Kenneth Schell

• Set performance expectations for a team of 44 direct reports across three shifts, monitoring progress towards goals and providing constructive feedback as needed.
• Empowered team members by delegating responsibilities according to individual strengths and areas of expertise.
• Provided ongoing support to direct reports, addressing concerns or questions promptly so they could remain focused on their tasks.
• Completed production plans by scheduling and assigning personnel to daily tasks.
• Conducted root cause analysis on production issues, identifying solutions that prevented future recurrence of similar problems.
• Monitored production schedules to ensure on-time delivery of products, meeting customer expectations consistently.
• Managed inventory levels to maintain optimal stock while minimizing waste and obsolescence costs.
• Ensured product quality through rigorous inspection processes and adherence to industry standards.
• Assisted in the development of annual budgets for labor, equipment, materials, and other manufacturing resources.
• Developed and maintained detailed documentation for manufacturing processes, ensuring consistency across shifts.
• Fostered culture of continuous improvement, encouraging innovation and efficiency.

• Established operational objectives and work plans and delegated assignments to subordinate Production Leads.
• Planned, organized and monitored resources to deliver efficient use of labor, equipment and materials.
• Oversaw, coached and evaluated 50+ full-time manufacturing employees across multiple departments.
• Located and resolved problems quickly with team production and performance to maintain consistent quality levels.
• Monitored daily and weekly key performance indicators to maintain on-track status.
• Cultivated professional working relationships with employees and Management Team.
• Maximized productivity by strictly monitoring daily progress and identifying and rectifying areas for improvement quickly.
• Utilized lean practices to balance workflow and alleviate redundancy.
• Achieved targets and met demand by assessing equipment performance, reviewing materials supplies and organizing manpower.
• Compiled production reports, detailing quantities produced, downtime duration and reasons and potential quality concerns.
• Completed injury/incident reports and investigations using Cority reporting system.
• Monitored and reported labor hours weekly using Kronos.
• Instrumental in ERP transition to SAP. Responsible for daily Production entries, edits, order creation and material issuance and reconciliation as needed as well as training of involved hourly staff.

• Supervise personnel and plan/schedule utilization of assets assigned to multiple areas of responsibility to ensure manufacture of products at acceptable quality, in a safe environment, in sufficient quantity, and at acceptable cost.
• Ensure success of these goal by focusing on needs of people, maintaining a safe environment, maintaining regulatory compliance, implementing continuous process improvement and method improvements, achieving production schedules and keeping current on equipment maintenance and utilization.
• Motivate, train, and retain qualified personnel in manufacturing operations (Employment and termination decision making)
• Direct assigned operations to ensure that production schedules are attained and products meet and exceed customer expectations.
• Manage operations to insure all local, federal, and company policies are adhered to be it of regulatory, environmental and/or safety nature.
• Work directly with peers and staff and provide relevant data/insights to strive to attain facility goals and objectives and maintain climate of continuous improvement.
• Provide and promote climate to encourage communication with employees to respond to personnel issues and concerns.
• Identify and implement continuous improvements of processes and methods.
• Ensure that all employee training remains current and up to date.
• Recorded and reported attendance and hours worked for all area direct reports.
• Performed incident investigations as necessary.

Grew up and worked my entire career in a family confectionery manufacturing business. I was responsible throughout my time in the business for every aspect of production and management. I ran the business for seven years, overseeing and managing all facets of the company. My many responsibilities included but were not been limited to:

• Preparing and executing daily production schedules
• Procurement of raw materials and inventory including execution of cost control in finding distributors offering best pricing and products
  
• Hiring and training of new staff members including addressing any issues related to staff, scheduling, personal issues or problems with job requirements or co-workers
• Reviewing and addressing staff job performance
  
• Preparing and executing staff schedules for both production and retail sales
  
• Customer service and sales
• Effectively marketing new products and ventures
• Boosting employee morale by working side by side with employees during manufacturing of a vast array of confectionery products
• Successfully partnering with larger companies to provide subcontracted products to their specifications
  
• Quality control of all products manufactured for sale via wholesale and retail channels
• Maintaining GMP's and keeping employees aware and in compliance with standards for safety, cleanliness and environmental protection.
  
• Maintaining current and proper standards for product labeling
• Working directly with PA Department of Agriculture and FDA inspectors to assure that all standards and requirements were continuously being met
• Achieving and maintaining exemplary inspection records with both PA Department of Agriculture and FDA
  
• Maintaining standard of constant improvement through research and study of current trends in the industry