Food Manufacturing, Capital Project Operations and Installation-USDA, cGMPs, and FDA Compliance

Expertise

• Operations and Engineering Manager of forty five years in the food manufacturing industry working with 6 major companies: CPC, Int., General Foods, Nabisco, Sandoz Nutrition, Pinnacle Foods and Dawn foods.
• Extensive experience in plant operations, plant and corporate engineering.
• A strong background in capital, engineering projects, turnaround situations, team building, working with outside engineering firms and completing projects within budget and on schedule.
• Additional experience in financial control, training and cost reduction programs, as well as working with maintenance organizations.
• Managed capital projects as a Project Manager in both packaging and process projects, overseeing large mixing modernization project for $43 million.
• Worked on the shop floor as a supervisor, operations supervisor, site superintendent, production manager and assistant and plant manager.
• Experience with frozen products with refrigeration systems as large as 250,000 pounds of NH3.
• Managed the engineering, design and construction of a USDA, dairy certified plant as well as specified, ordered and installed the process and packaging equipment.
• Knowledge and execution of cGMP,s, FDA, USDA procedures and conduct RMP/PSM (Risk Management Plan/Process Safety Management).
• Budgeting and cost control experience.
• Understand the importance of scope development, schedule control and cost control.
• Excellent understanding of how to minimize the problem of scope creep in a project.
• Possess various engineering disciplines to manage client's projects.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Present

• Project Manager on the early stages of a plant expansion.

Dawn Foods, Manteno, IL, Engineering Manager, 2007 - 2010

• One of several frozen food manufacturing facilities in the company manufacturing cookies and cakes.
• Reporting to the Director of Engineering and Plant General Manager. Responsible for all of the engineering and maintenance activities at the facility.
• Duties included budgeting, estimating, cost control and project management.
• The staff included one direct and 15 indirect reports.
• Completed the installation and start-up of a $31 million frozen cake line with high speed packaging.
• Installed and started up a frozen cookie system at the Manteno location.
• Participated in an RMP/PSM audit and system update.

Stone Technologies, Inc., St. Louis, MO, Project Manager, 1998 - 2007

• A full service engineering consulting firm specializing in controls and systems integration.
• Reporting to the two principle owners of the company, responsible for managing capital projects primarily in the Kraft Plant, Champaign, IL.
• Responsibilities included managing specifications preparation, cost control, engineering, construction, resources and start-ups.
• Managed the modernization of a pasta manufacturing facility including equipment rebuilds and new purchases, electrical upgrades and a new integrated control system.
• Completed the installation of a new one gallon plastic container salads packaging project.
• The project started up under budget and ahead of schedule.

Pinnacle Foods Corporation, Jackson, TN, Engineering Manager, 2002 - 2006

• Formerly Aurora Foods, a frozen food company producing, breakfast items, pizza and par fried fish.
• Reporting to the V. P. of Manufacturing, responsible for all of the engineering activities at the site as well as the purchasing function and process engineering.
• Duties included budgeting, cost control, project management, cost reduction and downtime reduction. The staff included 2 direct reports and 2 indirect reports.
• Managed the rebuild of a high rise finished goods storage freezer.
• Participated in an RMP/PSM audit and system update.
• Managed through a plant fire and significant tornado damage in 2003.
• Sat on a steering committee for the relocation of a par fried fish product to the Jackson Plant.
• Implemented a redesigned French toast oven discharge flipper that resulted in $750,000 annual savings.

Nabisco Brands Inc., East Hanover, NJ, Project Manager, 1986 - 1998

• Reported to the Senior Director of Project Management in the Biscuit Division of Nabisco, producing crackers and cooking for the consumer market.
• Responsible for managing the cost, schedule, scope and resources for major capital engineering projects for the Biscuit Division at locations in Houston, TX, St. Elmo, IL and Chicago, IL.
• Resources managed included discipline engineers, outside engineering firms, contractors, finance, procurement and bakery liaison.
• Appointed to turn around a troubled assignment in Chicago. Completed the fast tracked $20 million project within tight financial constraints.
• Finalized a 1-1/2 year, $52 million project and achieved start up within budget and on schedule in St. Elmo, IL.
• Successfully managed a $43 million modernization project in Houston, TX.
• Contracted for and facilitated the first ever "team building" activity at Corporate Engineering.

