Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Awards
Timeline
BusinessAnalyst
Ben Escobar

Ben Escobar

Park Ridge,IL

Summary

Dynamic and seasoned distribution logistic, transportation warehouse and new business services professional with twenty-five years of experience in the development, implementation, and management of overall distribution and storage activities including food safety & NSF HACAAP Certification, ISO and QS Certification, routing, RFP’s and vendor customer relationships.

Overview

28
28
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Vice President of Operations and New Business Development

CDI Customized Distribution
07.2021 - 11.2024
  • Sales and operating expenses (P&L, Safety, Budget, Operational Strategies, Routing and New Business) with10 direct reports; VP of Operation,3 Division Presidents, Director of National Account, Director of International & Customer Service, Director of Managed Freight, Director of Corp Routing, Director of Purchasing and totaling450+ drivers and warehouse employees
  • Oversee and direct all operational aspects of3 DC’s (Atlanta GA, Jackson MS, and Jacksonville FL) network to achieve Company goals
  • Serviced and managed International Franchises in30+ countries
  • Responsible for preparation and management of $40+ million annual operating budgets
  • Established and managed Key Performance Indicators to effectively and efficiently service Captain D’s, Popeyes, Checkers, Subway, Fat Tuesday, Steak and Shake, and Kahala Brand across states with daily deliveries; On-Time, Fill Rate, Customer Complaints, Daily Temperature Tracking and KPI Reporting

Senior Vice President of Operations and New Business Development

DPI Specialty Foods
10.2015 - 07.2021
  • Operational responsibilities (P&L, Safety, Budget, Operational Strategies, Routing and New Business) with10 direct reports; VP of Operation,4 General Managers, Director of National Account,4 Field Safety Managers and totaling600+ drivers and warehouse employees
  • Oversee and direct all operational aspects of4 DC’s (Chicago, Indianapolis, Boston and Washington DC) network to achieve Company goals
  • Responsible for preparation and management of $80+ million annual operating budget
  • Established and managed Key Performance Indicators to effectively and efficiently service2,000 stores across21 states with daily deliveries; On-Time, Fill Rate, Customer Complaints, Daily Temperature Tracking and KPI Reporting
  • Top line responsibilities $450+ million of sales and inventory - build and present RFPs, providing customers with innovative solutions, closing additional businesses and presenting to the board operating partner potential acquisitions
  • Responsible for sourcing operational and safety needs; partnership with SMG Company, Sleds/Cart delivery with Rehrig Pacific, Engineered Standards with Jackpine Engineering, tractors/trailers with Ryder, Warehouse equipment with Raymond and Crown and Labor System with NextView
  • Prepared RFP for Starbucks Mercato project, business was awarded March2017 and implemented Chicago Market with non-CDL and non-Facility strategy
  • Prepared multiple RFP, presented and negotiated cost/case pricing with Panera Bread, Au Bon Pain and IPC (Subway)
  • Connected and presented/facility tour of potential business in Atlanta and Indianapolis with Chick-fil-a and Wendy’s
  • Negotiated Union Contracts with Teamsters; escalation to all labor disputes/ arbitration cases and signed5 year contract in Boston and3 year with Chicago, Indianapolis, and St Louis

Director of Transportation/Warehouse Operation

Maines Paper and Foods
05.2014 - 10.2015
  • P & L responsibility for Warehouse (80+ employees), Inventory (4 employees) & Facility (5 employees); reduction of2 cents per case with equipment battery replacement, increase pallet revenue – renegotiated and switched provider
  • Facility and process Siliker score of98.6 and Wendy’s facility and process score of99.3
  • Prepared facility and assigned responsibilities to both Warehouse and Transportation Managers and Supervisors in achieving scores
  • Modified warehouse schedule in accommodating five domiciles; change in receiving schedules with vendors and created2 outbound shifts and not increase both P&L Labor and Overtime line
  • P & L responsibility for Transportation (80+ Drivers), Local and Domiciled daily/dynamic routing, Backhaul Revenue, Equipment Maintenance (AIM) and Fuel
  • Managed5 domicile locations with service providers; modify routes, and customer visits
  • Domicile created an increase of10% driver capacity, labor reduction of2 cents per case utilizing shuttle drivers and5% backhaul revenue increase with both driver capacity and IFCO backhaul contract
  • Implemented with Corporate support both SAP and Telogis; SAP for financial tracking and Telogis conversion from Xata and Roadnet
  • On-boarded Chick-fil-A in Memphis; worked with Memphis Team with warehouse layout, set up selection pick-path, item setup, slot profile, and equipment needs

Corporate Vice President of Operations

Reinhart Foodservice
07.2012 - 05.2014
  • Accountable for the P&L for all31 Distribution Centers including operational services; on-time delivery, fill-rate, and damages
  • Responsible for preparation and management of $1Bil annual operating budgets
  • Planned and approved capital expense of35Mil total for Transportation and Warehouse
  • Managed Corporate Fleet Analyst with tractor/trailer license, allocation of equipment to31 Divisions, and repair and maintenance contracts
  • P&L and Capital responsibilities for31 Distribution Centers; warehouse and transportation labor and process, facility & refrigeration units, racking and layout, fleet purchasing with repairs and maintenance contract
  • Managed4 Regional Directors of Operation responsible for6 to8 division centers P&L
  • Managed Facility Manager supporting refrigeration/ammonia system, facility repairs, and racking
  • Managed2 Corporate Warehouse Managers supporting slotting, shift management and system support for WMS, Vocollect and Warehouse pay & incentive plan
  • Managed5 Corporate Transportation Support with routing efficiencies reducing transportation cost per case, costing new business supporting Vice President of sales with Chain accounts, and build route profitability model
  • Responsible for all acquisition and conversions for all part of operation; Southern Foods Boling Green TN and Kansas City Division
  • Build strategy and action plan to support distribution centers during disasters and system failures

