Manager Plant

ROBERT H. SIMONIS

**** ********* *****, ****, ******** 48098

248-***-**** • aceiux@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY

Operations Leader and Lean Expert with global success leading operations and transformations from the

strategic level to reduce capital expenditure and global footprint while increasing operating income and profit.

Recognized for leading employees, suppliers, and customers of different cultures, countries, functions, experience,

and compensation structures into cross-functional problem solving teams. Proven ability using teamwork and

strategic implementation of lean to create Best-in-Class operations in highly competitive, regulated, and global

environments

Selected Accomplishments:

• Conducted turnarounds at plant and multi-plant locations including $600mn, 5-plant, 6,000-person

manufacturing and assembly group from projected 4% OI to actual 11% OI in one year

• Reduced capital expense $3,000,000 in one year by leading teams to design or redesign processes

• Saved $4,000,000 capital by getting higher utilization from the existing assets and avoiding a factory expansion

• Recruited by Director of Business Improvement to serve on turn-around team for a US plant resulting in the

awarding of electronic manufacturing business from current China source based on total cost competitiveness

• Eliminated $1,800,000 cost of new product launch over 5-year lifecycle

EMPLOYMENT HIGHLIGHTS

LEAR CORPORATION, Southfield, Michigan, and locations across the globe Aug 2008-Jan 2014

Director of Continuous Improvement

• Rolled out and implemented a Continuous Improvement strategy for 172 manufacturing locations in 36

countries with creation of systems, procedures, best practices, and training and development of Lean leaders

• Recognized by the CEO as a top global performer (70 employees recognized out of 140,000 in 2011)

• Implemented Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI) at plants to improve teamwork and problem solving

• Eliminated two warehouses while rationalizing global and regional footprint and saved $650,000

• Personally lead over 50 Kaizen events and trained and mentored over 100 plant and regional CI leaders

solving intransient problems, reducing financial risk and inventory, and improving quality and profitability

• Reduced capital expense spending over $3mn leading teams to design or redesign manufacturing

processes

• Avoided $4mn spend by eliminating the need for factory expansion and reduced new assembly line

$440,000

CONTINENTAL AG (formerly SiemensVDO), Auburn Hills, Michigan Oct 2005-Aug 2008

Senior Manager Continuous Improvement,

• Selected as the only former Siemens employee in North and South America to be member of the 40 person

world-wide team to create the Continental Automotive Production System.

• Lead team that reduced capital costs of high-volume manufacturing line from $6 million to $2 million and 3500

ft2 to 1000 ft2 without increasing operational costs.

• Improved the Accounts Payable system as Black Belt for Finance team.

• Reduced customer PpM from 24 to 11 and reduced expedited freight cost from US$11mn to $6.5mn

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT CENTER, Oshawa, Ontario 2002-2005

Business Unit Manager and Engineering Manager

• Entrepreneur responsible for Northern US territory with P&L, sales, and contract management solving discrete

problem solving primarily for the automotive supply base

• Grew business from 2 to 45 engineers and revenue from zero to over $3mn a year

• Planned, root caused, and validated permanent corrective actions for over 100 supplier locations.

• Lead the action and solutions to a problem that had caused 4 recalls and all 26 GM plants in NA to be shut

down and requiring over 300 people deployed across US, Canada, and Mexico

DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTS INC., Sterling Heights, Michigan 2001-2002

Manufacturing Manager

• Lead all aspects for manufacturing all products from process design and manufacturing engineering through

delivery including high-resolution digital cameras and other microscope accessories for this OEM.

• Doubled profit margin by utilizing Lean Manufacturing techniques.

• Reduced average product delivery time from 57 days to 3.5 days through constraint management.

• Doubled machine uptime while reducing the manpower requirements for machining by 25%.

• Program managed the installation and integration of US$3 million in new machining equipment.

• Single sourced the cutting tools and saved US$10,000 per month

• Purchased US$350,000 / year of bar and flat stock metals and created supplier kanban

ROBERT H. SIMONIS Page 2

TRW AUTOMOTIVE (Milford Plant), Milford, Michigan 1997-2001

Shift Superintendent

• Directed the daily activities of a UAW plant in the high volume (3.6 million parts per year), Just-in-Time,

precision machining of aluminum, steel, and other parts using NC and CNC machines and processes including

transfer lines, dial machines, and machining centers to produce ABS and foundation brake components

• Plant EBIT from -10% to +10% and customer rejects of 12,000 PpM to 3 PpM

• Advanced manufacturing from 3.7 to 5.8 Sigma in 46 months.

• Achieved Plant year-to-date PpM of 6 and zero returned parts for a 136 day continuous days

VALLEY INDUSTRIES, Madison Heights and Auburn Hills, Michigan 1994-1997

Operations Manager

• Launched 47,000 ft2, 1000 SKU distribution center for OEM and aftermarket towing accessories

• Responsible for 35 direct reports and the assembly, packing, and shipping of $30 million annually, 200 orders

daily including private labeling for OEM and retail outlets.

• Saved over $50,000 per year by designing standard packaging, improving material handling, and work flow.

U. S. ARMY

1996-2013 Michigan Army National Guard – Infantry Officer, Field Artillery, Logistics, and Human Resources

• Responsible for 2,500 soldiers and $300mn of equipment

1990-1994 Active Duty, Fort Wainwright, Alaska – Infantry Officer

1984 -1989 US Army Reserve, Missoula, Montana – Carpenter/Mason, and Supply Specialist

EDUCATION

Command and General Staff College, Leavenworth, KS, graduated two-year post-graduate program for Leadership

and Strategy

Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, completed 36 graduate credits towards MBA

University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, graduated with Bachelor of Arts degree

Select training and certifications:

LEADERSHIP

Shopfloor Kaizen Breakthrough Instructors Course (through TBM)

Certified Supervisor by the American Council of Employers (ACE)

Graduate of US Army Infantry Officers Basic and Advanced Courses

STRATEGY

Logistics Planner

Graduate, Command and General Staff College (CGSC)

Lean Accounting

MANAGEMENT

Senior Human Resources Management Qualification Course (US Army)

Project Management training on PMBOK Guide -120 hours work in prep for PMP exam through PMI

Kaizen Promotion Office Workshop (through TBM)

Siemens' Achieving Finance and Controlling Excellence (AfCE)

Graduate, Combined Arms and Services Support School (CAS 3)

TECHNICAL

Lean Sigma Black Belt

Certificates in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

Certified in Kepner Tregoe problem solving techniques

Six Sigma Expert Course

Certified as a Supplier Quality Engineer by General Motors

Graduate, US Department of Defense Human Factors Engineering Course

Certified, Ergonomics Expert (Certificate from Humantech)

Certified Incident Commander by FEMA

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