Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Hobbies
Timeline
Generic

Travis Fields

Columbia Falls,Montana

Summary

  • Skilled team leader offering 20+ years of MDF experience. I have extensive knowledge in leading communication and operations and have completed several mill-wide projects. I have over-seen all aspects of operations at the MDF mill.
  • Expert communicator between teams, vendors, customers and all types of professionals in and out of the MDF business.
  • Efficient problem-solver to keep projects and departments on time and on budget.
  • Experienced project and team leader with deep understanding of safety, scheduling and building team member relationships. Talented at motivating workers to keep machine centers and projects moving forward for on time completion.
  • Safety-oriented leadership brings extensive production process, finishing process and MDF flow background and specialized experience on challenging issues, projects and organizational structure. Safely leads team members to meet goals, maximize performance and maintain safety and communication at all levels. Knowledgeable about all aspects of the mill and industry best practices.
  • Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong worth ethic, adaptability and exceptional listening skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.

Overview

19
19
years of professional experience

Work History

Operations Manager

Weyerhaeuser
Columbia Falls, Montana
08.2023 - Current
  • Ensured adherence to safety practices and standards, maintaining a safe work environment for all team members in alignment with our core values.
  • Developed a new organizational structure for the Operations team at MDF, prioritizing safety, training, knowledge capture, and overall team member alignment.
  • Established effective relationships with vendors and suppliers to negotiate pricing, inventory and secure materials needed for production and finishing.
  • Coordinated with departments such as Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Human Resources to ensure efficient and high-quality operations.
  • Led cross-functional teams in problem-solving activities related to process improvements and RCA's.
  • Conducted interviews for potential new team members for entry-level positions, coordinated their placement and training within teams, and coached area leaders on interview techniques.

Finishing Superintendent

Weyerhaeuser
Columbia Falls, MT
01.2020 - 08.2023
  • As finish end superintendent I oversaw the day to day operations of the finishing aspect of both production lines, shipping operations as well as the log yard..
  • Provided leadership, insight and mentoring to newly hired employees to supply knowledge of various company programs.
  • Met and worked with internal teams to recognize and discuss current and future needs.
  • Developed and maintained strong quality-focused relationships with customers.
  • Coordinated projects to promote smooth workflow and achieve quality standards.

Line #2 Superintendent

Weyerhaeuser
Columbia Falls, MT
01.2016 - 01.2020
  • Collaborated with all levels of mill leadership to develop production Line #2 budget and forecast.
  • Recommended and implemented measures to improve production methods and quality of products by continually challenging the team to increase throughput out of Line #2 press. Working with Siempelkamp for cleaning cycles, maintenance schedules and our electrical team for safeties in order to gain throughput out of the press. This was in large part due to our increasing demand of our thin board products.
  • Established and updated our release agent and our MDI injection on our specialty products. Worked with the team to change the injection point of MDI into the blowline and with outside suppliers and contractors to develop a release system that would work for our press. End result is the spray bar system and MDI quill that we are still using today. This involved a lot of interdepartmental communication, scheduling, planning and trials.
  • Issued work orders for repairs to plan maintenance of equipment, maintenance days activities and worked closely with our maintenance team for repairs, schedules and staffing.

Production Superintendent

Plum Creek Timber Co Inc
Columbia Falls, Montana
11.2014 - 12.2015
  • Directed day-to-day operations of Line #2 (both lines for a 4 month tenure while Line #1 Production Superintendent was selected) by spearheading implementation of short-term and long-term strategies to achieve production and quality goals.
  • Implemented policies and standard operating procedures and managed quality, customer service and logistics.
  • Worked through production scheduling issues at a time we were severely short-handed. We onboarded several previous Plywood and Sawmill employees during the Weyerhaeuser transition.

Production Supervisor

Plum Creek Timber Co Inc
Columbia Falls, Montana
03.2009 - 10.2014
  • On shift production supervisor. During this time, I over saw all production operation activities during rotating shift, reporting to both Line #1 production superintendent and Line #2 production superintendent.
  • Coordinated production requirements with material handling and staffing functions for both production lines. Staffing was drastically reduced during the recession and we had a high demand for our product. Worked closely with the team to develop a scheduling system (that is still in use today) for being able to adjust staffing flexibility. Prior to this, the entire operations area was on a 3 on 3 off schedule that had maintenance day sign up sheets.
  • Planned production operations while establishing priorities and sequences for scheduling and prioritizing customer needs and working side by side with the finishing supervisor.
  • Communicated to the team any out of ranges and assisted as well as developed plans to execute any and all repairs as necessary.

Finish End Supervisor

Plum Creek Timber Co Inc
Columbia Falls, Montana
05.2005 - 03.2009
  • Maintained our finished goods inventory. This consisted of sander belts, packaging supplies and saw blades.
  • Developed close relationships with customers and worked closely with our sales team to create products and formulations for specialty products. HDM with Funder, developing standards and quality control practices for warp and surface quality. Thin panels on Line #2, specifically sub 3mm panels. Taking lead on the finishing aspect of this product to be able to sand and cut with our existing finish line. We did extensive modifications to our bookmakers, sander and sanding belt sequences to achieve this.
  • Delegated tasks to multiple employees at all finish end machine centers while maintaining efficient workplace.
  • Enforced company policies, answered team members questions and trained new personnel.

Education

Leadership Training -

Front Line Leadership
Seattle, WA
10.2016

Executive Management Training -

Essentials of Management
Atlanta, GA
12.2015

Associate of Applied Science - Prosthetics And Orthotics

Spokane Falls Community College
Spokane, WA
06.1999

High School Diploma -

CFHS
Columbia Falls
05.1996

Associate of Arts - Business Administration

Flathead Valley Community College
Kalispell, MT

Skills

  • Project Management
  • Communication
  • Community Relations
  • Quality Standards
  • Customer Relations

Hobbies

  • Born and raised in our Columbia Falls community. I graduated CFHS in 1996 and moved to Spokane to work with my aunt and uncle helping with shipping/receiving in their business while I attended college. Montana eventually called me back home where I began my studies in business at our local community college while working at Plum Creek Timber during the summers and time off.
  • I love spending time outdoors in beautiful Northwest Montana with my family. Andrea, my wife of 22 years, and our two boys, Henry 17, and Ayden 11.
  • I am passionate about wildlife, the outdoors, including fishing, hunting, hiking and running my hounds for mountain lion and bobcat.
  • We bought 7 acres of land a few years ago that I have spent a lot of my off time developing the property and building my own house.
  • During my time off, if I am not working on my house or around our property, you will find me in the outdoors enjoying all that Montana has to offer.

Timeline

Operations Manager

Weyerhaeuser
08.2023 - Current

Finishing Superintendent

Weyerhaeuser
01.2020 - 08.2023

Line #2 Superintendent

Weyerhaeuser
01.2016 - 01.2020

Production Superintendent

Plum Creek Timber Co Inc
11.2014 - 12.2015

Production Supervisor

Plum Creek Timber Co Inc
03.2009 - 10.2014

Finish End Supervisor

Plum Creek Timber Co Inc
05.2005 - 03.2009

Leadership Training -

Front Line Leadership

Executive Management Training -

Essentials of Management

Associate of Applied Science - Prosthetics And Orthotics

Spokane Falls Community College

High School Diploma -

CFHS

Associate of Arts - Business Administration

Flathead Valley Community College

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE
Travis Fields