Jeff Stephens
Ironton,Ohio
Summary
Dynamic Continuous Improvement Leader specializing in Lean transformations and operational excellence. Delivered $20 million in annual savings by driving DMAIC projects and fostering a culture of servant leadership and continuous improvement across diverse teams and facilities.
Overview
1
1
Certification
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Continuous Improvement Manager/Engineer
Spartech Polymers
09.2025 - Current
- Led DMAIC projects resulting in over 2 million in year-over-year savings.
- Drove Tier 1, 2, and 3 daily performance system, creating structure and processes to achieve Win the Hour, Win the Shift, and Win the Day.
- Work with Teams on the production floor to lead, coach and structure A3 Methodology to drive Productivity across 24/7 Site touching and involving all shift Teams
- Created leader standard work with salary employees, coaching supervisors to establish floor teams standard work and develop layered process audits that transformed leadership from reactive to proactive.
- Improve Material Changeovers via SMED Process to improve OEE
- Lead Agile Project Management Teams (Visual Management Boards from A3 Team Creation to Agile ). Elevating floor support to create the culture of Servant Leadership across 24/7 Operations
- Ensure BOM (Bill of Materials) is followed by Manufacturing Standards to ensure we reduce material cost and improve 1st Pass Yield
- Lead Innovative Extrusion Projects that improve Quality and reduce cost (Vision Systems, Gauge Scanners, Material Usage and Measurement Equipment)
Senior Continuous Improvement Leader
Perdue Farms, Incorporated
12.2024 - 07.2025
- Senior Continuous Improvement Leader with Servant Leadership DNA – Teach, coach, mentor and drive the MOS (Manufacturing Operating System) in a 1700 Employee multi-lingual processing and packaging facility
- Develop Productivity Project Pipeline of 3 MM Dollars and currently exceeding 120% to Target YTD
- Train and Coach, all levels of the Organization on Standard Work, Root Cause Analysis, KPI Creation, Target Setting and Data Collection
- Utilize OEE Tools to Understand Losses and Create Reliability Improvement Plan for Value Streams performing under Target
- Created supervisor leader standard work in cross-functional settings, establishing clear expectations and improving operational consistency
- Developed shift huddle documents to reduce variation and standardize processes across facilities, facilitating GEMBA walk structure for continuous improvement
- Create Current State Value Stream Map and Improve top lead time opportunity supporting Future State Map with reducing waste and improving efficiencies
- Built capability in business and facility by developing entry-level continuous improvement managers, enhancing team effectiveness and leadership within the organization
Corporate Continuous Improvement Leader
Pennant Molding Incorporated
03.2024 - 11.2024
- Created Corporate Continuous Improvement Project Pipeline of $3 MM within 90 days, realizing $2 MM in first 12 months; identified additional $2.2 MM and realized $750K.
- Create Operational Excellence Roadmap that fosters a rigorous Daily Performance System with Standardized Cadence with GEMBA Walks eliminating Daily Waste across all Shifts.
- Utilize Project Management Tools to lead all cost-savings opportunities; go to the GEMBA understand and map Current State and create Future State Improvements by reducing work cell cycle times improving throughput to improve OEE
- Reduce current scrap $ by 65% - from 1.7 MM $ to $595K annually.
- Led Kaizen Events, instilling principles and developing behaviors through education, coaching, and daily capability building.
- Educate all levels of Leadership to create and utilize A3 Problem-Solving from the Strategic Corporate Build cascading into Multi-Site Level A3’s to the shop floor’s Problem-Solving Child A3’s
- Developed 5S Timeline, leading by example on the floor alongside Site 5S Champions.
