Hi, I’m
James Byrnes
GAINESVILLE,GA
Summary
Experienced with operational management, strategic planning, and process optimization. Utilizes effective leadership techniques to drive team performance and operational improvements. Track record of enhancing business productivity and fostering efficient workflows.
Exceptional Team Builder who prioritizes long term organizational success.
Overview
30
years of professional experience
1
Certification
Work History
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
Vice President of Operations
09.2021 - Current
Job overview
- Member of the Executive Management Team. Responsible for overall company direction and profitability.
- As VP of Operations responsible for directing managers of IT, Engineering, Purchasing, Inventory Control, and Maintenance departments.
- As Executive Management Team Member responsible for planning and implementation of capital equipment purchases, expansion projects and report via the ISO certification system to the COO and Board of Director of the company.
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
Director of Procurement
04.2015 - 09.2021
Job overview
- Responsible for Director level management of Purchasing Department as well as Inventory Control of raw material and finished goods.
- Responsible for the growth of the department from 1 to 5 employees.
- Approve all purchases for day to day operations.
- New responsibilities include 2 million dollar capital equipment investment budget.
- Travel to select vendor locations to review new technological investment opportunities.
- Have been tasked with technological considerations to assist in process improvement with the specific goals of bottle neck cycle time reduction and upgrading aging production capacity to maintainable, up-to-date technologies.
- As Director of Procurement, responsible for management of on-site IT contractor and all IT related purchases for the organization.
- As Director of Procurement, responsible for two Buyers, one Raw Material Coordinator, and One Finished Goods Coordinator, as well as the companies Tool Crib with a half million dollar annual budget.
- As Safety Team Coordinator, responsible for bi-weekly meetings, process audits, implementation of corrective and preventive actions, as well as all safety related purchases for the organization.
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
Purchasing Manager
04.2014 - 04.2015
Job overview
- Was responsible for all aspects of purchasing and inventory control for the company’s 10 million dollar per year purchasing requirement.
- Implemented all of the company’s current inventory control measures as well as a 3% raw materials cost reduction.
- Negotiated improved terms with all suppliers and increased on time delivery of raw materials by 2%.
- Implemented blanket purchasing of long run materials as well as JIT purchasing of short run materials.
- Introduced 25 new suppliers for improvements to quality, pricing and delivery without sacrificing current performers.
- Have a detailed understanding of the supplier / customer relationship and the need to cultivate strong systems that improve the company’s ability to perform.
- Have an even more detailed understanding of the impact of buying and material control on Manufacturing.
- As Purchasing Manager implemented cost down systems that continue to add value to the company.
- Implemented daily buying practices that are still in affect and save the company money daily.
Kubota Manufacturing of America
Building 1 Senior Supervisor
03.2013 - 04.2014
Job overview
- Responsible for the managing the day to day operations of the RTV production in KMA Building 1.
- Managed 350 personnel, including Robotic Weld Shop, E-Coat + Powder Coat Automated Paint Process, and state-of-the art Assembly Line.
- Coordinated the Shipping and Receiving process for Manufacturing and worked closely with Suppliers and Customers to insure prompt delivery and accurate quality.
- Trained in the 5-Gen Quality and Safety dojo, and was KMA’s only selected representative for the annual Shihandai Managers Class.
- Reported Monthly Metrics to Japanese and American upper management for Safety, Quality, and Productivity.
- Managed dissemination of annual goals from upper management to Supervisors, Lead Techs, and Floaters throughout all processes.
- Oversaw the startup on all lines of the RTV-X Series new model, including Weld, Paint, Assembly, Inspection, and Crating.
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
Plant Manager
09.2010 - 02.2013
Job overview
- Responsible for plant manufacturing operations.
- Managed 85 to 100 manufacturing employees in departments including Laser Cutting, Turret Punch, Brake and Roll Forming, Tube Bending, MIG, TIG, Robotic, and Spot Welding departments, Finishing, Machining, Assembly, Quality Control, Shipping and Maintenance.
- Responsible for three shifts of production.
- Working as a member of the Company’s Management Review Team to initiate our first ever ISO 9001 certification.
- Company statistical improvements since coming aboard include:
- 3.5% increase in profitability (fiscal year 2011 compared to 2012)
- Increased on-time-delivery from 34% to 93% (fiscal year 2011 compared to 2012)
- Reduction in lost time injuries from average 3 per month to 7 month no lost time record.
- Utilizing my experience with PDCA, 5S, and the Toyota Production Systems, reorganized the manufacturing process into a cleaner, safer, more efficient environment that translated into immediate improvements in the productivity, efficiency, and safety of our workforce.
- As a result the marked quality improvement propelled us into ISO 9001 certification as well as over 25 new customers previously considered unattainable.
- One of my most important management principles is that the shop floor should be any organizations number one sales person.
- By being true to this philosophy on a daily basis, our facility literally sells itself.
- Notable implementations:
- CAR (Corrective Action Record)
- ECR (Engineering Change Record)
- PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act methodical approach to problem solving)
- 5S Manufacturing (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain)
- The 6th S (Safety)
- Poka Yoke (mistake proofing as it relates to manufacturing fixtures and processes)
- Process Audits
- Time Studies
Impulse Manufacturing
Process Improvement Technician / Project Manager
07.2008 - 09.2010
Job overview
- Responsible for process improvement measures plant wide.
- Implemented PDCA problem solving in all manufacturing areas.
