Tim McElwain
The Colony,Texas
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Director Of Lighting
Li & Fung / Living Style
11.2024 - Current
- Develop and execute strategies to achieve department and company goals.
- Work with other departments to ensure alignment and support company-wide initiatives.
- Monitor and report on progress towards goals, provide weekly, monthly and quarterly updates to executive leadership.
- Manage departmental budgets and resources effectively.
- Identify operational shortfall or bottlenecks and implement solutions.
Vice President-Operations, Product Development, Global Sourcing and National Accounts
TMI, LLC
01.2007 - 10.2024
- Daily communication with factory owners and overseas office on contracts, product development, capabilities, sourcing needs and cost-effective manufacturing methods for Portable Lighting and Home Décor products.
- Design and develop proprietary Omni Channel products for domestic and international retailers such as Costco Wholesale Worldwide, BJ's, Big Lots, Wayfair, adapting strategies and messaging through our trademarked brands Bridgeport Designs, Newport Designs and Glen Park Studio.
- Attend domestic and international trade shows to diversify knowledge of market, consumers and products.
- Applied Spec Analysis to all items and the manufacturing process to maximize results.
- Opened a China Sourcing Office staffed with well-trained associates experienced in quality control, factory audits, third-party testing labs, logistics, product design, 3L green packaging and factory production, supply chain management and communication.
- Manage 3 Domestic Warehouses in multiple states as well as 3PL in Ontario, California and British Columbia, Canada.
- Daily use of Microsoft Office, Commerce Hub, SPS, GS1 and multiple Retail Vendor Portals, CAD.
Buyer-Lighting, Clocks and Decorative Home Accessories
JCPenney
Plano, Texas
01.2002 - 01.2007
- Built optimal Omni Channel assortments and made buying decisions, regularly researching new trends and detailed competitive analysis.
- Responsible for assortment planning, sourcing, product development, marketing, store plan-o-grams, space and place efficiency and purchasing for categories exceeding $100M+ sales and $6M+ in Ad expenses.
- Performed Spec Buying analysis on all product development and sourcing.
- Achieved a 16% EBIT vs. company 10% through effective pricing, negotiation and marketing strategies.
- Leveraged costs and margins through vendor consolidation from 18 down to 6 total sources.
- Developed, coached and mentored team of Assistant Buyers, Planners and Administration Staff.
- Created an Dynamic Assortment Review Planning tool that is still used today.
Divisional Project Manager-Home Division
JCPenney
Plano, Texas
01.1999 - 01.2002
- Collaborated with senior management and buyers to align projects with organizational goals and strategies.
- Identified areas for improvement by analyzing buyer assortments and evaluating modifications for optimization and supply chain management.
- Managed $1.6B in inventory, dynamic replenishment systems, forecasting and collaborated with buying teams and vendors to maximize quick replenishment and in stock levels.
- Reduced total SKU count by -30% through Assortment Optimization recommendations while increasing sales +6% with the company's highest average in stock rate of 96%.
- Worked directly with company programmers and developed a MicroStrategy Weekly Sales Report used company wide.
- Held classes regularly to educate the buying units and vendors on Assortment Optimization and Replenishment Systems.
Assistant Buyer-Housewares
JCPenney
Plano, Texas
01.1997 - 01.1999
- Created detailed reports highlighting product performance metrics for management review.
- Participated in weekly meetings with Senior Buyer and VP-DMM to discuss sales, market trends, challenges, and opportunities.
- Reviewed and analyzed KPI reports to make informed purchasing decisions.
- Analyzed competitor offerings and pricing strategies to maintain competitive edge in market.
Senior Merchandise Manager-Men's
JCPenney Stores
Austin, Texas
01.1994 - 01.1996
- Established merchandising plans, implemented action steps and adjusted based on progress towards goals.
- Implemented markdowns and clearance events strategically to minimize excess inventory while maximizing revenue potential.
- Mentored a staff of 52 associates on customer service, proper merchandising techniques, driving increased sales performance.
Timeline
Director Of Lighting
Li & Fung / Living Style
11.2024 - Current
Vice President-Operations, Product Development, Global Sourcing and National Accounts
TMI, LLC
01.2007 - 10.2024
Buyer-Lighting, Clocks and Decorative Home Accessories
JCPenney
01.2002 - 01.2007
Divisional Project Manager-Home Division
JCPenney
01.1999 - 01.2002
Assistant Buyer-Housewares
JCPenney
01.1997 - 01.1999
Senior Merchandise Manager-Men's
JCPenney Stores
01.1994 - 01.1996