Food Production Process Engineering and Economics Expert.

Technical Consultant #2245

Independent Consultan, 2004 - Present

Perfetti Van Melle, Plant Manager, Buffalo Grove, IL, 1999 - 2004

Responsible for management of $6 million candy manufacturing facility.
Reversed management decision to close facility by increasing plant productivity.
Increased productivity by 40%, reduced costs by 75%, and reduced scrap by 75%.
Responsible for engineering and product formulations.
Led effort to redesign existing machine to produce new form of candy.
Automated manual hand packing operation, thereby reducing headcount by 24.
Co-authored training manuals, policies, and procedures.

Nabisco Biscuit Company, East Hanover, NJ, 1988 - 1999

Engineering Manager, responsible for supervision of engineers and maintenance staff for world's largest bakery operations. Responsibilities included modernization, quality improvement and cost reduction projects.
Responsible for all new projects from concept through start-up and on-going technical support for production efficiency, capacity expansion, automation, computer integrated systems and environmental protection.
Reduced labor through automation, consolidation of operations, mechanical lifting devices, and improved process control and operator workstations.
Automated manual hand packing operations which significantly increased productivity.
Redesigned packaging workstations to improve ergonomics.
Developed electronic purchase requisition approval process and project tracking system.
Eliminated bottlenecks in production to enable three shift operation without shut down.

Frito-Lay, Inc., 1982 - 1988

Plant Engineer, Kirkwood, NY, 1985 - 1988

Led programs on employee and food safety and sanitary design using American Institute of Baking guidelines for layout, upgrades and equipment modification.
Completed a substantial plant expansion for processing, packaging, boiler, raw material handling, storage, and by-products reclamation.
Provided studies and estimates, drawings, calculations, equipment sizing, specifications, and cost benefit analyses for capital appropriations.
Prepared construction contract bid packages, bid analysis and selection, and coordinated field engineering work with contractors and plant construction crews during construction and start-up.

Plant Engineer, Denver, 1982 - 1985

Responsible for overall engineering and maintenance of a potato and tortilla chip food manufacturing facility.
Provided basic data and specifications and cost benefit analyses for capital project appropriations.
Provided studies and estimates, drawings, calculations, equipment sizing, specifications, and cost benefit analyses for capital appropriations.
Developed the first long-range capital plan for any Frito Lay plant.

Ralston Purina Co., Engineer, Denver, CO, 1977 - 1982

Installed a new maintenance work order, planning and preventive maintenance system, which emphasized labor productivity and material coordination.
Responsible for providing engineering expertise and technical support to production and maintenance departments to troubleshoot and solve food manufacturing problems.
Held position of plant energy coordinator with responsibility for making recommendations to maintain control of energy utilization.

Special Training