Thomas Blackton Email & Phone Number

Spencer, Iowa, United States

Responsible for overall plant operations, including safety, quality, delivery, productivity, Lean activities, administrative and financial performance. Also responsible for. employee development, staffing, project management, and annual operating budget preparation and recommendations.

Carle Place, New York

• Championed the leadership, oversight, and direction of lean programs as well as lean based change resulting in a 15% increase in output, saving $1.3MM per year.• Applied comprehensive set of industrial engineering techniques including statistics and simulation to solve extraordinarily complex business analysis.• Pinpointed and detailed projects along with ROI's. • Developed and implemented best practices, quality assurance standards and project management procedures.• Assessed operations and made key suggestions to implement more cost-effective processes and lean manufacturing principles.• Installed in 2018 an automated frosting machine at Cheryl's brand, resulting in an annual savings of $1.2MM.• Purchased and installed Vertical Bagging machine in 2019 at The Popcorn Factory brand, resulting in an annual savings of $85M.• Installed Popcorn Tin line automation at The Popcorn Factory brand in 2020, resulting in an annual savings of $495M.• Established all lean processes (and teams) at multiple sites, using 5S practices to redesign facilities.• Formulated and launched a lean and automation project tracking program.

Sidney, Oh

• Governed 150+ employee while maintaining full P&L oversight.• Optimized the operations, scheduling, engineering, shipping/receiving, and maintenance, resulting in a yearly average of 3% labor savings (160M).• Strategized the financial budget, while securing zero recordable accidents, quality, OEE, and cost reductions.• Led a team of four process engineers, one environmental/safety engineer, and a maintenance manager (14 maintenance tech's) at 2 facilities with an emphasis on lean manufacturing and capital/workflow optimization.• Steered the completion of all capital projects.• Navigated the organization through a plant consolidation project that reduced our footprint from 3 plants to 2.• Expertly eliminated an assembly and distribution center thereby securing a fiscal year 2016 savings of $1.4MM.• Deployed a Wet Ones Canister Shrink Sleever and Net Weight filler/capper which produced over $600M savings in fiscal year 2015.• Performed the FAT at both the vendor and plant for the Wet Ones canister line automation, resulting in a fiscal year 2017 savings of $333M.• Procured and purchased equipment to automate our Wet Ones tray line which produced a fiscal year 2009 savings of $295M.• Integral to the development and training of standard work specifications.• Synchronized the use of equipment to automate our Wet Ones Singles line securing a fiscal year 2010 savings of $1.2MM.• Developed, justified, and installed equipment to automate the winding and cutting of our canister log, resulting in a fiscal year 2016 savings of $610M.• Recommended and enforced an equipment change from a corrugated shipper to a pad and shrink wrap on our Canister product which enabled a fiscal year 2017 savings of $530M.• Presided over an equipment move to generic shippers. This project reduced the need for 95 shippers to 30 shippers and eliminated the space to store of those shippers. This resulted in a fiscal year 2015 savings of $95M.•

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

• Directed the process engineering functions at 11 interior door facilities with an emphasis on lean manufacturing and workflow optimization.• Provide divisional support in the following 2008 AOP goals: zero recordable accidents, while exceeding 97% fill rates.• $11.6MM in controllable cost savings from three plant consolidations in FY07.• Pioneered lean manufacturing/workflow optimization projects in 2007 saving more than $1.6MM. • Procured and purchased equipment to automate door painting at two facilities saving $1.2M per year in FY08.

Fordsville, Ky

Managed a three shift, 350 employee facility with full P&L responsibilities. Using lean manufacturing techniques, achieved the following results:- reduced overall lead time 25% (4 to 3 days)- cut out of box audit rejects by 40%- reduced in-process inventories by 30%

Jackson Center, Ohio

Managed a two shift, 150 employee motorhome facility with P & L responsibilities. Used lean manufacturing techniques to accomplish the following improvements:- reduced manufactuirng floor space 50%- increased sales 250% from $1.2 million to $3.0 million- start-up of new Interstate Van motorhome

Piqua, Ohio

Managed a two shift, 120 employee manufacturing facility, producer of residential, commercial, and industrial pumps. Accomplishments as plant manager were:- creation of focused factories- consolidated three facilities into one- increased sales 15%- increased gross margin 27%- decreased manufacturing expenses by $450,000

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Industrial Engineering

Activities and Societies: Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, IIE memeber

Mba, Business Administration And Management, General