Roger Bruce
SUSSEX,WI
Summary
Accomplished Protein Specialist at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, leveraging over 30 years of expertise in business management and operations. Achieved $27 million in savings through innovative cost analysis and sourcing strategies. Proficient in USDA regulations and HACCP certified, with a strong focus on quality control and analytical skills to drive operational excellence.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Protein Specialist
FIVE GUYS Burgers and Fries
Alexandra, VA
08.2011 - 09.2025
- Company Overview: Managed all aspects of the Five Guys Fresh Meat Program in accordance with the Five Guys Supply Chain Department. Instrumental in expanding the Five Guys International ventures in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. During my tenure with Five Guys, the company has grown from 838 stores when I started to over 1,900 stores, with annual sales exceeding $3 billion.
- Managed all aspects of the Five Guys Fresh Meat Program in accordance with the Five Guys Supply Chain Department.
- Instrumental in expanding the Five Guys International ventures in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.
- Extensive Protein knowledge, at the Manufacturing, Wholesale, Retail, and Distribution levels, with over 30 years of experience internationally and domestically.
- Directly responsible for providing savings of $4.5 million a year from 2016 through 2022, equal to $27 million through technical advances, plus an additional $17 million from 2012 through 2020 from Cost reductions in Freight, Overage, and Inbound Freight.
- Key Duties: Source Raw Materials, Cost Analysis, Forecasting, Pricing, Purchasing, Credits, Accounting Measures, Freight (Refrigerated tracking), Inventory Management, Monitor Distribution Product Movement, and Purchase Orders.
- Vendor Manufacturing, Plant Visits, Production Line Setup, Equipment Review, Packaging, and required Labeling approval in accordance with the USDA Guidelines.
- Technical writing of Quality measures, Specifications, Processing Standards, to include procedures, traceback checkpoints, timing, cold chain, forming and mixing regarding RTC products, as well as Meat smoking about RTE products.
- Other duties include searching out other Vendor Opportunities that can produce the same quality standards but with the focus on regionalizing the company's Meat Program to reduce costs of finished products regarding Overage, Inbounds, and Freight.
- Managed all aspects of the Five Guys Fresh Meat Program in accordance with the Five Guys Supply Chain Department. Instrumental in expanding the Five Guys International ventures in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. During my tenure with Five Guys, the company has grown from 838 stores when I started to over 1,900 stores, with annual sales exceeding $3 billion.
- Skills: Business Management, Operations, Production Protocols, USDA Rules and Regulations, HACCP Certified, Quality Control, Food Safety Management, Analytical Skills, Accounting, Cost Analysis, Forecasting, Account Management, Raw Material Sourcing, Position Risks, Freight Analysis, Production Line Development, Packaging, Labeling to Federal Guidelines.
Meat/Seafood Operations Management -Continuous Improvement Retail
Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
08.2010 - 08.2011
- Meat Management – Continuous Improvement Store Operations Management.
- Managed 9 -11 Employees per store.
- Trained Meat Department Meat Cutters, Product Display, Marketing Techniques.
- Purchase Orders, Pricing.
- Key Duties: Trained and Managed Fresh Meat/Seafood Counters, Weekly Display reach-in-end Caps, and RTE Self-Serve Showcases.
Director – Co-Packer Production and Quality Management
Mainland Group Holdings
Cocoa, FL
07.2009 - 08.2011
- Director – Part-Time Co-Packer Plant Review, 5-Plant Review as needed.
- Adherence to Production Scheduling, Quality Assurance, and Raw Material Review, Cost Analysis, Pricing on RTC and RTE Protein Products.
Director of Operations - Manufacturing
Mainland Foods
Cocoa, FL
02.2002 - 04.2009
- Company Overview: Mainland Foods merged with The Butcher Block Inc. in February 2002.
- Daily Operations - 'Hands On' with 4 direct Reports - 4 Internal Reports.
- Directed all facets of the company's Florida Operations, which include its Meat/Food Manufacturing Facilities as well as Retail Store Locations.
- Products are manufactured in a USDA-inspected facility under Federal Guidelines and in compliance with regulations and laws governing consumer Food Safety Programs in perishable food products.
- Key Responsibilities: Management Skills and Duties: - Skill set involves day-to-day operational leadership responsibilities as well as departmental support guidance and Direct Report encompassing Budgets, Profit Margins, P&L Statements, Capital Expenditures, Credit Review, HR Staffing and Employee Relations, Sales, Purchasing, R&D, Quality Assurance, Production, Food Safety, and Equipment/Maintenance Departments.
- Mainland Foods merged with The Butcher Block Inc. in February 2002.
Plant Operations Officer – Startup Shareholder Owner Plant Management
Butcher Block Inc.
Rockledge, FL
06.1995 - 09.2002
- Daily manufacturing and distribution, Meat Food Products to H.R.I. Industry.
- Private label manufacturers for some of the most prominent food service distributors across the nation.
- Heavily involved in military procurement, prisons, schools, and foreign country distribution, surrounding container load sales.
- Strong presence in Maritime distribution.
- Quality product development, at the federal level.
- Expert U.S.D.A. Policies and Procedures.
- Lean Discipline practices.
- My knowledge base is very broad and needs to be discussed in person. Also not mentioned is the Multi-Unit Retail experience.
Education
BBA - Operations Management
09.2023
HACCP - Certified
Serve Safe - Certified
5s Disciplines -
Additional College Study - Agricultural Program
University of Florida
Skills
- Business management and operations
- Production protocols and quality control
- USDA regulations and HACCP certification
- Food safety management
- Analytical skills
- Accounting and forecasting
- Account management and sourcing
- Risk assessment and analysis
- Production line development
- Labeling compliance
Hobbies and Interests
- Golf
- Football
- Baseball
- Hunting
Websites
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbruce/add-edit/POSITION/?profileFormEntryPoint=PROFILE_SECTION&entityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profilePosition%3A%28ACoAAAGNj-8Ba6AKUV-yWHeG3icXbfxSZbpT6Ss%2C205686196%29&trackingId=qu1sQy5MSs2uXktxXMjM5A%3D%3D&desktopBackground=PROFILE_DETAIL_SCREEN
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbruce/add-edit/POSITION/?profileFormEntryPoint=PROFILE_SECTION&entityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profilePosition%3A%28ACoAAAGNj-8Ba6AKUV-yWHeG3icXbfxSZbpT6Ss%2C41270847%29&trackingId=4VqW4CF8SWyaXemQ87Kgpw%3D%3D&desktopBackground=PROFILE_DETAIL_SCREEN
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbruce/add-edit/POSITION/?profileFormEntryPoint=PROFILE_SECTION&entityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profilePosition%3A%28ACoAAAGNj-8Ba6AKUV-yWHeG3icXbfxSZbpT6Ss%2C53329444%29&trackingId=pJgReUfpR2eIYhWQayrQMw%3D%3D&desktopBackground=PROFILE_DETAIL_SCREEN
Timeline
Protein Specialist
FIVE GUYS Burgers and Fries
08.2011 - 09.2025
Meat/Seafood Operations Management -Continuous Improvement Retail
Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
08.2010 - 08.2011
Director – Co-Packer Production and Quality Management
Mainland Group Holdings
07.2009 - 08.2011
Director of Operations - Manufacturing
Mainland Foods
02.2002 - 04.2009
Plant Operations Officer – Startup Shareholder Owner Plant Management
Butcher Block Inc.
06.1995 - 09.2002
BBA - Operations Management
HACCP - Certified
Serve Safe - Certified
5s Disciplines -
Additional College Study - Agricultural Program
University of Florida