JOSH TATE
Dayton,OH
Summary
Dynamic and highly motivated professional with 7 years of experience in manufacturing organizations, showcasing a remarkable history of rapid career advancement. Recognized for building collaborative cross-functional teams, fostering effective communication, and consistently making sound decisions in alignment with organizational goals and values. Committed to excellence and enthusiastic about driving positive change that delivers exceptional results and resonates with stakeholders. Passionately believes in the transformative power of soft skills, such as, fostering a champion versus victim mentality and balancing hard and soft initiatives. Advocate for cultivating a culture that values empathy, resilience, and adaptability, as integral components of sustainable success in today's dynamic business landscape.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
3
3
Certifications
Work History
Senior PPI Business System Specialist
Thermo Fisher Scientific
08.2022 - Current
- Implemented Operational Excellence initiatives, surpassing key performance indicators and achieving significant savings (~$630k/quarter) in revenue, improved EBITDA, reduced deviations by 74%, increased lab release throughput by 14%, enhanced customer experience, and decreased changeover variance by 43%.
- Demonstrated leadership by embodying core values and a customer-centric approach.
- Identified and implemented opportunities for continuous improvement, employing cost-benefit analysis.
- Cultivated an action-oriented culture of continuous improvement and accountability in collaboration with site leaders, driving growth, productivity, quality, and customer experience.
- Led and managed various continuous improvement activities, including diagnostics, workshops, kaizens, and projects, utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, and other methodologies and tools.
- Collaborated with Finance, Quality, Labs, Operations, Safety, and Project sponsors to ensure project impact and implemented operational excellence plans aligned with site and business unit strategies.
Operations Manager
PAC Worldwide Corporation
07.2019 - 08.2022
- Aligned operational strategy with corporate objectives, resulting in improved plant performance and annual savings through strategic initiatives (improved plant OOE by 4% and reduced scrap by approximately $500,000 annually across three value streams).
- Led cultural change efforts to eliminate departmental silos and align the site with business values.
- Developed team members through effective coaching and the ABC-based approach (Actions, Behaviors, and Communication).
- Drove performance metrics in Production (OEE), Warehousing (OTCO), Maintenance (Meantime to Repair), and Training (% of Cross-Trained Operators).
- Implemented standardized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to streamline daily operations for Team Leads, Supervisors, and Managers.
- Fostered continuous improvement through an action-driven approach and tiered accountability system.
- Implemented Leader Standard Work to drive collaboration and efficiency in daily workflows for Production, Maintenance, and Training Leadership.
- Reduced voluntary turnover rate by 6% among operators through relationship building and a floor-first approach.
- Collaborated with other sites and departments to establish best practices and drive operational excellence.
Production Manager
PAC Worldwide Corporation
07.2019 - 08.2022
- Increased yield and run rates, resulting in significant cost savings and improved customer lead times (yield ↑ 1.5% equaling savings of ~$2.5Million; run rates ↑ 8.0%).
- Implemented Leader Standard Work (LSW) to prioritize improvement efforts and reduce firefighting.
- Led strategic initiatives aligned with corporate business strategy, such as overhauling the Polyethylene Thermoforming Value Stream and conducting 6 Rapid Improvement Events.
- Responsible for the coaching, motivating, and developing 200 team members.
- Played a key role in implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning System (Microsoft Dynamics 365), resulting in a successful year-end inventory audit with $0 variance.
Continuous Improvement Engineer
PAC Worldwide Corporation
07.2019 - 08.2022
- Developed, deployed, coached, and mentored a tiered Accountability System to drive accountability, collaboration, and cross-functional communication.
- Provided coaching and project support to production employees, ensuring effective scoping, chartering, planning, and sustaining.
- Led cross-functional sessions with leadership to develop standards, tier metrics, and best practices.
- Led 15 continuous improvement initiatives resulting in improved OOE, ERR, uptime, and reduced scrap in the Extrusion, Polyethylene, and Retail Bubble Departments.
- Introduced new systems and tools, including Standard Work, Leader Standard Work, Root Cause Analysis, DMAIC Project Execution, Visual Management, Process Confirmation, and JIT Delivery.
- Coached Managers and Supervisors on developing leading KPIs for impactful performance measurement.
- Designed and implemented Leader Standard Work at various levels, reducing 'firefighting' and increasing process confirmation within work cells.
- Coached teams on conducting Gemba walks to address safety, quality, or performance gaps through observation, inquiry, and respect.
- Designed the Autonomous Production Unit (APU) layout for future development of the Tiered Accountability System.
Plant Manager
Spectrum Packaging Network
03.2018 - 05.2019
- Oversaw all aspects of a $17 million/year folding carton facility.
- Led and motivated a team of 60 employees to achieve business goals.
- Implemented process improvements to optimize flow, maximize capacity, and reduce changeover time (~50% decrease) while increasing revenue by 67% ($6M to $10M).
- Managed plant safety program, achieving zero annual recordable injuries in 2018.
Quality Assurance Manager
Spectrum Packaging Network
12.2017 - 05.2019
- Oversaw production quality, maintenance, training, and operational records to ensure data control.
- Managed all quality operations and personnel for two manufacturing facilities.
- Ensured adherence to quality and safety standards through internal and external audits.
- Coordinated compliance activities to assess batch manufacturing, testing and product releases.
- Reviewed and approved quality SOPs, protocols, and testing procedures.
Project Manager & Estimator
Spectrum Packaging Network
03.2016 - 12.2017
- Managed 41 key customer accounts, accounting for 45% of annual sales (~$6.0 million) and implemented estimating models resulting in ~$1.8 million increased revenue YoY.
- Streamlined workflows, increasing internal departmental capacity by approximately 25% and reallocating one full-time employee, resulting in $80,000 annual savings.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Management And Administration
Lee University
Cleveland, TN12.2015
Skills
Workflow Optimization
Process Improvement
P&L Management
Business Planning
Data Analysis
Project Leadership
Cost Reduction
Strategic Partnerships
Workforce Management
Decision-Making
Customer Service
Inventory Management
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Cincinnati, OH, 02.2024
- Change Champion, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Cincinnati, OH, 11.2023
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Riverwood Associates, Dunwoody, GA, 04.2018
Timeline
Senior PPI Business System Specialist
Thermo Fisher Scientific
08.2022 - Current
Operations Manager
PAC Worldwide Corporation
07.2019 - 08.2022
Production Manager
PAC Worldwide Corporation
07.2019 - 08.2022
Continuous Improvement Engineer
PAC Worldwide Corporation
07.2019 - 08.2022
Plant Manager
Spectrum Packaging Network
03.2018 - 05.2019
Quality Assurance Manager
Spectrum Packaging Network
12.2017 - 05.2019
Project Manager & Estimator
Spectrum Packaging Network
03.2016 - 12.2017
Bachelor of Science - Business Management And Administration
Lee University