Laura Burns
Visalia,CA
Summary
Quality-driven Site Director focused on enabling consistent growth by applying remarkable leadership and decision-making skills to diverse operational issues. Proactive and hands-on leader adept at facilitating communication and planning improvements. Prepared to utilize experience and skills to take on new professional challenges.
Overview
39
39
years of professional experience
Work History
Site Director
California Dairies
Visalia , Ca
2022.06 - 2024.07
- Responsible for a $1,500MM Powdered Milk and Butter, $80MM Plant expenses, 200 Employees at a Non-Union Processing Facility
- Commercialized Evaporator Plant and Butter Processing and Automation Equipment
- Strategic Planning and LEAN Culture Development.
Vice President of Manufacturing and Technical Services
California Dairies
2022.03 - 2022.06
- Responsible for Technical Services and Strategic Technical Planning for California Dairies 6 Manufacturing Facilities.
Vice President of Operations
California Dairies
2018.01 - 2022.03
- Responsible for Multiple Milk Processing Operations Union and Non-Union with over 450 Employees, $145MM Plant Expense, Process 5,332MM lbs
- Of Milk into 440MM lbs
- Of Powdered Milk, 285MM lbs
- Of Butter and Fluid Dairy Products, Over $1,800MM Powdered Milk and Butter
- Improved milk conversion by over 30% (40MMlb milk/yr.) through improved planned outages and maintenance planning
- Improved retail butter performance by 60% in 2 years through implementing OEE tracking and resolution by line and by Operator
- Implemented Raw and Pack and Finished Goods Inventory Management System reducing aged product by 50% (6 MM lb
- Per month)
- Strategic Capital, Supply Chain and Process Planning
- Developed Maintenance pay for skills and Alternate Work-Scheduling to enhance and retain talent
- Improved Treated Water discharge compliance at Facilities and identified wastewater discharge plan.
Plant Manager
California Dairies
Visalia , CA
2014.11 - 2017.12
- Responsible for a $1,500MM Powdered Milk and Butter, $80MM Plant expenses, 200 Employees at a Non-Union Processing Facility
- Commercialized Evaporator Plant and Butter Processing and Automation Equipment.
Plant Manager
Kraft Foods Group
Tulare , CA
2000.07 - 2014.09
- Responsible for a $220MM Natural Cheese, Whey, and Cultured Dairy Products Non-Union HPWS Processing Facility with 245 Employees
- Commercialized $200MM Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Cultured Operation April 2007 and closing pre-existing Visalia, Ca
- Unionized Facility
- Reduced cost by $25MM over 10 years at same capacity and volume of 70MM lbs of Cheese and 52MM lbs of dried Whey (20% of Controllable Cost)
- 80% Improvement in Safety and 60% Quality Improvement utilizing root cause analysis and driving sustainable solutions.
Cultured Network Lead and Tulare Plant Manager
Kraft Foods Group
Tulare , California
2005.12 - 2008.02
- Manage Marketing and Strategic Operations Plan for Kraft’s Cultured Network Operations
- Responsible for 4 Dairy Processing facilities supporting Cultured and Natural Cheese Manufacturing for Kraft in New York and California with 800 employees and $1000MM operating cost
- Completed Restructuring of Visalia, Ca
- Cultured Operation into Tulare, Ca
- Natural Cheese Facility.
Business Unit Manager
Kraft Foods Group
Visalia , CA
1997.10 - 2000.06
- Responsible for 180 hourly and 6 salaried team members in Operations, Sanitation, Production, Planning, Materials Management, Private Fleet, manufacturing 145MM lbs
- A year of cultured and dairy manufactured products, union facility
- Championed HPWS Steering Team through 5- year Business Case development and approval
- Improved Availability for Cultured Operations by 23%
- Achieved record productivity each year over 50% improvement
- Continuous safety improvement through reduction of recordable injuries by 75% and Workers Compensation cost reduction of 480%.
