Edwin Schroeder

Foundry operations consultant with a strong background in process optimization and quality enhancement at Michigan Steel. Expertise in scrap reduction and team leadership, resulting in waste reduction of up to 20%. Demonstrated success in fostering cross-department collaboration to drive productivity improvements and implement best-practice safety standards for sustainable growth.

Foundry Operations Consultant, Independent / Various Small U.S. Foundries, 2012 - Present, Provides hands-on consulting for small to mid-sized foundries seeking to improve process flow, quality, productivity, and profitability., Improved workflow, core consistency, and yield in multiple steel and iron foundries, leading to year-over-year profit growth., Standardized core room practices that reduced scrap up to 20% and improved schedule adherence., Implemented layout changes, tooling adjustments, and training plans that increased throughput without additional labor., Helped foundries stabilize production teams, reduce overtime, and adopt best-practice safety standards., Guided leadership teams on scheduling, maintenance coordination, budgeting, and KPI tracking.

• Foundry Manager, Michigan Steel, Muskegon, MI, 2011-01-01, 2012-01-01, Oversaw all foundry operations including melt, pour, molding, and coremaking (air-set and shell)., Directed production planning, staffing, and shift scheduling., Improved communication flow between melt, core, and molding departments., Reduced bottlenecks by standardizing core delivery and mold readiness.
• Foundry Engineer, Michigan Steel, Muskegon, MI, 2010-01-01, 2011-01-01, Improved core and molding processes through tooling reviews and pattern adjustments., Worked directly with pattern shop to correct core box issues and improve dimensional accuracy., Supported scrap reduction by analyzing root causes and implementing corrective actions.
• Core Room & Molding Supervisor, Michigan Steel, Muskegon, MI, 2010-10-01, 2011-02-01, Improved on-time core delivery by developing simplified scheduling with the scheduling manager., Led daily pattern/casting reviews to lower scrap., Coordinated with engineers and pattern shop to improve core box reliability.
• Core Room & Molding Supervisor, Ancast, Inc., Benton Harbor, MI, 2009-01-01, 2010-01-01, Coordinated mold availability with the melt department for various steel grades., Improved communication between melt, molding, and core departments to maintain schedule flow.
• Finishing Superintendent, Carlton Creek Iron Works, Rothbury, MI, 2006-01-01, 2008-01-01, Reduced average finishing time from 9 hours to 3 hours through process redesign., Led grinding, painting, shipping, and receiving with 3-5 supervisors and 45 employees., Collaborated with engineers to improve casting quality and reduce rework.
• Core Room Supervisor, Carlton Creek Iron Works, Rothbury, MI, 2007-01-01, 2007-12-31, Supervised 1st and 3rd shift operations., Increased core production 21% by reorganizing staff assignments.
• 2nd Shift Superintendent, Carlton Creek Iron Works, Rothbury, MI, 2006-01-01, 2007-01-01, Managed entire plant operations on 2nd shift., Oversaw 4 supervisors; ensured safety, production flow, and quality adherence.