- Achieved an increase in efficiency of 35% in the Powder Paint process, and in Press Brake Area by 20%.
- Installed Company’s first Spot Weld Shop incorporating seven new machines and thirteen new employees.
- Implemented improvements in company tool supply area, and ventilation in weld shop area.
- Travel to customer locations to address defects and assist with implementation of new product lines.
Kubota Manufacturing of America
Technical Engineer / Manufacturing Engineer / Special Projects Engineer / Paint Shop Supervisor / Maintenance Engineer
10.2004 - 07.2008
Job overview
- Throughout my employment at Kubota I have taken a leadership role in each position.
- Beginning as a CAD operator, and then as Manufacturing Engineer, worked with Japanese and American staff to design and implement manufacturing improvements, jig design, paint hanger design, and various other manufacturing tooling.
- As Special Projects Engineer worked for one year on the Building One Renewal Project to purchase and install over twenty-one million dollars in industrial equipment for the startup of a new manufacturing line in an existing building.
- This included state of the art warehouse, welding and machining, e-coat plus powder paint system, and full facilities expansion.
- I then transitioned to Paint Shop Supervisor for one year.
- During this time, I was instrumental in the paint process implementation.
- Manufacturing process flow, mechanical startup, as well as supervising twenty employees.
- New e-coat painting process, and over three miles of overhead power and free conveyor system were all part of my responsibilities.
- Assisted in supplier to customer atmosphere in the manufacturing process.
Ibis International, Inc.
CAD Designer / Engineering Sales
02.2001 - 10.2004
Job overview
- Produced manufacturing layout and design for several top corporations such as Tyco, Kimberly Clark, and Proctor and Gamble.
- Designed air handling systems, surveyed plants and directed on-site equipment installations, and startups.
- Compiled and produced marketing literature, three dimensional CAD modeling and animation for trade show, board meeting and instructional purposes.
- Had key role in setting up company network for all data and communication files.
Habersham Metal Products Company
CAD Designer / Quality Engineering Inspector
07.1998 - 02.2001
Job overview
- Designed tooling and machines for hollow metal manufacturing facility.
- Reviewed architectural blueprints and schematics for the purpose of inspection of submittal packages as well as fabrication details.
- Inspected for accuracy in dimensioning and construction.
- Used AutoCad and Pro-Engineer programs to draw all charts used by the company’s engineers as well as details used in marketing and submittal packages.
- Worked as initial member of the company’s newly established Research and Development Team.
- Designed process tooling and was awarded a US Patent.
- Trained as Underwriters Laboratories Coordinator as of January 2000.
- This position included duties such as supervision of all product testing along with document control of all company manuals.
- Created details for the latest National Association of Metal Manufacturers (NAAMM) manual.
- Was Instrumental in the company’s first ever ISO 9001 certification audit.
- Prepared the company’s newly established Quality Department and became a certified ISO 9001 Auditor.
Atlanta Rubber and Hydraulics
Fabricator / Inside Sales / Purchasing
10.1995 - 01.1997
Job overview
- Involved in all phases of customer requests, including but not limited to, researching individual customer needs in industrial maintenance such as interpreting blueprints, schematics, and special customer applications.
Education
East Hall High School
Diploma
Lanier Technical College
Associates from CAD Drafting Technology
Skills
- Process and Mechanical Engineering
- Manufacturing Plant Manager
- Executive Management Experience
- 5GEN Process Improvement Specialist
- KANBAN flow and returnable packaging
- Cost analysis and savings
- Six Sigma Process Implementation
- Business development
- ISO Quality System Certifications
- Operations oversight
- Strategic planning and execution
- Succession planning
- Organizational development
- Budget control
- Facilities management
- Workforce planning
- Safety management
- Purchasing and planning
- Capital spending
- Customer relations
Accomplishments
Design Patent listed US Patent Number 6,698,156
5GEN graduate US Dojo, Kubota Manufacturing of America
Executive Management team member responsible for annual budget management as well as 35 employees
Trained in TPS, Toyota Production Systems as well as Six Sigma Lean Production Systems
Managed implementation of ISO systems with 3 separate organizations for Manufacturing with and without design as well as Environmental.
Combined engineering and process improvement experience into a unique and effective management style at an extremely high level with multiple organizations.
Certification
- Graduate of the KMA North American 5-Gen Dojo
- Listed as Designer on U.S. Patent Number 6,698,156
Timeline
Vice President of Operations
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
09.2021 - Current
Director of Procurement
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
04.2015 - 09.2021
Purchasing Manager
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
04.2014 - 04.2015
Building 1 Senior Supervisor
Kubota Manufacturing of America
03.2013 - 04.2014
Plant Manager
LaserCraft Technologies Inc.
09.2010 - 02.2013
Process Improvement Technician / Project Manager
Impulse Manufacturing
07.2008 - 09.2010
Technical Engineer / Manufacturing Engineer / Special Projects Engineer / Paint Shop Supervisor / Maintenance Engineer
Kubota Manufacturing of America
10.2004 - 07.2008
CAD Designer / Engineering Sales
Ibis International, Inc.
02.2001 - 10.2004
CAD Designer / Quality Engineering Inspector
Habersham Metal Products Company
07.1998 - 02.2001
Fabricator / Inside Sales / Purchasing
Atlanta Rubber and Hydraulics
10.1995 - 01.1997
Lanier Technical College
Associates from CAD Drafting Technology
East Hall High School
Diploma