Ken Wilson

• Plant General Manager for a high-speed beverage manufacturing facility, operating 2 CSD & 2 Water lines 24/7 at 38MM cases yearly.
• Accountable for $150MM annual budget with 200+ associates, 11 direct reports
• A turnaround plant to fit company culture, standards, and performance.
• Step change management and Lean Manufacturing experience managing over $80MM capital projects at site.
• Plant is considered the most complex in Coke system.
• Improved plant efficiency by implementing innovative production processes and optimizing resource allocation.
• Reduced operating costs through effective budget management, cost control strategies, and waste reduction initiatives.

Commanded both unionized and non-unionized facilities. Drove overall supply chain capabilities by managing the plant-wide implementation of TPM, true efficiency, and team development. Facilitated client growth and satisfaction by catering to client needs for operational excellence and growth management experience, such as standardization of processes, asset rationalization and usage, and distribution realignment. Equipped clients with process improvement techniques by training with world-class performance tools, including lean methodologies, Six-Sigma, and TPM deployment. Propelled business into years of excellence by teaching executive management to develop, push, and lead teams with awareness of ways to be business’s natural center of gravity.

• Optimized business profitability by increasing productivity, reducing waste and unit costs, as well as serving in several capacities with over $100M in budgetary responsibility.
• Emerged as strategic leader by achieving success in both privately and publicly held organizations, optimizing cash flow by effectively managing P&L responsibilities in both.

Minimized unnecessary costs and maintained quality standards as Plant Manager/COO, overseeing start-up facility in sports nutrition segment. Uplifted operational efficiency and contributed to increased profitability by revamping work system, workflow, policies, and procedures. Identified and mitigated performance gaps by evaluating leadership and employees. Boosted employee talent cultivation by designing action and training programs, while increasing product safety and leadership behaviors. Enhanced corporate governance by articulating company obligations and holding employees accountable via coaching, counseling, and, if necessary, application of discipline to address redundant behaviors

• Enabled achievement of maximum production outcomes by implementing software to monitor production efficiency.
• Improved bottom line and value of organization by fostering culture of honesty, fairness, and inclusion while setting reasonable goals and expectations.
• Facilitated staff development and motivation by providing ongoing feedback to all personnel at all levels.

Steered seamless plant operations to ensure high quality products, while directing all manufacturing activities of frozen cookie dough, including frozen dough food service division, baked cookie sales division, and mail order business. Streamlined workflow by supervising manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, and storage, as well as facility and equipment maintenance at privately owned 67K square foot enterprise. Drove high team performance by managing 70 direct and indirect employees out of approximately 100 employees and in-house executive staff. Aligned staff with profitability goals by supervising recruiting, training, and coordinating job duties for 200 temporary employees during peak mail order demands. Optimized business cash flow as well as resource utilization by creating and implementing new positions in procurement, resulting in reduction of in-house ingredient inventories and use of just-in-time delivery. Yielded contract benefits by collaborating with outside vendors to renegotiate contracts. Lowered carbon footprint by performing research and installing equipment leading to less waste and improved throughput and quality, while preserving budgetary constraints and return on investment objectives.

• Enabled plant to function at 75% capacity, accelerating 5-year plan formulation by strategizing implementation of lean manufacturing and process control.
• Optimized employee retention and productivity by directing efforts to guarantee employee safety, growth, and morale.
• Generated 50% decrease in labor requirements, rise in productivity and rise in throughput per dollar of labor via use of Lean tools and Lean Manufacturing methods.
• Reduced employee turnover in the manufacturing sector from 15% to less than 1%, as well as reducing waste and quality errors by establishing clear policies and procedures.
• Reengineered processes to minimize cost of consumables, ranging from paper supplies to nitrogen utilized in flash freezing operations.
• Lowered on-hand inventory of easily accessible replacement components and returned cash to the company by implementing a preventive maintenance program.