Gordon Loughlin

Operations Manager at Rak Fish Food Drying LLC

Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

About

A senior business leader with over 30 years experience in all aspects of food manufacturing, 20 of which working as a senior leader. A real passion for continuous improvement, driving change and improving performance and building high performance teams. A strong commercial awareness to turnaround under performing factories into profitable business units.

Experience

  • Operations Manager at Rak Fish Food Drying LLC
    Jan 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 7 mos

    Responsible for a purpose build factory with the current state of the art drying technology .To commission and start a 14,000SM new business within the UAE for Dried, Frozen, Fresh Sea Food Products. Key Achievements • Developed a Business Strategy for implementation and Growth • Developed and built an end to end value supply chain for Import & Export • Implemented a commercial strategy for domestic and international fish products • Design and commissioned new production lines for high volume manufacturing • Recruited and trained key managers for all areas of business • Implementation of systems and procedures for all business requirements • Implementation of Lean Techniques for Continuous Improvements • Commissioned and made the manufacturing facility operational • Achieved full HACCP accreditation.

  • Operations Manager at Matthew Walker (Part of 2 Sisters Food Group)
    Jun 2014 - Present · 12 yrs 2 mos

    A passion for developing a culture of high performance teams and making things happen in the business. Responsible for c. 360 staff over a five day operation, producing up to 750 thousand puddings per week, supplying all of the multiples with 98% of the market share as well as an established export business. Responsible for Supply Chain, Planning, Production, Engineering, Health& Safety Environment. Turnover in excess of 32 Million Key Achievements • Implementation of lean techniques realising savings of £ 480K through waste reduction programmes resulting in positive material variances • Implementation of Short Interval Control (SIC) increase line efficiencies from 71% to 82% reducing the need for agency and shift premium resulting in savings of £360K • Reduced overhead spend through restructuring savings of £156k • Introduction of M&S Plan A working to Silver Standard • Introduction of KPI suite for the Site Exec Team and effective review meetings resulting in improved focus and performance. • SAP improvements interfacing systems to capture management data for continuous improvements

  • Factory General Manager (Prepared Meals Category) at Greencore
    Nov 2011 - Jun 2014 · 2 yrs 8 mos

    Responsible for c.435 staff over a 6-day operation, producing up to 1 million ready meals per week, supplying the UK market via the major multiples. Turnover in excess of £58m. Key Achievements • Responsible for Category Safety, Health & Environment, introduced comprehensive 3-year action plan • Implementation of planning regimes resulting in reduced changeovers, improved efficiencies and reduced wastage across the business • Reduced overhead spend through restructuring saving £240k on overheads and £430k in labour costs • Overseen £1.8m of capital projects • Introduction of KPI suite for Site Exec Team resulting in improved focus of performance measurement

  • Factory Manager at Bakkavor
    May 2009 - Jun 2011 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    Responsible for c.480 staff operating a 24/7, high volume ready meal, salad and food accompaniments business supplying to the major multiples. Key Achievements • £1.1m labour saving delivered within first year • Reduced stock inventory and improved cash flow through closer materials management and better operational planning • Introduced short interval control principles which has delivered operational efficiency improvements from 87% to 94% • Targeted the reduction of labour through the removal of non-value added tasks, improved production systems and better operational planning. Overall headcount reduction of c.90 staff • Responsible for 4 direct reports (quality manager, engineering manager, planning manager and hygiene manager)

  • Operations Director at Farne Salmon & Trout Ltd
    Oct 2004 - Oct 2009 · 5 yrs 1 mo

    Responsible for 550 staff involved in processing salmon into smoked salmon, high quality added value products including appetisers and terrines supplying the UK market. Key Achievements • Designed and commissioned new packing lines, improving product flow, reducing operative handling and increasing product throughput. Saving £265k • Implemented short interval control measures for yield improvement, resulting in savings of £640k • From October 2006 to July 2010 reduced direct labour headcount by 286, increasing productivity by 33% which contributed to £4.1m direct labour savings against standard to date • Implemented new shift patterns to reduce shift premiums saving £118k • Implemented KPIs throughout the business, creating effective action plans, reducing downtime by 7% • Increased efficiency by 18%, saving £196k, by introducing central planning to eradicate product changeovers and bottleneck management to minimise plant and machinery • Undertook yield improvement programme resulting in saving of £640k • Implemented recycling programme to reduce landfill cost saving £210k • Reduced overhead spend through restructuring saving £340k • Implemented energy saving programme for electricity and water realising savings of £180k • Introduced new thermoforming technology, switching from buying preformed trays to using thermoforming trays savings of £487k