MICHELLE L POLSON

• Overseen end-to-end Product Development for Caterpillar Licensed Product, encompassing Design to Production within Lifestyle and Workwear Divisions.
• Developed commercially viable product line in compliance with Caterpillar Brand, specifically for the Work Wear category.
• Collaborated with Merchandising Team to create a development calendar, ensuring timely completion of major milestones.
• Led efforts to develop and execute an efficient product development process with the team based in China, resulting in meeting all established milestone dates.
• Trained partners in China on fit and workmanship evaluations, streamlining workload and enabling direct communication with factories to maintain brand fit and quality standards.
• Partnered with global partners to design and tailor specific fashion and functional trends for their respective markets.
• Showcases line twice a year during multiple sales conferences attended by merchants for both the North American Sales Team and Global Distributors.

• Product Manager and Lead Technical Designer, 05/2016 to 07/2022

Edwards Garment– Kalamazoo, MI

• Managed lifecycle development of styles for uniform catalogue, meeting product strategy requirements and customer needs.
• Managed and trained technical designers and assistant technical designers.
• Create buy-in for the product direction both internally and with key external partners through presentations and prototype sampling.
• Work with large-scale customers, such as The Salvation Army, on their specific uniform programs.
• Developed lifecycle calendar and processes to meet key deadlines and milestones, keeping in mind overall business strategy and priorities, including timelines for specific custom programs.
• Created a comprehensive product development process, starting with fabric development and testing, color approval, product sampling, through trim testing and approval, final garment testing, and TOP approval, to ensure a quality product.
• Identified gap in fabric development timing and improved efforts to identify fabrics earlier in the calendar and create key mill partnerships.
• Partner with and train overseas vendors on the product development process in order to reduce sampling and time to approval.
• Maintain consistent and clear communication with merchandising, sourcing, inventory planning, and quality assurance teams on the status of product approvals in the lifecycle timeline.
• Successfully introduced and integrated a product lifecycle management system to better communicate technical specifications to our vendor partners.
• Lead Refit Project, which included updating over 100 current catalogue styles to our new Alvanon Fit and Grading Standards, over the course of a year and a half.
• Maintained workflow during office shutdown in Spring of 2020 by adapting to a work-from-home environment for the team, including daily communication and prioritization with technical designers and our factories, with detailed sample ETA's and completion dates.
• Adopted Optitex 2D and 3D patterning for future fit approvals and product marketing.

• Apparel, Accessories, Footwear, and Home Decor Tractor Supply Co Develop Exclusive Brand Product for CE Schmidt, Bit & Bridle, and Blue Mountain apparel and footwear brands and Red Shed home décor.
• Partner with Merchant team to find areas to introduce Exclusive Brand products that fit the customer's needs and lifestyle.

• Lead Product Development Manager – Jewelry and Accessories (2012-2014)/Men's (2010-2012)/Ready-to-Wear(2009-2010)
• Independently develops and manages product development process and projects. Proactively manages category specific process and resource alignment. In partnership with Sr. Group/Group managers, responsible for the strategic growth and personnel management of the technical development team.
• Effectively collaborates with key cross-functional leaders to identify and drive strategic initiatives that support owned brand business. Improve efficiency and effectiveness of the cross-functional teams Maintain adherence to the product development calendar.
• Facilitate discussions, holding team accountable to decisions. Manage the overall packaging process and calendar timing.
• Senior Technical Designer – Men's (promoted from Technical Designer January 2008)
• Engineer product by creating complete and accurate specifications, and maintain brand integrity through expression of fit and costing considerations working closely with Design, Buying, and Sourcing partners
• Develop other TD's through mentoring, coaching, and PLM training.
• Improve processes through committees and taskforces: Chair of Construction Assets Committee, BPFE Specwriting Taskforce, SME for PLM for Technical Design, and Plaid Matching Document Taskforce.

• Develop and fit active wear products for the Athleta catalogue and website.
• Strive to improve consistency of fit across styles for the catalogue customer.
• Review and update current specifications packages for clear communication with domestic and overseas vendors.
• Worked closely with designers, production staff and merchandising team members.

• Fit and evaluate adopted styles for each season Updating specifications, correcting patterns by hand and computer.
• Making product improvement suggestions with vendor through email communication.
• Left company due to technical design department relocation to New York, NY. 0

• Work with designers, buyers, sourcing partners, and vendors to deliver brand right, price sensitive garments to the stores with an emphasis on Ready-to-Wear junior and active brands. Have also worked on Missy, Plus, and maternity brands.
• Chairman of the Target Technical Design Intern Committee responsible for recruiting and hiring interns intern programs. Overseeing training and review schedules.
• Plan and execute a student seminar for area universities and colleges.
• Business User Consultant for Target's new specification writing system being piloted in September of 2005