Corporate Director of Warehouse and Engineering

Martin Brower
10.2003 - 07.2012
  • Responsible for standardizing distribution centers in US, Canada and Latin Americas in respect to McDonalds Operation Council
  • Vocollect Selection, Fries Automation, Merge Selection, Performance Pay, Route Pay and delivery efficiency with both Pallet and Cart deliveries
  • Implemented and supported Labor Standards utilizing2 Industrial Engineer and4 Project Manager as direct reports supporting20+ US Distribution Centers
  • Championed financial/operational tracking to McDonald Measure Reporting (PRIDE) for all US Operation
  • Planned and managed foodservice business in Toronto (BECO) consolidation of two facilities to one
  • Responsible for dealing with Teamsters and Local Unions across the United States and Canada; testified in various arbitration cases defending engineered labor standards against Union Industrial Engineers and other grievances from Union Business Agents
  • Increase of3 cent per case on the warehouse P&L result of the arbitration for selection and loading
  • System and process support for US, Canada and Puerto Rico for loading logic (Syntelic) and multiple transportation reporting specific to customers and driver score cards
  • Implemented label picking, labor tracking and reliability tracking process in United States and Canada locations for multiple businesses as Wendy’s and Mr
  • Sub and Street Business accounts
  • Supported and managed multiple building start-up, shut-downs, relocations, operational turn-around (Trans/Whrs/Admin)

Corporate - Division Manager of Warehouse Operation

US Foodservice/Alliant Foodservice
01.2001 - 10.2003
  • Responsible for5 Distribution Center’s warehouse results; reduces operation cost and increase productivity managing warehouse slotting, unprofitable routes and labor standards
  • Managed building expansions and building moves; Bensenville IL and Fargo and Grand Forks ND
  • Installed Labor Management System in10 Distribution Centers and defended Engineered Standards
  • Designed warehouse layout using Auto CAD Light to capture xyz coordinates for labor standards, trained warehouse associates with various RF tasks, loading, unloading and night picking operators with hand-held and glove scanners
  • Part of the A-System conversion team, specialized running night operation and transportation department

Corporate - Marketing/Industrial Engineer

Ryerson Tull
06.1998 - 01.2001
  • Project Manager for5 RCP Plant working directly with Plant Managers in process improvement utilizing6-Sigma and5S
  • Account Manager for Maytag with2 sales representatives,2 metallurgical reps and2 technical supports
  • Championed scrap reduction of30% improving continuous welding process using experimental design
  • Championed queue time analysts utilizing simulation program justifying receiving steel coils to sheets resulting $800k first year ROI
  • Championed material change to lighter gauge with the same tensile strength having rib embossed on the steel resulting $500k first year ROI

Industrial Engineer Specialist

UPS United Parcel Service
12.1997 - 06.1998
  • Responsible for P&L for2 Shifts; managing and tracking employees; receiving, loading and small sort operation
  • Ran Twilight Shift of200+ employees
  • Championed continuous improvement projects on conveyor lines
  • Built and managed Supervisor Score Cards Database; for both safety and productivity tracking

Manufacturing Engineer

RG Ray Corp
06.1996 - 12.1997
  • Responsible assisting ISO and QS certifications award; CAD drawing and Capability Studies
  • Re-designed press-dies and gauge to be Poke-Yoke
  • Utilized Simulation (ARENA) for machine layout and plant expansion
  • Managed Statistical Process Control on press, blanking, rolling and injection molding machines

Education

Bachelor Of Science - Industrial Engineering

University of Illinois
Chicago, IL

Master Of Science - Information System Management

Keller Graduate School
Chicago, IL

Skills

  • Effective Leadership in Strategy Development
  • Procedure Implementation
  • Efficiency Improvement
  • KPI Monitoring
  • Process Efficiency Improvement
  • Customer Acquisition Methods

Awards

Six-sigma Greenbelt at Cleveland Maytag for2 Mil, Kaizen Event - Maytag Aiken, SC Plant, Guest Speaker for AIM Nationalist2013 San Antonio Convention, HACCP Certified, United State Army Reserve1992

Timeline

Senior Vice President of Operations and New Business Development

CDI Customized Distribution
07.2021 - 11.2024

Senior Vice President of Operations and New Business Development

DPI Specialty Foods
10.2015 - 07.2021

Director of Transportation/Warehouse Operation

Maines Paper and Foods
05.2014 - 10.2015

Corporate Vice President of Operations

Reinhart Foodservice
07.2012 - 05.2014

Corporate Director of Warehouse and Engineering

Martin Brower
10.2003 - 07.2012

Corporate - Division Manager of Warehouse Operation

US Foodservice/Alliant Foodservice
01.2001 - 10.2003

Corporate - Marketing/Industrial Engineer

Ryerson Tull
06.1998 - 01.2001

Industrial Engineer Specialist

UPS United Parcel Service
12.1997 - 06.1998

Manufacturing Engineer

RG Ray Corp
06.1996 - 12.1997

Bachelor Of Science - Industrial Engineering

University of Illinois

Master Of Science - Information System Management

Keller Graduate School

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Ben Escobar