Bloomingburg, New York, United States
Experienced manager and executive with core values of developing people and processes to exceed goals for the near and long term. There is no greater exhilaration for me than to lead a team or organization to a new solution or advancement. I combine a superior background in logic and physics with a love for safety and environmental protection and a proven ability for innovation to achieve previously considered impossible results in operations. My career experience has been pushing the boundaries of performance in very mature processes to new heights and increasing profitability.
Advise or direct various teams, Managers, and Executives at RSR Corporation. Lead major efforts to reduce commodity consumption, reduce operating costs, increase operation efficiencies, and maintain environmental compliance. • Lead improved operation of existing Air Pollution Control equipment at New York facility such that total annual lead emissions from the plant were less than that of a facility equipped with Wet Electrostatic Precipitation (WESP); meeting the Company goal of 25 lbs total annual lead emissions according to 3rd party emissions proficiency tests conducted in years 2013 and 2015 w/o WESP. • Lead the implementation of ISO 50001 at all Company US smelters. • Improved eroded relationship with NY regulators through demonstrable improvements in compliance, plant housekeeping, and responsiveness. • Reduced cost of effluent treatment plant and sulfur dioxide scrubber by optimizing operations. • Improved operation and monitoring procedures to protect ambient air monitors at fence line, and nearly double building negative pressure. While leading campaign to lower workplace lead in air, reduced exposure by 60%. • Improved quality of Na2SO4 Crystallizer feed to enable system to produce food grade quality crystals with less waste and energy cost. • Invented a process to stabilize barium in short rotary furnace slag saving a potential $1.3 million per year in hazardous disposal costs and furnace flux purchases. • Improved ISO 14001 program to “benchmark level" according to BSI auditors. • Permitted, installed, commissioned, and designed operation procedures for rolling mill in Casa Grande, AZ to produce lead plate for fabrication of lead electrowinning anodes. • Commissioned Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) at California plant after earlier attempts failed. Commissioned RTO unit at New York facility. • Lead US team to commission a new reverb furnace at plant in England.
Complete management of 200 employee lead recycling plant operating 24/7. • Assumed control of a facility in distress. Set a program to update equipment and buildings, improve management staff, and structure operational processes. • Improved lost-time / restricted-time accidents by 86% and 65% over 1st year results through strengthening our Behavioral Based Safety observation program, instituting positive recognition programs, and installing a safety management system that qualified for OHSAS 18001 certification (a first for RSR Corporation). • Reversed 3 year decline in production, setting production records in my 2nd year. • Decreased employee blood lead values (an important industry biological monitoring parameter) by 54% through improvement of engineering controls, plant cleanliness, and employee hygiene practices. Decreased employee lead exposure by 56%. • Successfully closed a 25 year old OSHA abatement order regarding employee lead exposure. • Improved Lean Manufacturing implementation by 40% over two years according to a 3rd party Lean Manufacturing implementation audit. • Consistently maintained regulatory compliance as evidenced through NYDEC inspections and unannounced 3rd party audits for environmental and safety compliance. • Maintained certifications for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 after inheriting an ISO 14001 program that had been cited with a major non-conformance jeopardizing the certification. • Lead a team that saved the plant from imminent closure by the NYDEC after a poorly designed and installed secondary containment system for the plant batch house began widespread leaking. • Lead a team that resolved years long quality and major operational issues at the facility’s sodium sulfate crystallizer.
Directed Department Managers for all production areas, maintenance, quality control, and shipping/receiving functions in a facility operating 24/7 with approximately 210 employees. In conjunction with Vice President of California Operations, I lead the following: • Cost reduction efforts and production increases assisting the Company in narrowly avoiding bankruptcy during period of very low LME prices for our product. • Implementation of Lean Manufacturing training using simulations, book club, and classes. • Lowered maintenance costs on a per ton basis by 15% over 2 years • Lowered plant costs on a per ton basis by 6% over 3 years • Increased production capacity by 14% over 2 years through optimization of procedures. • Decreased employee blood lead below 19ug/dl target by 69% over 3 years • Assumed leading role in instituting ISO 14001 certification at this facility. • Introduced Lean Manufacturing resulting in total man-hour/ton reductions of 21%, increase of tons/hr processed at the battery breaker by 46%, and reduction of hazardous slag generated by 19%. • Commissioned LoTox NOx removal system and low NOx burner system on kiln dryer.