James Hughes
Director Of Produce Merchandising/Operations
Palm Coast,FL
Summary
Strategic Executive Director with over 35 years of experience leading and overseeing Government Fresh Fruit and Vegetable contracts and Retail Grocery/Produce business activities. Strong history of devising precise and targeted business operations plans, managing perishable areas, reviewing performance and driving change. Forward-thinking leader with expertise in contract writing, employee manual development, relationship development, setting goals, quality standards and performance initiatives while leading quick and efficient attainment of objectives.
Overview
4
4
years of post-secondary education
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Produce Operations
Military Produce Group
Norfolk, VA
03.2007 - 01.2021
- Successfully wrote proposals to win Government contract solicitations, deployed and monitored processes to boost long-term business success and increase sales performance.
- Promoted positive patron shopping experience through day-to-day supervision and management of a team of Produce Merchandisers at 93 commissary facilities through out the Midwest and Eastern United States and 26 commissaries through out Japan, Guam and South Korea.
- Set, enforced and optimized internal policies to maintain efficiency and responsiveness to demands.
- Oversaw and improved product deliveries worth over $200 million nationally and $30 million internationally per year through efficient coordination of daily operations.
- Oversaw global Merchandising development and partner relationships, enabling footprint expansion into new Government contracted markets.
- Led company to successful new product launches and growth by developing initial product roadmap and go-to-market strategy.
- Implemented innovative programs, including performance bonus program aimed to increase employee loyalty and reduce turnover.
- Trained, coached and developed an employee training manual to support smooth adoption for new employees to existing Merchandising programs.
- Managed 150 Produce Merchandisers across 130 departments, resulting in approximatly $230 million in annual revenue.
- Managed, trained and motivated Produce Specialists and Produce Merchandisers to continuously improve knowledge and abilities in the Produce field.
- Developed and maintained relationships with the Defense Commissary Agency as a customer through continual communication and support strategies.
- Tracked trends and suggested enhancements to both challenge and refine company's product offerings.
- Coordinated yearly leadership workshops to educate team members on best practices to optimize skills and relationships.
- Recruited, hired and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for organization.
- Assisted with marketing strategy creation and advertising initiatives to better promote products to the commissary patrons.
- Reduced budgetary expenditures by effectively negotiating contracts for more advantageous terms.
- Enhanced operational efficiency and productivity by managing budgets, accounts and expenses.
- Improved productivity while reducing staffing and operational costs.
- Supervised creation of exciting merchandise displays to catch attention of store customers.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Drove year-over-year margin growth while leading operations, strategic vision and long-range planning.
- Chaired weekly meetings with executive leadership to identify opportunities for improvement, establish milestones and tailor products to individual markets.
Assistant Store Manager
Meijer
Crystal Lake, IL
04.2002 - 03.2006
- Coached 60 sales associates in product specifications, sales incentives and selling techniques, increasing customer satisfaction.
- Managed opening and closing procedures and recommended changes to enhance efficiency of daily activities.
- Provided weekly work schedules to employees to accommodate business demands and vacation requests.
- Maintained positive customer relationships by responding quickly to customer service inquiries.
- Promoted professional growth and facilitated talent development of each associate to drive performance excellence.
- Rotated merchandise and displays to feature new products and promotions.
- Evaluated suppliers by assessing quality, timeliness and compliance of deliveries to maintain tight cost controls and maximize business operational efficiency.
- Walked through store areas every 4 hours to identify and proactively resolve issues negatively impacting operations.
- Interviewed, hired and trained staff associates and equipped to comply with company policies and procedures.
- Verified inventory counts remained within monthly tolerance levels and compiled financial data in compliance with budget.
- Reviewed sales and gross profit reports to determine options for increasing market growth.
- Supervised and evaluated staff including other assistant managers, enabling them to improve skills, achieve daily objectives and attain advancement.
- Applied performance data to evaluate and improve operations, target current business conditions and forecast needs.
- Conducted weekly staff meetings to motivate staff members, address concerns and questions, plan improvements, and evaluate progress toward goals.
Produce Manager/Produce Trainer/Assistant Manager
Publix Supermarkets
Jacksonville, Florida
05.1993 - 02.2002
- Kept produce team operations in strict compliance with workplace standards and food safety requirements to maintain optimal health protection.
- Boosted produce sales with top-notch merchandising abilities and expertise in implementing effective promotions.
- Organized efficient merchandise replenishment strategies to keep shelves stocked and well-organized for customers.
- Strengthened profits by reducing waste, controlling shrinkage and increasing team efficiency with optimized workflows.
- Managed team of 15 staff in Produce department generating more than $250K in monthly revenue.
- Maintained produce display, and prep and storage areas in clean and orderly condition.
- Stayed current on available products, store promotions and customer service policies to better shoppers.
- Developed lesson plans, instructional materials and written practice tests for Produce Managers and Produce training courses.
- Created and oversaw ready to eat training recipe manuals for perishable produce operations.
- Appropriately allocated resourced, budgets, inventories, training support and team building materials to increase overall productivity.
Education
Associate of Science - Engineering Mechanics
09.1986 - 06.1990
Skills
Staff training/development
undefinedTimeline
Director of Produce Operations - Military Produce Group
03.2007 - 01.2021
Assistant Store Manager - Meijer
04.2002 - 03.2006
Produce Manager/Produce Trainer/Assistant Manager - Publix Supermarkets
05.1993 - 02.2002
Florida Community College Of Jacksonville - Associate of Science, Engineering Mechanics
09.1986 - 06.1990
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