Hired, disciplined, and reviewed personnel.* Led successful completion and maintenance of major 5S project.* Designed and led implementation of new process layout that reduced rework, increased efficiency, and improved first pass quality output. Modified equipment and process flows to produce 1-piece flow concept, increasing efficiency and improving first-pass quality yield.* Developed first piece verification process to ensure high part quality and equipment setup accuracy.* Drove down overtime from 20% to company goal of 5% by implementing streamlining tool changes and working with Production Control to increase efficiency of parts scheduling.

Worked directly with key customer contacts to understand quality expectations for new model programs. Performed onsite audits of sister companies to ensure plant readiness for upcoming major trial events. Managed approval process of all fixtures and jigs utilized in mass production assembly processes. Collected data for new model trial builds and reported results to management team. Managed third party lab testing for materials used in new model programs. Fielded and resolved customer complaints and quality issues arising during new model trial builds.* Implemented and led past problem history process to identify and feed forward critical information for new model programs utilizing lessons learned approach.* Managed hand-off process of programs transitioning from development stages to mass production.

Managed completion of customer corrective actions and implementation of countermeasures for complaints utilizing cross-functional teams in development of countermeasures. Investigated and addressed customer issues and complaints. Handled supplier quality issues and issued supplier corrective actions. Performed onsite supplier audits to confirm corrective action effectiveness. Updated weekly metrics for scrap, quality rates, and customer complaints. Engaged in quality management for customer accounts and performed customer visits.* Served in role of facilitator to “Quick Hit” team (developed by Honda) designed to root cause and countermeasure all types of issues facing facility. Identified and implemented countermeasures for issue with small cross-functional team.