Operations Manager
Nestle Ice Cream Company
Bakersfield , CA
1995.11 - 1997.10
- Responsible for management of Sanitation, Operations of 22 processing lines, and Mix processing of 300 employees, non-union facility
- Responsible for variable and fixed manufacturing costs
- Have realized over 20% reduction in variable costs within first 6 months
- Establish business- based management in team format focusing on safety, environment, quality, and cost.
Pizza Division Operations Brand Manager
The Pillsbury Company
Minneapolis , MN
1995.05 - 1995.11
- Manage manufacturing plan to support Marketing Brand development and Cost Savings ($2.4MM) including establishing internal manufacturing goals and sourcing contract manufacturing
- Manage capital plan and projects, new product and process development process through commercialization with Cross Functional Team.
Plant Operations Manager
Haagen Dazs
Tulare , CA
1994.06 - 1995.05
- Manage Annual Operating Plan of $130MM and Facility of 200 employees
- Manage Far East Business relations with Japanese business partners.
Operations Manager
Haagen-Dazs
Tulare , CA
1992.01 - 1994.05
- Management of 11 salaried and 150 hourly employees in the operation of processing Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, and Chocolate Blending
- Established variable standards for efficiency and waste reduction and fixed spending of $700M; realized over a 12% improvement in operating efficiencies and over 50% reduction in Japanese consumer complaints
- Develop and enforce team-based management in all areas of management in the non-union facility
- Establish facility requirements for new product and process start ups.
Operations Improvement Manager
Haagen-Dazs
Tulare , CA
1991.08 - 1991.12
- Coordinate commercialization of new products and processes in the facility including operator training
- Facilitate the process to improve existing manufacturing processes with R&D Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations.
Quality Assurance Process Control Manager
Haagen-Dazs
Tulare , CA
1989.10 - 1991.07
- Manage 3 salaried and hourly line technicians in the operation of QA focusing on product quality improvement, cost process improvement, food safety management (HACCP), product trace and recall, microbiological control, and regulatory compliance
- Coordinate R&D and Operations trials and start ups including Yogurt Processing, CIP Automation and Mix Processing and HTST Pasteurization
- Manage Regulatory Compliance with State and Federal Agencies
- Develop Processing standards for new and existing products.
Quality Assurance Supervisor
Totino's
Fridley , MN
1987.10 - 1989.09
- Manage 6 technicians in providing the resources to insure quality and food safety standards are achieved in USDA Pizza operations
- Installed and managed automated SPC weight control system
- Manage Specifications system and material system working daily with material vendors.
Project Engineer
The Pillsbury Company
Minneapolis and Totino's Fridley , MN
1986.01 - 1987.08
- Project Management for Pizza and Frozen Snacks.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering -
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
12.1985
Skills
- Performance Improvements
- Program Leadership
- Policy improvements
- Staff Development
- Performance updates
- Operational leadership
- Financial Management
- Technical knowledge
- Business Development
- Strategic Planning
Timeline
Site Director
California Dairies
2022.06 - 2024.07
Vice President of Manufacturing and Technical Services
California Dairies
2022.03 - 2022.06
Vice President of Operations
California Dairies
2018.01 - 2022.03
Plant Manager
California Dairies
2014.11 - 2017.12
Cultured Network Lead and Tulare Plant Manager
Kraft Foods Group
2005.12 - 2008.02
Plant Manager
Kraft Foods Group
2000.07 - 2014.09
Business Unit Manager
Kraft Foods Group
1997.10 - 2000.06
Operations Manager
Nestle Ice Cream Company
1995.11 - 1997.10
Pizza Division Operations Brand Manager
The Pillsbury Company
1995.05 - 1995.11
Plant Operations Manager
Haagen Dazs
1994.06 - 1995.05
Operations Manager
Haagen-Dazs
1992.01 - 1994.05
Operations Improvement Manager
Haagen-Dazs
1991.08 - 1991.12
Quality Assurance Process Control Manager
Haagen-Dazs
1989.10 - 1991.07
Quality Assurance Supervisor
Totino's
1987.10 - 1989.09
Project Engineer
The Pillsbury Company
1986.01 - 1987.08
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering -
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
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