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EDWARD E. EDICK
Chief Operating Officer & Accountant
Highland Park,IL
Summary
Dynamic visionary and leader in CPG and contract packaging, orchestrating strategies that elevated production by 84% and minimized lead times from 7 to 2 days, resulting in $380k savings in first-year costs.
Overview
45
45
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Operating Officer
Mechanical Servants, Inc. dba Convenience VALET
Glendale Heights, IL
03.2015 - 09.2020
- Increased output 84% and reduced ship time from 7 to 2 days with only 4 new FTE through automation, better vision systems, and modernized 3PL integration.
- Cut changeover time from 45→10 min across 12 sealing machines, boosting uptime and capacity and eliminating 90% of factory overtime.
- Spearheaded Kaizen and SKU rationalization, reducing produced SKUs 10%, simplifying BOMs, cutting documentation time 20%, and accelerating product development.
- Led Kaizen inventory reorganization, eliminating 163 pallet positions, freeing ~2,000 sq ft (+5% space), and achieving $380K savings in Year-1 routing costs.
- Coordinated packaging operations for OTC, HBC, and PPE products.
Senior Vice President
Mechanical Servants, Inc.
Glendale Heights, IL
01.2011 - 02.2015
- Increased inventory turnover from 6.0 to 6.6 for $10MM inventory, enhancing cash flow management over six months.
- Delivered $450K in annual savings by overhauling outdated inventory systems and reducing vendor-managed inventory by 10%.
- Built automated e-commerce platform for direct-ship accounts - cut order-entry time 80% across 21,000 monthly orders and slashed errors 90%.
- Led cross-functional Kaizen program with monthly events; sponsored five major initiatives, boosting team technical skills 20% and improving planning timelines 15%.
- Guided strategy and execution for major initiatives, tightening plans and lowering project scope creep 20%.
Chief of Staff
Mechanical Servants, Inc.
Glendale Heights, IL
06.2006 - 12.2010
- Oversaw production and Canadian distribution of 12 OTC products, ensuring regulatory compliance for shipping and validated packaging operations.
- Integrated ERP systems with Canadian partner, streamlining end-to-end operations and enabling seamless multi-currency transaction processing.
- Built Venetian Macao retail concept, placing 110 custom small-format SKUs in gift shops and completing the program 3 months early.
Accountant to Chief of Staff
Mechanical Servants, Inc.
Glendale Heights, IL
01.1992 - 12.2006
- Selected, procured, and implemented Y2K-compliant ERP system, enhancing integration of financial processes.
- Led transition of financial operations from external firm to internal systems, improving operational efficiency.
- Upon completion, financial reporting saw a 30% increase in accuracy that first year, facilitating more timely and fact-based decision-making.
- The timeline: Pricing and Margin Analyst (2005-2006); Intelligence Analyst and Scrum Master (2003-2004); Controller and Database Administrator (2000-2002); Logistics Manager (1998-1999); Production Manager (1995-1997); Accountant and Supply Chain Redesign (1992-1994).
Controller and Analyst
Hansen Bros.
San Antonio, TX
01.1991 - 12.1992
- Collaborated with senior sales managers to rewrite sales funnels addressing hotel and resort market needs, increasing market share from 35% to 76% in San Antonio hotels, resorts, and new residential construction flooring.
- Reorganized inventory management and project scheduling systems, created training programs for 50+ personnel, and redesigned safety program, resulting in 60% reduction in work-related injuries.
- Installed industrial flooring systems in commercial spaces.
Controller
Lester Industries
San Antonio, TX
01.1989 - 12.1990
- Merging accounting background in the military with civilian GAAP regarding accounts receivable, successfully reduced payment processing times from 16 months to 90 days within nine months, completely transforming the business.
- Developed a billing procedure to streamline processing of hundreds of purchase orders, sales orders, and invoices per contract by translating to and from Spanish and presenting amounts in local currencies (pesos [MEX] and lempiras [HON]).
- Oversaw documentation on Customs Forms, palletization, and loading onto military aircraft for 48 annual shipments.
- Coordinated workflows for international sales and freight forwarding for clients: Governments of Mexico and Honduras.
Accountant
American Ball Manufacturing Corporation
Carrollton, TX
01.1987 - 12.1988
- Managed and safeguarded corporate assets by adhering to GAAP standards and conducting monthly reconciliations and detailed documentation from company inception.
