CORY WALKER
Santa Rosa,CA
Summary
Customer-oriented General Manager with 18 years of experience focused on increasing revenues and expanding margin. Adaptive and deadline-oriented consistently executes and completes multiple projects in high-stress environments. Meticulous leader and strategic planner with comprehensive managerial acumen, offering vision and motivational acumen.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
General Manager
Owl Ridge Wine Services
11.2020 - Current
- Managing business and +150,000 case/year winemaking facility
- Management of production and all personal
- Hiring seasonal and production staff for winery
- Safety officer and meeting coordinator
- Oversees all sales and marketing for wine service division
- Contract negotiation with new and current clients
- Managing and overseeing day to day operations
- Aluminum can line lead operator and repairmen
- Works with finance department invoicing clients for services and annual budgets
- Maintained production facilities equipment – bottling line, can line, crush equipment, glycol system etc
- Researched and oversaw new equipment purchases
- Developed and implemented policies and procedures to improve customer service and satisfaction
- Managed budget implementations, employee reviews, training, schedules, and contract negotiations
Assistant General Manager
Owl Ridge Wine Services
12.2018 - 11.2023
Cellar Master
Brack Mountain Wine Company
08.2015 - 12.2018
- Managed all cellar operations for a 60,000-case custom crush production facility
- In charge of organizing and maintaining barrel rooms
- Hiring and training production and seasonal staff
- Worked closely with winemaker and crush clients
- Helped with managing case good warehouse as well as delivering cases goods to accounts
- Main operator on RO machine (Sweet spotter) for clients and in-house brands
Cellar Master
Armida Winery
07.2010 - 06.2015
- Managed all cellar operations for the family-owned winery, including maintaining and organizing barrel rooms, setting up barrel rooms for events
- Worked closely with the winemaker, winery owner and vendors
- Organizes and assists in the tasting room and special events
- Performs daily tasks for the 20,000 case production winery, including shipping products, safety and training harvest interns
- Handles topping, racking, filtering and cleaning all winery equipment.
White Press Supervisor
Marlborough Vintners LLC
02.2010 - 05.2010
- Supervised and directed White Press team during harvest
- Maintained equipment sanitation, tanks and press area, crusher additions, press trays, tanks during and after pressings
- Coordinated with fruit vendor to maintain an even flow of daily intake
- Worked with winemakers on additions, temperatures and press cuts throughout the harvest for the custom crush winery (6000-ton facility).
Cellar Master
Owl Ridge Wine Services
06.2007 - 01.2010
- Managed cellar staff and ordered supplies, including chemicals, gases, filter pads, etc
- Organized and maintained three-barrel rooms
- Positioned portable tanks and open top fermenters
- Managed DE filtration as well as set up plate n frame filter and membrane filters for bottling.
Cellar Hand
08.2005 - 05.2007
- Handled barrel downs, sanitized cellar and equipment, punch downs and pump overs
- Operated press, topped barrels, pulled lab samples, moved tanks/barrels
- Filtered wine for bottling and set up filters for bottling line.
Education
High school Diploma -
Elsie Allen High School
Santa Rosa, CA06.2001
Some College (No Degree) -
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, CAUC Davis Extension Program
Davis, CAPRS Crisis Hotline Certified Volunteer
Skills
- Harvest Equipment
- Management Experience
- Safety Evaluation
- Filtering Expertise
- Staff Training
- Certified Forklift Trainer
- Cellar Operations
- Equipment Sanitation
- Ordering Parts/Supplies
- Special Events
- RO Machine Operator
- Wine software database
- Negotiating Contracts
- Marketing
- Can Line Operator
- Facility Management
Additional Information
PRS Crisis Hotline volunteer - Answered phone calls as a hotline volunteer
Timeline
General Manager
Owl Ridge Wine Services
11.2020 - Current
Assistant General Manager
Owl Ridge Wine Services
12.2018 - 11.2023
Cellar Master
Brack Mountain Wine Company
08.2015 - 12.2018
Cellar Master
Armida Winery
07.2010 - 06.2015
White Press Supervisor
Marlborough Vintners LLC
02.2010 - 05.2010
Cellar Master
Owl Ridge Wine Services
06.2007 - 01.2010
Cellar Hand
08.2005 - 05.2007
High school Diploma -
Elsie Allen High School
Some College (No Degree) -
Santa Rosa Junior College
UC Davis Extension Program
PRS Crisis Hotline Certified Volunteer
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