Christopher Poteat
Fernandina Beach,FL
Summary
To Secure a position with this company which will enable you to utilize my experiences and skills to become a viable part of the Team. Professional Project Management Specialist with experience working with teams to accomplish short- and long-term project goals. Managed budgets and monitored project costs.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
BUSINESS RESOURCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE / WESTROCK
08.2010 - 10.2023
- Managed Strategic Account business in Northeast, Central and South Florida
- Duties included visiting customers on periodic basis to check on quality and service, and communicate these findings to appropriate parties
- Was primary liaison for all communications between customers and producing facilities and focused on safety, quality and service
- Main focuses were to bring cost-savings to WestRock and its customers by utilizing Greenbelt Training
- Managed approximately $40MM in sales annually
- Worked simultaneously with several sister-plants producing materials for customers
- Consistently met or exceeded annual goals for volume, margin and cost-savings via Greenbelt Projects and Opportunity Projects
TECHNICAL SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
SMURFIT-STONE
09.2006 - 08.2010
- Managed National Account business in Northeast, Central and South Florida
- Was charged with ensuring availability to customers at all times when needed
- Was primary point of contact between customers and manufacturing complexes
- Followed up with clients to verify optimal customer satisfaction following support engagement and problem resolution
- Created support documentation that enabled user community to extend skills, leverage system features, and find resolutions to questions without intervention from support team
- Provided technical and engineering information to third-party technical support personnel during collaborative projects
- Assisted customers in identifying issues and explained solutions to restore service and functionality
- Resolved diverse range of technical issues across multiple systems and applications for customers and end-users
- Worked with sales team to collaboratively reach targets, consistently meeting or exceeding personal quotas
- Maintained sales tracking reports to support operational enhancements and implement corrective actions
- Proactively managed client correspondence and recorded tracking and communications
- Consistently met or exceeded annual goals
SAFETY & QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
07.2005 - 09.2006
- Duties included managing Safety, Quality and Environmental Programs at plant level
- This included training of employees, auditing various processes, and implementing projects at local, regional and corporate level
- These functions necessitated being liaison between plant and divisional levels, and being participating in North Florida Complex Steering Team
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
07.2003 - 07.2005
- Managed all facets of Maintenance Department, including equipment maintenance and repair, crew scheduling, budgeting, purchasing and training
- Introduced pro-active schedule to synchronize planned downtime and equipment sanitation with machine-specific maintenance and involved operators in prioritizing repairs
- Trained maintenance technicians to apply proper techniques and best practices and comply with safety protocols
- Forecasted and reviewed maintenance budgets to establish cost-effective measures
- Procured pricing information from various vendors to support cost-effective purchasing
- Successfully managed budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability
- Assisted in organizing and overseeing assignments to drive operational excellence
CORRUGATOR SUPERVISOR
PACKAGING CORPORATION OF AMERICA
06.2001 - 07.2003
- Managed employee safety, machine production, product quality, ISO and safety audits, and materials procurement
- Involved in planned maintenance and housekeeping and documented machine checks
- Improved overall equipment performance by 17%
- Reduced unplanned downtime by 13%
- Reduced waste by 1.6% by evaluating production and implementing process changes
- Trained staff on production guidelines, safety protocols and efficiency techniques
- Supervised ongoing daily production phases
- Located and resolved problems with team production and performance to maintain consistent quality levels
- Cultivated professional working relationships with peers and supervisors
- Troubleshot equipment to reduce service calls and downtime
- Kept accurate and detailed records of personnel progress and productivity
- Monitored daily and weekly key performance indicators to maintain on-track status
- Implemented policies and standard operating procedures for continuous improvement
- Conducted performance reviews each quarter, offering praise and recommendations for improvement
- Led improvement initiatives to advance operational efficiencies and increase revenue
PLANT MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
06.2001 - 06.2003
- Responsible for all components of plant operations, including safety, quality, P&L, production requirements, and union negotiations
- Managed over 117 plant employees, including office staff, supervisors and production employees.
- Maximized plant safety through proactive strategies and well-structured training
- Created plant policies and procedures for safe and productive operations
- Reduced costs by eliminating materials waste and unnecessary labor hours
- Led, trained and coached plant staff to facilitate high levels of productivity and quality
- Monitored and evaluated plant performance to identify areas for improvement and take corrective measures
- Directed employees and related programs to maximize team productivity and facility output
- Enforced health and safety protocols to promote safe working environment
- Monitored inventory levels and restocking schedules to avoid production delays from unavailable materials
PLANT SUPERINTENDENT
SMURFIT-STONE
11.1998 - 06.2001
- Facilitated training of all new and existing production employees
- Managed audits and maintenance of quality standards through Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's)
- Worked with Maintenance Team to improve Planned Maintenance
- Responsible for facility day-to-day operations, including safety, quality and production and waste expectations
- Charged with improving production and facilitating cost-savings projects.