- Designed and installed cost accounting and inventory management systems for Great Plains ERP, integrating financial books and ledgers for all SKU records to improve accuracy and efficiency.
- Delivered monthly operational reports to the CEO and executive team, highlighting key financial metrics such as revenue growth and cash flow projections.
- Implemented and integrated peripheral software for Great Plains ERP across factory and office applications, simplifying ERP manuals for executive team to enhance usability.
- Compiled and presented materials for quarterly Board of Directors meetings, showcasing performance metrics like revenue growth and margin expansion to align 8+ stakeholders and executive staff.
- (A private startup corporation for the production and sale of a new golf ball.)
First Sergeant E-8
United States Army
01.1976 - 12.1987
- Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding leadership and exceptionally meritorious service while serving as Assistant Conductor, Staff Arranger, Brass Group Leader, Administrative and Supply Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, and Field First Sergeant while assigned to the Fourth US Army Band at Fort Sheridan, IL.
- Achieved rank of First Sergeant E8, led hundreds of soldier-musicians, managed training programs, and fostered cohesion through mentorship.
- Led deactivation of 81st US Army Band and reactivated Fourth US Army Band, transforming it into a top-performing unit through improved training programs and strategic recruitment.
Education
Bachelor of Science Degree - Accounting
New York University
01-1987
Specialty 2-Accountant -
Finance & Comptroller School
Indianapolis, IN01-1986
Associate's degree - Accounting, Computer Science
Global Center for Degree Studies
01-1983
Specialty1-Army Musician -
Naval School of Music
Norfolk, VA01-1976
Some College (No Degree) -
7th Army NonCommissioned Officer Academy
Bad Tölz, Federal Republic of GermanySkills
- Operational strategy
- Strategic planning
- Business development
- Risk management
- Supply chain optimization
- Logistics coordination
- ERP planning
- ERP integration and validation
- SKU rationalization
- Supplier management
- Organizational optimization
- Lean manufacturing principles
- Improvement methodologies
- Kaizen leadership practices
- Budget forecasting
Leadership Style
- Servant leader who builds teams that behave like owners
- Data-driven decision maker pairing financial modeling with operational rigor
- Change agent who simplifies complexity, reduces cost, and scales capacity
Military Experience
- Army Musician, Naval School of Music, Norfolk, VA, 1976
- Accountant, Finance & Comptroller School, Indianapolis, IN, 1986
- 7th Army NonCommissioned Officer Academy, Bad Tölz, Federal Republic of Germany, 1980, Graduated 4th in a class of 300
Sabbatical And Advisory
01/21, True, Took a planned sabbatical after company sale to mentor other senior leaders, Advised executives on operational scaling, M&A readiness, and continuous improvement roadmaps
Ongoing Studies
- Team Leadership & Supervision AI Bootcamp for Executives
- Executive Leadership & Strategy Planning & Strategic Forecasting
- Supply Chain Logistics
- Supply Chain Shipping & Trade
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- The CEO Course
- UDEMY Online Learning
- The Leadership Project, NACS and AWMA (Joint Pilot), 12 months, 2001
Activities
- AWMA Executive Leadership and Mid-Level Manager Training, National Association of Convenience Stores
- US Food & Drug Administration Controller and Analyst
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
Spanish
Limited
Timeline
Chief Operating Officer
Mechanical Servants, Inc. dba Convenience VALET
03.2015 - 09.2020
Senior Vice President
Mechanical Servants, Inc.
01.2011 - 02.2015
Chief of Staff
Mechanical Servants, Inc.
06.2006 - 12.2010
Accountant to Chief of Staff
Mechanical Servants, Inc.
01.1992 - 12.2006
Controller and Analyst
Hansen Bros.
01.1991 - 12.1992
Controller
Lester Industries
01.1989 - 12.1990
Accountant
American Ball Manufacturing Corporation
01.1987 - 12.1988
First Sergeant E-8
United States Army
01.1976 - 12.1987
Bachelor of Science Degree - Accounting
New York University
Specialty 2-Accountant -
Finance & Comptroller School
Associate's degree - Accounting, Computer Science
Global Center for Degree Studies
Specialty1-Army Musician -
Naval School of Music
Some College (No Degree) -
7th Army NonCommissioned Officer Academy