- Build DPS (Daily Performance System) for Multiple Sites
- Conducted Single Factor KATA experiments to identify root causes of issues to develop the grassroots early behaviors of Root Cause Problem Solving
Director Level – Regional Continuous Improvement Manager
Marmon Rail (UTLX/PROCOR/TRANSCO)
Marion, Ohio
10.2020 - 03.2024
- Developed, Educated, and Supportively Implemented the Four Core Tools of our Lean Journey – Daily Management System, 5S, Problem Solving, Kaizen – 10 Sites (US & Canada)
- Deployed Lean Initiatives across $3B Portfolio 3 Divisions and 28 Businesses
- Facilitated cross-functional kaizen teams, achieving sustainable results with $4MM in savings and increasing throughput from 7.8 cars/day to 11 cars/day.
- Improved Contribution Margin % Revenue from 42% to 55% - 1.8 MM in Savings
- Reduced Period Cost % Revenue from 35% to 21% - 2.6 MM in Savings from reduced Maintenance Spend, Supplies and Indirect Labor Costs
- Developed the Coaching/Mentoring Program for all 10 Site CICs (Continuous Improvement Champions)
- Created training documents for all site CICs and coached/developed their lean thinking through rigorous measures, fostering cultural transformation of employee behaviors.
- Developed problem-solving documents and trained/coached/mentored RCA company-wide on the problem-solving process, emphasizing simplicity to streamline operations.
- Performed Detailed Project Analysis on Innovation of Sponge Jet Robotica (Interior Railcar Blasting eliminating the Employee inside the Car – monumental Confined Space Entry Improvement)
- Solving Root Cause Problems at the Source to eliminate Obstacles that get in the way of Winning Daily – To Date – 278 Problems have been solved and preventive actions are in place with Poka-Yoke (Mistake Proofing Solutions)
Multi-Site Regional Continuous Improvement Manager
BWAY Packaging/Mauser Packaging Solutions
Cincinnati, Ohio
04.2017 - 10.2020
- Relentless Training/Coaching/Teaching of Managers, Supervisors, Floor Teams on the MOS (Management Operating System) and Behavioral Model to permanently embed the standardized process
- Coach/Train/Teach Cross Functional Teams on Strategic Lean Deployment
- Evaluate current Systems/Processes at the Current State and Coach and Enable the Facility to Check/Adjust to Drive Sustainable Improvements with Future State Deploy
- Implement hourly tracking to enable immediate identification and resolution of operational issues. to foster real time problem solving at the GEMBA
- Facilitated PMO project management opportunities, enabling team to identify $3.5MM in annual opportunities and deliver $2MM baseline in realized savings, achieving approximately $2.3MM in savings for 2019 from 2018 JOP.
- Mentor/Teach/Coach/Lead-by-Example all Employees on Kaizen Events and Focused Improvement Teams (Tiger Teams)
- Lead/Teach Teams how to perform Toyota 8 Step Problem Solving Process (A3) – Create a Culture of Data and Facts Drive Decisions and support Root Cause Analysis with Corrective and Preventive Actions through Poka-Yoke process improvements
- Work with Functional Areas to Build ANDON Escalation Plans and Ensure Teams are reacting to the Models to Improve First Pass Yield and OEE
- Improved Reliability of High Speed Lines – OEE from 47% to currently 68% - Annual Savings of $1.3 MM
- Drive SMED Principles Across Sites – Reduced Set-Up Time by 55% - Annual Savings of $780K
- Developed TPM roadmap for sites based on asset criticality rankings and FMEA, aimed at restoring base condition and implementing operator-assisted maintenance.
- Employed Six Sigma tools to enhance operational processes.
- Reduced Leaker Scrap by 27%- Annual Savings of $675K from 2018 Baseline
Director of Continuous Improvement /Corporate Safety Manager
Graphel Carbon Products – Corporate Leader
West Chester, Ohio
02.2015 - 04.2017
- Create Sites Behavior-based Safety Program to embed the culture of Zero Tolerance Safety – there is nothing more important than the safety of our people
- Conduct audits to ensure site compliance with OSHA regulations and promote a culture of safety
- Lead safety committee to empower employees in identifying and correcting safety hazards and behaviors
- Perform One-on-Ones with all Employees (Management and Non-Management) to listen for cultural thinking and greatest opportunities. Explain my role as a Servant Leader.
