Plant Manager

CHRIS CARTWRIGHT

Kitchener, Ont N*P *T* 402-***-****

*********@*****.***

www.linkedin.com/in/chris-cartwright-USA

SUMMARY

A conscientious and visionary operations leader with extensive global experience in the automotive industry. Demonstrated success in profitably overhauling underperforming operations by articulating the vision, driving change, shifting cultures to focus on safety and productivity, and communicating effectively with all teams. Takes charge and makes difficult decisions in high-pressure situations. Unites strong mechanical aptitude with business acumen, introducing Lean practices and engaging the whole workforce for optimal results across all functions. Achieves significant financial success by guiding fiscal review with management teams, analyzing labor planning, and restructuring teams. Driven to reduce costs and inefficiencies, ensuring the lasting success of an organization.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Talent Management Plant & Sales Team Support Strategic Operations Planning Process Improvement

Negotiations & Deal Structuring Project & Product Management Efficiency & Productivity

Coaching & Mentoring Toyota Production System Revenue Growth Continuous Improvement

Business Development Lean Manufacturing Project & Product Management

Efficiency & Productivity Succession Planning Compliance & Safety P & L, Budgets, Forecasting

ISO 14000 IATF 1495 Root Cause Analysis Robotics SAP / ERP

EXPERIENCE

TENNECO CLEAN AIR NORTH AMERICA Seward, Nebraska

Plant Manager 2023-2024

Oversaw $300M in sales, managing a team of 600 employees (including nine direct reports), and full P&L responsibilities for two plants totaling 540,000 sq / ft at one of Tenneco's largest North American facilities.

Directed all business, financial, technical, manufacturing, and resource functions, optimizing operational efficiency.

Ensured compliance with quality standards, environmental regulations, and safety protocols.

Managed daily plant activities and implemented strategic financial planning to drive profitability.

Spearheaded reorganization of management team, resulting in reduced indirect labor costs and renewed focus on safety initiatives.

MARTINREA AUTOMOTIVE STRUCTURES Tupelo, Mississippi

General Manager 2019-2022

Devised and executed forward-thinking operations for growth-centric company, generating $54M in annual sales.

Supervised P&L restructured teams in line with evolving business needs and improved overall efficiency by bringing team together and setting clear goals for safety and quality.

Implemented raises and competitive salaries for staff. Increased overall expertise by hiring global talent.

Hired new managers, instituted regular team meetings, and instilled confidence and direction.

Reduced shifts from three to two while maintaining the same output. Reduced management turnover in a challenging environment.

Initiated a clear plan and profitability metrics. Passed all audits.

Led $35M in capital projects, including innovative press repairs and new robotic cells.

Established consistent communication with employees and articulated a plan to gain new clients.

Expanded business from one client, Nissan, to Mercedes and GM accounts.

Propelled quality and delivery. Added $40M in new revenue.

HOERBIGER FINE STAMPING, INC. Waterloo, Ontario

Operations Manager (Plant Closure) 2017-2018

Headed strategic decision-making in the restructuring of manufacturing, engineering, and materials departments.

Chaired and guided production and management meetings; implemented plans to improve machine use.

Cut labor expenditures and inefficiencies by revising organizational chart.

Examined and evaluated operations on location in Germany. Articulated turnaround strategy for German headquarters. Prepared Canadian plant for closure and created an initial cost reduction plan.

NORTH AMERICAN STAMPING GROUP Woodstock, Ontario

Operations Manager 2016-2017

Coordinated high-volume manufacturing operations for automotive stamping facility with two assembly lines and 18 weld calls, generating $100M in annual sales.

Introduced Lean principles and steered all manufacturing activities including staff meetings and strategic planning.

Managed team of seven direct reports and trained them on Lean practices.

Leveraged the foundation, set clear KPIs, met all revenue metrics, and drove growth.

Accomplished 24% OEE improvement. Improved EBITDA from 3.47% to 12.6% and gross profit from 6% to 11.4%.

Slashed bin downtime from 120 hours / month to 0, coil changeover time by 50 hours / month, QA delay from 200 hours / month to 100, and tooling delay from 700 hours / month to 380.

WOODBRIDGE GROUP Kitchener, Ontario

Plant Manager 2013-2015

Guided all facets of unionized plant operations with 200 employees, generating $80M in annual sales.

Strategized and managed the Formed Plastics Division, resource allocation, asset use, and safety control.

Oversaw management team (direct reports) and collective bargaining agreements. Instilled culture of trust.

Propelled quality and cut rejected orders. Achieved 30% ROIC and 20% increase in GP.

Analyzed productivity and processes; reduced unnecessary labor by revising number of machines used.

Boosted production, asset capacity, and flexibility while minimizing costs.

Introduced processes and metrics to track and optimize productivity and targets.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

UTIL CANADA, Concord, Ontario, Industrial Director (Contract)

PRECISION RESOURCE, Cambridge, Ontario and Saltillo, Mexico, 11Yrs, General Manager Operations Manager

MAGNA INTERNATIONAL, Nova Scotia and Ontario, Canada, 14Yrs, Manufacturing Manager Engineering Systems Manager Tooling / Process Engineer Tool Room Manager

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF CAPE BRETON, Sydney, Nova Scotia

Graduate Coursework Completed, Business Administration

KNIGHTSBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, UK / Denmark

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering

CITY & GUILDS LONDON INSTITUTE, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Mechanical Engineering CNC Programming & Operation Tool & Die Making

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Toyota Manufacturing Systems, Theory of Constraints, Goldratt, Problem Solving, Conflict Resolution

Union Negotiating, Leadership, Time Management

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