Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Technical Acumen
Professional Development
Timeline
Generic

Ronald J. Taets II

Huntsville

Summary

Experienced professional in strategic process development and operations management with a strong focus on logistics and problem resolution in the automotive manufacturing sector. Proven track record in leading teams to achieve KPI goals, enhancing production systems, and maintaining safety and quality standards. Recognized for improving efficiency, reducing waste, and ensuring timely project delivery.

Overview

32
32
years of professional experience

Work History

Production Manager

Duravent GROUP / Hart & Cooley, LLC
Huntsville
01.2025 - Current
  • Established solid foundation of Lean Principals which streamlined shop floor activities with the purpose of supporting Just-In-Time delivery of heating and cooling, metal fabrication products.
  • Developed and implemented daily Power Automated Supervisor reporting metrics used on the shop floor to support data driven decisions and continual improvement.
  • Developed and implemented transparent, accurate tracking of shop floor daily activities against KPI’s.
  • Establish training objectives and visual tracking to support interdepartmental versatility and improve shop floor direct labor utilization.
  • Dramatically reduced customer past due deliveries of more than forty-five days and $550,000.00 in January 2025 to less than fifteen days and $40,000 in under twelve weeks of hire date.
  • Improved customer deliveries from 77% in January 2025 to 95% July 2025.
  • For the first time in three years the production floor achieved all Operational KPI’s which include on time delivery, past due cost, direct labor utilization and nonconforming material cost.

Assistant Manager-Apollo/Discovery Final Assembly

MAZDA TOYOTA MANUFACTURING (MTM)
Huntsville
01.2021 - 01.2025
  • Provided strategic guidance to Group Leaders within assigned areas toward a productive and efficient team-building work environment.
  • Maintained active involvement with Group Leader and Team Member training, while always retaining a clear understanding of workmanship criteria.
  • Developed and implemented QR data analytics to improve communication, tracking and KIP management regarding attendance, downtime, five’s, standardized work as well as Mendomi relationships with team members.
  • Developed and implemented Obeya KPI management format as well as Group Leader FMDS tracking in a manner that both correlate and support data to drive continual improvement activities.
  • Optimized SharePoint with a standardized digital record management system by integrating team training, versatility, logistics, KPI management and administrative access in a simplified method for quick admittance to end-of-shift reports.
  • Dramatically changed shop floor culture with a Team One building approach upon assignment to MTM Apollo Final Assembly Operations with milestones that include a 33.7% reduction in downtime, 14.1% improvement of OR along with a shop OA improvement of 6.7% and a Quality DRR improvement of 8.7% for FY23.

Production Manager/Assistant Plant Manager (Extrusion & Compound)

IPEX by ALIAXIS LLC.
Pineville
01.2017 - 01.2021
  • Introduced and championed 5s methodology throughout operations to better manage tools necessary to perform daily tasks and eliminate the use of personal tools to determine product conformity.
  • Achieved an annual cost reduction of 18K along with improved quality, traceability, and calibration management.
  • Developed, implemented, and trained team members on the use of standardized run condition processes for all current and future products.
  • Implemented transparent team training and improvement process.
  • Achieved Plant Quality KPI in 2018 for the first time in over seven years and again in 2019 as well as in 2020.
  • Team member turnover rate reduced from 9.5% to less than 3.5% for two consecutive years.
  • Introduced lean manufacturing principles to reduce waste with new KPI’s that addressed previously accepted overproduction and process inefficiencies.

Supervisor Assembly (BA2)

Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations, LLC.
Chattanooga
01.2015 - 01.2017
  • Initiate ergonomic rebalancing among teams as well as conceptualize an aggressive training plan focused on ensuring the attainment of future production needs and process knowledge by 32% within a 10-month period.
  • Display skills in training, supporting, guiding, and motivating production supervisors in utilizing manufacturing production website as a tool for success as the department lead supervisor.
  • Optimized the trim manufacturing website by integrating logistic and Profi room which simplified access to information for end-of-shift reports.
  • Cost-effectively saved over $2100 in the first six weeks and an estimated annual cost savings of $18K by formulating, training, and implementing a glass rework process in October 2016.
  • Established cost- and process-conscious actions, which reduced glass scrap by 60% in 12 months with estimated cost savings of $70K as of November 2016.

Assistant Superintendent /Manufacturing Production Supervisor

Mitsubishi Motors Manufacturing of North America (MMNA)
Normal
01.1994 - 01.2012
  • Provided strategic guidance to associates within assigned areas toward a productive and efficient team building work environment.
  • Maintained active involvement in associates’ training and cross-training, while always retaining a clear understanding of workmanship criteria.
  • Expertly oversaw 12 to 54 production associates within areas with spans of control on a single shift.
  • Played an essential role as Trim, Final, and Chassis Manufacturing ISO coordinator in supporting MMNA to obtain ISO 9000 Certification.
  • Retained proactive approach by facilitating just-in-time inventory along with continual workplace organization through 5S and continuous process improvements.

Education

Master of Business Administration -

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN
01.2015

Bachelor of Business Administration - Business Management

Lincoln College
Normal, IL
01.2009

Skills

  • Strategic planning and implementation
  • Industrial safety and ergonomics
  • Lean manufacturing
  • Supply chain management
  • Cost reduction strategies
  • Kaizen principles
  • 5S methodology
  • Team leadership and collaboration
  • Quality assurance processes
  • Corporate training and facilitation
  • Information systems management
  • Web development

Technical Acumen

  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Basic and Advanced HTML Scripting
  • Java
  • Publisher
  • Visio
  • Adobe
  • SAP
  • SharePoint

Professional Development

  • Diversity and Title VII Training, 100+ Hour
  • ISO9000 Lead Auditor Training
  • ISO14000 Lead Auditor Training

Timeline

Production Manager

Duravent GROUP / Hart & Cooley, LLC
01.2025 - Current

Assistant Manager-Apollo/Discovery Final Assembly

MAZDA TOYOTA MANUFACTURING (MTM)
01.2021 - 01.2025

Production Manager/Assistant Plant Manager (Extrusion & Compound)

IPEX by ALIAXIS LLC.
01.2017 - 01.2021

Supervisor Assembly (BA2)

Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations, LLC.
01.2015 - 01.2017

Assistant Superintendent /Manufacturing Production Supervisor

Mitsubishi Motors Manufacturing of North America (MMNA)
01.1994 - 01.2012

Master of Business Administration -

University of Tennessee

Bachelor of Business Administration - Business Management

Lincoln College

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