- Train Team to Perform SWOT Analysis
- Train all Site Teams on Hoshin Kanri (Strategic Development & Planning)
- Coach/Train/Teach Cross Functional Teams on Strategic Deployment
- Build Annual Budgets and Forecasts for three facilities
- Determine and Develop KPIs for all Functions to drive sustainable results
- Develop Lean Operating System – Assess Current Business State and Create Operating System that supports the Business
- Create/Train Organization on Mindset Training – The rate of improvement is determined by the Mindsets of the Organization
- Develop/Create Management Operating System that cascades up/down the organization and fosters real time problem solving
- Mentor/Teach/Coach/Lead-by-Example all Employees on Kaizen Events, P.I.T. (Performance Improvement Teams), and Focused Improvements
- Performed P&L analysis to identify financial trends and opportunities. to ensure Team is identifying and correcting Financial Opportunities
- Reduce Customer Lead Times by 45% via Value Stream Mapping with P&L opportunities actioned as Kaizen Blitz Events to drive EBIDTA - Increased Capacity Improving Operating Income by 980K Annually
- Reduce Set-Up Times by 60% through SMED – Improved Operating Income by 1.47 MM Annually
Continuous Improvement Manager – Multiple Sites
Dean Foods – Central Division
Springfield, OH
10.2012 - 02.2015
- Meet Responsible Sites/Divisions Operating Income of 30MM and help support entire Company Operating Income Goal Annually
- Identify a minimum of 6% of the AOP (Annual Operating Plan) in Opportunities – Currently have identified 12MM in Opportunities and Realized (achieved) 2.4 MM in Variable Cost Savings
- Identified 6 MM in Shrink (Yield) Opportunities between Sites and currently have realized 1.7 MM in Savings
- Lead/Teach Kaizen Blitz’s to FAM’s (Financial Account Managers) and General Managers to pinpoint losses in P&L and create Action Plans close Gaps to the AOP (Annual Operating Plan)
- Executed the full deployment of DMOS (Deans Management Operating Systems) across the entire Value Stream – Supply Chain, Logistics, & Commercial Functions.
- Taught, trained, coached, and mentored approximately 900 Central Division employees in DMOS standards, tools, and steering cadences to enhance operational effectiveness
- Mentored PIT leaders to utilize processes and coached teams in achieving and sustaining performance improvement results
- Utilize the Discovery (Focused Improvement) Tools to unearth Opportunities develop Road Map (Plan) to help Teams achieve results to improve
- TPM Facilitator/Trainer for Autonomous Maintenance Initiatives – Coach and Develop SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) to build Capability and Develop the Employees; Driving towards Self-Directed High Performance Teams
- Developed glide paths for all Central locations and coached plant managers in performing gap analysis to achieve sustainable results using Dean's problem-solving standard tools
Site Lean Leader - Continuous Improvement Manager
JT Davenport & Sons Food Distribution Services
Sanford, NC
06.2009 - 10.2012
- Create Site Lean Immersion and Training for 300 employee facility in TPS
- Developed implementation plan and cultural transformation tactics to align site operations with lean principles
- Guided operators, team leads, and managers in creating standard work and developing value stream maps to streamline processes
- Trained staff on lean tools and concepts to enhance operational efficiency.
