James Ballentine
Dallas,GA
Summary
Highly respected and self-driven operations professional offering over two decades of wide-ranging leadership experience in fast-paced, dynamic environments across multiple industries. Recognized as a supportive, servant leader dedicated to individual employee development and creating a culture that is positive, collaborative, and brings the best out of people. Technically savvy and adept at designing and implementing operational processes that ignite productivity and boost bottom-line revenue. Takes tremendous pride in individual and team success. Seasoned Operations Manager and talented leader with fifteen years of experience applying exceptional planning and problem-solving abilities toward enhancing business plans and day-to-day activities. Results-driven and resilient in developing teams while improving processes and increasing productivity. Bringing solid understanding of industry trends, excellent communication skills, talent for spotting areas in need of improvement and implementing changes with strategic approach.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Operations Manager
AMERICOLD LOGISTICS
01.2022 - Current
- Promoted to oversee all operational aspects at a 848,000 sq Ft Facility within a respected global leader in cold storage and food storage solutions
- Supervises nine supervisors and is accountable for budgets and monthly P&L
- Assists with staff hiring, training, and development and serves as the SQF practitioner and the site safety captain
- Achieved an 11-point increase in SQF scores year-over-year via strategic initiatives and enhancements
- Increased customer commitments for two high-profile customer accounts by 75% in 2024
- Completed an accessorial continuous improvement project that increased monthly revenue by $80,000
- Improved inbound and outbound truck turn times from 84% to 99% outbound and 96% inbound
- Instrumental in improving inventory accuracy from 97% to 99.9%
- Raised the average number of railcars received daily from an average of 6 railcars to 12
- Assisted the team in the planning and execution of a rail receiving program for a local automated site
- Steering an inbound receiving project to increase productivity, truck turn times, and receiving accuracy
- Led the team in implementing continuous improvement plans aimed at boosting inventory and order accuracy levels
- Developed supervisors to enhance productivity and foster employee retention
- Active member of the Global Cold Chain Association (GCCA) and completed one year of training at the Cold Chain Institute (run by the GCCA).
Warehouse Manager
AMERICOLD LOGISTICS
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Directed daily night operations for two sites within the Allentown Americold facility
- Oversaw nine supervisors and teamed up with Union Stewards to promptly address and resolved the needs of associates onsite
- Instituted and improved labor-management standards, resulting in boosted employee morale and productivity
- Put in place streamlined processes resulting in $75,000 in monthly savings in recovered product losses
- Provided on-site support to a remote facility, implementing processes crucial to retaining key accounts
- Bolstered night shift efficiency by 12%, reduced overtime by 7%, and grew average truck volume by 3%
- Elevated inbound turn times from 92% to 96%, resulting in improved operational performance
- Built in-depth action plans to enhance site maturity levels through the Americold operating system
- Identified and nurtured talent, resulting in the promotion of three supervisors
- Trained and developed a backup manager and groomed a candidate for a warehouse manager role within the supervisory team
- Traveled to two recently acquired Americold sites to help implement processes and procedures.
Warehouse Supervisor
AMERISOURCEBERGEN
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Oversaw day-to-day inbound and outbound operations, directing a team of 20-25 associates while focusing on their ongoing development
- Ensured accurate picking and the timely delivery of controlled substances and refrigerated products
- Selected to spearhead continuous improvement initiatives across the distribution center
- Guided the receiving department through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering growth by recruiting and training new department leads
- Achieved a 6% increase in associate direct labor efficiency and an 8% reduction in associate errors by establishing and executing strategic initiatives
- Instituted a comprehensive training program for associates within the receiving department to improve and enhance operational proficiency.
Shipping and Receiving Supervisor
AMAZON.COM, INC.
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Supervised 15 associates within a dynamic, high-volume distribution facility, overseeing staff hiring, training, development, and performance management
- Accountable for all safety and Six Sigma compliance standards
- Created and maintained weekly employee schedules to ensure proper staffing during peak business hours
- Championed several initiatives to enhance shipping and receiving efficiencies, achieving a 27% increase in shipping efficiency and an 8% improvement in receiving efficiency
- Conceptualized and rolled out a shipping dock redesign project resulting in a reduction of five headcount that streamlined daily operations and reduced labor costs
- Orchestrated various order management, logistics, and shipping and receiving operations initiatives at a major Amazon warehouse in Breinigsville, PA
- Ensured optimal inventory levels, coordinated shipping and receiving schedules, and upheld delivery deadlines, resulting in a significant reduction in order turnaround times
- Conducted monthly comprehensive audits of order processing and shipping and receiving operations, resulting in enhanced labor rates, improved order accuracy, and identified areas for improvement
- Streamlined order processes across the order life cycle using advanced inventory tracking and shipping and receiving software.
Education
Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.), Global Supply Chain Management -
DeVry University
Fort Washington, PA04.2022
Skills
- Solving Challenging Operational Issues
- Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies
- Driving Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
- Budgets, P&L, and Fiscal Accountability
- Boosting Profits and Enhancing Productivity
- Ethical Leadership and Decision-Making
- Meeting KPIS and Service-Level Agreements
- Team Collaboration and Consensus Building
- Overcoming Revenue and Growth Challenges
- Transforming Organizations to Achieve Success
- Employee Training, Mentoring, and Evaluation
- Maximizing Productivity, Processes, and Quality
- Problem-Solving
- Team Leadership
- Operations Management
- Customer Service
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certified
- Americold Internal Food Safety Auditor Certified
- HACCP Certified and Safe Quality Food Practitioner
Timeline
Operations Manager
AMERICOLD LOGISTICS
01.2022 - Current
Warehouse Manager
AMERICOLD LOGISTICS
01.2020 - 01.2022
Warehouse Supervisor
AMERISOURCEBERGEN
01.2019 - 01.2020
Shipping and Receiving Supervisor
AMAZON.COM, INC.
01.2018 - 01.2019
Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.), Global Supply Chain Management -
DeVry University