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
10.1996 - 11.1998
- Implemented Planned Maintenance Program
- Orchestrated restructuring of Maintenance Department to optimize available resources and reduce overall costs
- Coordinated all safety and environmental issues, including administrative obligations
- Assisted in gaining ISO 9000 Certification
- Trained maintenance technicians to apply proper techniques and best practices and comply with safety protocols
- Monitored priorities and liaised between maintenance team and management, delegating tasks to complete on time
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
JEFFERSON-SMURFIT
08.1994 - 10.1998
- Facilitated inventory system for equipment and parts to minimize costs without compromising availability
- Cross-trained maintenance personnel to perform variety of skill-intensive/specific tasks by utilizing divisional and outside resources.
- Supervised employee performance, preventive maintenance, and safety
- Trained maintenance technicians to apply proper techniques and best practices and comply with safety protocols
- Prepared and reviewed maintenance contracts with external service providers to offer mutually binding agreements
- Leveraged data and analytics to make informed decisions and drive business improvements
CORRUGATOR AND CONVERTING SUPERVISOR
JEFFERSON-SMURFIT
01.1992 - 08.1994
- Focused on improving housekeeping, safety and quality and production expectations thru Team-Building exercises which generated basic Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's)
- Responsibilities included ordering materials and equipment, scheduling order runs & crews, and maintaining equipment.
- Maintained clean and well-organized production areas to avoid violations or unnecessary work delays due to hazards or inefficient layouts
- Monitored workflow to improve employee time management and increase productivity
- Evaluated employee performance and coached and trained to improve weak areas
- Maintained compliance with company policies, objectives, and communication goals
- Mentored newly hired employees on operating equipment and safety and developed training manual to use for reference
- Enforced rules and regulations outlined in company manual to set forth expectations comprehensibly and consistently
- Supervised ongoing daily production phases
- Located and resolved problems with team production and performance to maintain consistent quality levels
- Cultivated professional working relationships with peers and supervisors
- Monitored daily and weekly key performance indicators to maintain on-track status
- Implemented policies and standard operating procedures for continuous improvement
HOURLY PRODUCTION EMPLOYEE
JEFFERSON-SMURFIT
03.1991 - 01.1994
- Assisted in operation of converting and corrugating machinery
- Performed basic production functions.
- Followed safety procedures and guidelines to maintain safe working environments
- Used equipment properly to avoid workplace hazards or injuries
- Inspected final products to assess compliance with quality standards and established tolerances
- Inspected and adjusted work performed to meet expectations
- Took on additional shifts during peak work periods to keep projects on schedule
- Adjusted machines to increase productivity for runs
- Supported machine operators in setup and operation of production equipment resulting in efficient runs
- Organized and prepared workstations and materials needed for operations to maximize productivity
- Performed general equipment maintenance and repair to minimize downtime
Education
BACHELOR OF ARTS - PSYCHOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA
JACKSONVILLE, FL01.1998
Skills
- PROFICIENT IN MICROSOFT WORD
- EXCEL
- TEAMS & SALESFORCE
- CERTIFIED GREENBELT
- COMPLETED SEVERAL COST-SAVINGS PROJECTS FOR WESTROCK AND ITS CUSTOMER BASE
- Team Leadership
- Problem Solving
- Quality Assurance
- Attention to Detail
- Idea Development and Brainstorming
- Documentation and Reporting
- Process Improvement
Awards
AWARDED FLORIDA COMMERCIAL TEAM SALES MEMBER OF THE YEAR - 2023
References
- Al Thompson, WestRock Florida Complex Operations Manager, 904-571-9512, aet278@comcast.net
- Dan Hensley, WestRock Florida Business Resource Manager, 678-416-8672, w.d.hensleyjr@gmail.com
Avid water sports enthusiast
I enjoy surfing, fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling.
Timeline
BUSINESS RESOURCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE / WESTROCK
08.2010 - 10.2023
TECHNICAL SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
SMURFIT-STONE
09.2006 - 08.2010
SAFETY & QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
07.2005 - 09.2006
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
07.2003 - 07.2005
CORRUGATOR SUPERVISOR
PACKAGING CORPORATION OF AMERICA
06.2001 - 07.2003
PLANT MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
06.2001 - 06.2003
PLANT SUPERINTENDENT
SMURFIT-STONE
11.1998 - 06.2001
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
SMURFIT-STONE
10.1996 - 11.1998
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
JEFFERSON-SMURFIT
08.1994 - 10.1998
CORRUGATOR AND CONVERTING SUPERVISOR
JEFFERSON-SMURFIT
01.1992 - 08.1994
HOURLY PRODUCTION EMPLOYEE
JEFFERSON-SMURFIT
03.1991 - 01.1994
BACHELOR OF ARTS - PSYCHOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA
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