- Created 1st Year Savings of 300K and 2nd Year Savings of 375K with emphasis on cultural thinking (value-added to the customer) & managing by problem-solving – utilization of 5 Why and Fishbone Diagrams
- Improved Shipping Department Cycle Time by 40% - Annual Savings – 360K
- Reduced Cigarette Department Downtime by 20% - Annual Savings – 180K
- Improved Stamping Efficiencies by 25% using SMED Concepts - Annual Savings – 120K
- Installed a Safety Culture that creates ownership with accountability
- Implemented Heijunka Boxes for Visual Production Leveling
Site Lean Leader/Six Sigma Black Belt/Production Engineer/Quality Engineer
Ticona Engineered Polymers- Division of Celanese
Shelby, NC
07.2006 - 06.2009
- Site Lean Leader- Lead Site-Wide Lean Activities and Kaizen Events
- Led turnaround Kaizen at Florence, Ky. site, achieving annual savings of 1.4MM.
- Improved yield, resulting in annual variable cost savings of 1.5MM.
- Helped drive and implement approximately 1MM in Productivity Improvements.
- Improved extrusion turnaround time by 50% - Annual Savings of 500K
- Reduced out-of-feed occurrences by 45% - Annual Savings of 120K
- Led/Facilitated Vectra Mistake-Proofing Event – Annual Savings of 175K
- Drove quality investigations and formal customer responses using 8D problem-solving methodology, implementing corrective and preventive actions.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering Technology
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Charlotte, NCAssociate of Applied Science - Civil Engineering
University of Kentucky
Ashland, KYSkills
- Microsoft Teams
- Word
- Excel
- Project
- Power Point
- Visio
- BW/SAP
- Power BI
- Minitab
- Quality Companion 3
- AS 400
- SDW
- KPI Tool
- Tableau
- XATA
- AutoCAD
- Visual Software
- Crystal Reports
- Lean methodology
- Root cause analysis
- A3 problem solving
- Continuous improvement
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Six Sigma tools
- Performance metrics
- Value stream mapping
- Effective communication
- Coaching and mentoring
- Cultural transformation
- Servant leadership
- Visual management
- Lean manufacturing concepts
- Developing metrics
- 5S methodology
- Tracking systems
- Operational excellence
- Waste reduction
- Operations management
- Kaizen events
- Total productive maintenance
- Managing operations
- Workflow optimization
- Balanced scorecard
- Statistical process control
- Standard work
- Process efficiency management
- Process improvement solutions
- Customer focus
- Critical thinking
- Production planning
- Teamwork
- Budget management
- Data collection
- Inventory control
- Employee training
- Professional demeanor
- Raw material inspection
- Staff supervision
- Operation Monitoring
- Decision-making
- Reliability
- Relationship building
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Process validation
- Written communication
- Complex Problem-solving
Certification
- Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – Lean Sigma Corporation (ICBB)
- Certified ISO 9000/9001 & ISO TS 16949 Quality Auditor
- Lean Leader Training (Internal to Organization – from SBTI Consultants)
- TPS Problem Solving Training (UK Lean Systems)
- Lean Champion Training (Simpler Consulting)
Timeline
Continuous Improvement Manager/Engineer
Spartech Polymers
09.2025 - Current
Senior Continuous Improvement Leader
Perdue Farms, Incorporated
12.2024 - 07.2025
Corporate Continuous Improvement Leader
Pennant Molding Incorporated
03.2024 - 11.2024
Director Level – Regional Continuous Improvement Manager
Marmon Rail (UTLX/PROCOR/TRANSCO)
10.2020 - 03.2024
Multi-Site Regional Continuous Improvement Manager
BWAY Packaging/Mauser Packaging Solutions
04.2017 - 10.2020
Director of Continuous Improvement /Corporate Safety Manager
Graphel Carbon Products – Corporate Leader
02.2015 - 04.2017
Continuous Improvement Manager – Multiple Sites
Dean Foods – Central Division
10.2012 - 02.2015
Site Lean Leader - Continuous Improvement Manager
JT Davenport & Sons Food Distribution Services
06.2009 - 10.2012
Site Lean Leader/Six Sigma Black Belt/Production Engineer/Quality Engineer
Ticona Engineered Polymers- Division of Celanese
07.2006 - 06.2009
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering Technology
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Associate of Applied Science - Civil Engineering
University of Kentucky