Engineering Manager, 1986 - 1988

• Reported to the Plant Manager in managing the project and industrial engineering activities as well as the maintenance functions for the Nabisco Atlanta Bakery.
• Staff consisted of 105 hourly employees and 12 salary direct reports in this cookie and cracker plant with 650 employees.
• Prepared and administered the engineering, maintenance, capital and operating budgets.
• Responsible for cost reductions, financial control, planning and staff liaison.
• Organized an active and responsive engineering staff where none had previously existed.

Sandoz Nutrition Corporation, Minneapolis, MN, 1983 - 1986

• Multi-million dollar organization producing disease specific and non-disease specific weight control products, feeding formulas, Olvaltine and sugar free sweet goods.

Director of Special Projects, 1984 - 1986

• Design, construction and start-up of a new USDA Dairy certified plant in Minneapolis, as well as integrating and updating packaging and manufacturing capabilities to include the Chicago plant's production lines.
• Principle responsibilities included financial control, budgeting, planning, design and engineering and construction contracts.
• Implemented the design and construction of a fast track $9 million building expansion in 10 months within 5% of allocated funds.
• Expended an additional $100,000 through design and construction to avoid future capital outlays of $400,000.
• Coordinated the work of both union and non-union contractors on the job site simultaneously without a work disturbance.

Director of Manufacturing, 1983 - 1984

• Managed the production activities for clinical and third party food products produced in the plant, including financial control, employee relations, cost reduction and plant operations.
• Successful start-up of a new Niro 2,500 pound per hour spray dryer for specialty items.
• Reduced the cost of goods manufactured by 11%.

General Foods Corporation, White Plains, NY, 1968 - 1983

• Assistant Facility and Production Manager, 1979 - 1983
• Manager of the Chicago plants in the beverage and breakfast foods division of General Foods, producing cereals, and 500 plus SKU's of food and breakfast items for the consumer market.
• Responsible for managing the production and maintenance for several national brand retail franchises, preparin and administrating annual operating budgets and objectives, plant operations, financial control, employee relations, cost reduction and stall liaison.
• Reversed a negative $500,000 VMC trend within 10 working days.
• Reduced consumer complaints for Kool-Aid by 25% by improving quality control.
• Exceeded cost reduction and line efficiency expectations by 50% and 14% respectively.

Engineering Manager, 1975 - 1979

• Managed the Project and Industrial Engineering activities for the two Chicago Plants.
• The staff consisted of 6 direct and 20 indirect salaried employees in these two plants with a payroll of 650.
• Responsible for budget/objective preparation and administration as well as coordination of all engineering projects for the plants and liaison with division and corporate engineering activities.
• Recruited, trained, developed and promoted engineers for the organization.
• Developed and implemented a cost control system to trend and track capital costs within 2% at year end.
• Implemented an aggressive cost reduction program that improved the plant cost effectiveness by 30%.

Production Superintendent and Forman, Operations Foreman, and Project Engineer, 1968 - 1975

• Managed the production and maintenance activities for the production of Post Cereals.
• Responsible for plant operations, financial control, employee relations, building asset maintenance, cost reduction and staff liaison.
• Assisted in the development of manufacturing controls for micro problems.
• Led the plant with department line efficiencies, safety record and GMP's.
• Successfully started up a new product line extension.

CPC International, Argo, IL Corporate Staff Engineer, 1966 - 1968

• Responsible for air pollution abatement activities and specified the utility portion of all projects that were being installed in U.S. plants for this leading producer of oils, cornstarch and other wet milling products for the consumer market.

Education

• B.S.M.E. Iowa State University, Ames, IA
• M.B.A. University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA