Garran Newsome
Buffalo
Summary
I have Twelve years of auto manufacturing experience nine of which came at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky. One year at Rivian Motor Manufacturing. My current position is at Tesla as a Production Supervisor where I've been for the last two years. I’ve assisted in multiple start up projects and factories. I have a great record of boosting team performance as well as ensuring all safety, quality, cost, and productivity KPI's are met.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Production Supervisor
Tesla GFNY
Buffalo, NY
05.2024 - Current
- Led and developed teams ranging from 25 to 106 Production Associates across multiple production lines, ensuring consistent achievement of safety, quality, and output targets.
- Drove top-tier production performance by optimizing labor efficiency and line execution, contributing to significant labor cost savings through strategic staffing and operational discipline.
- Supported leadership development initiatives during Summer 2025 by mentoring and contributing to the growth of MDP participants at Northland Academy.
- Designed and implemented an enhanced interview framework for Production Leads, improving candidate evaluation consistency and selection quality.
- Mentored and developed frontline talent, resulting in the promotion of two Production Associates to Production Lead roles, while fostering a high-performance culture recognized through multiple Accelerator of the Month and Safety Take Charge awards.
- Partnered cross-functionally with fellow Supervisors to redesign and strengthen the Supervisor Preparation Training program, improving leadership readiness and onboarding effectiveness.
Production Group Leader
Rivian
Normal, IL
05.2023 - 05.2023
- Oversee production in our Drive Unit department.
- Conduct Tier 1/Tier 2 meetings daily to ensure that our group is hitting the KPI targets ( People,Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Sustainability.)
- Develop a build plan weekly that ensures we meet all safety and quality targets for the week.
- Create a development plan for all team members as well as provide a career development plan.
- Check for any potential issues or personnel issues that may develop so that our department is prepared as possible.
- Make sure our department is in good 5S standard daily.
- Develop kaizen (continuous improvement) ideas/activities for our department.
- Complete timecards and 1:1’s with team members and team leads daily
Production Team Member/ Production Team Leader/AGL
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky
Georgetown, KY
05.2014 - 05.2023
- Assisted in the startup of the Mazda/Toyota plant in Huntsville, Alabama by leading a group in the Assembly Department.
- Investigated equipment failures using a variety of troubleshooting techniques.
- Improved performance and downtime across my line.
- Developed a training schedule for team members to ensure all team members were fully developed on all processes.
- Created a 5s confirmation sheet for all team members to confirm their processes were in a good/safe condition before leaving that process for the next team member or shift.
- Collaborated with vendors and suppliers to effectively manage and budget inventory.
- Conducted performance reviews, provided feedback and made suggestions for improvement each quarter to my team members.
- Led multiple quality circles focusing on cost savings and quality improvement.
- Made sure all of our KPI's were being exceeded. (Cost,Quality,Productivity,HRD)
- Followed a P.D.C.A. (Plan,Do,Check,Action) plan to ensure our goals and targets were met.
- Conducted Standardize work audits to ensure all processes and team members were meeting their required standards.
- Set operational goals and assigned tasks to team leads.
- All 9 years spent in Assembly Area Final lines as well as door lines.
- Complete timecards on a daily basis
- Chosen to represent our department at our R&D site in Michigan for our new Camry model launch
Education
High School - Business Major
Betsy Layne High School
Stanville, KY01.2013
Skills
- Twelve years experience in automotive manufacturing May 2014- May 2023 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky May 2023-May 2024 Rivian Automotive Tesla GFNY May 2024-Present
- Seven years experience of Lead/Management in manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky & Rivian Motor Manufacturing & Tesla
- High understanding of Kaizen/Motion Analysis/PDCA all methods used to help our team members & company reach its full potential
- Knowledge of Yamazumi Charts & Line balancing to help our line run more safely as well as smoothly
- Led multiple cost savings projects
Certification
- SMK ( Smooth Motion Kaizen)
- Motion Analysis/Kaizen/Cross Check Certified
- QC Leader (Quality Circle)
- Delta Certified
- Group Lead Essentials Certification
- FMDS (Floor Management Development System Certification)
- RIOS (Rivian Integrated Operating System)
- Fundamentals of TPS (Toyota Production System)
Timeline
Production Supervisor
Tesla GFNY
05.2024 - Current
Production Group Leader
Rivian
05.2023 - 05.2023
Production Team Member/ Production Team Leader/AGL
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky
05.2014 - 05.2023
High School - Business Major
Betsy Layne High School