John M.

Wade ( Management Professional / Consultant

405 Newport Way NW, #2103 | Issaquah, WA 98027 | 360.912.0023 |
National and International Manufacturing Business and Operations Optimization
Over 20 years' experience in every facet of manufacturing. Rich mix of process i
mprovement from raw material stage to finished product, team development and mot
ivation, building internal and external customer relationships, strategic manufa
cturing improvements, and quality maximization that increases business and drive
s profits in both national and international markets.
Recognized acumen in accurately analyzing production needs, fulfilling customer
specifications, and applying effective systems and metrics that achieve manufact
uring and financial goals, correct imbalances, increase yields, and raise ROI on
manufacturing costs. Thrive on tackling complex challenges, delivering fresh pe
rspectives on project requirements, and providing innovative solutions with dete
rmination to meet, or finish under, budget. Willing to travel for capital projec
ts.
VALUE OFFERED
Product Design / Pilot Manufacturing
Capital Budget / P&L Management
World Class Manufacturing (WCM) Asset Management
Cost Avoidance / Reduction
Team Building and Communication
Just in Time (JIT)
Safety Management
End-to-end Project Management Operations / Process Reengineering
Production Forecasting
Workflow Optimization
Statistical Process Control (SPS)
Operations Start-Up
Cross-Staff Training / Presentations
Plant Operations / Multi-Site Operations
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Vendor Management
Work in Progress (WIP)
Workforce Management / Quality Circles
Yield Improvement / Capacity Planning
Participative Management
Labor Relations / Union Negotiations
R&D Team Consulting
EXPERIENCE and KEY CONTRIBUTIONS
Employment Sabbatical / Travel 2008 to 2009
Weyerhaeuser Corporation, Washington State Wood Products Divisions 1986 to 2007
International Fortune 500 company with $12B in revenues.
Production / Shipping Manager, Longview, WA, Mill (2003-2007)
Production Superintendent (1993-2003) / Quality Control Supervisor, Snoqualmie,
WA, Mill (1986-1993)
Snapshot: Career hallmarked by progressive promotions and numerous awards for ex
cellence in management, exceeding business objectives, production successes, and
safety records. Accountabilities included P&L in $M range, 160 direct reports,
major capital projects, and new start-ups. Consistently maximized production, sa
tisfied customer requirements, and met/exceeded business goals. Achieved success
es by applying best management practices, building empowered workforces, and dil
igently interfacing with labor crews, supervisors, engineers, sales, marketing,
vendors, and customers.
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - INTERNATIONAL MARKET
Developed and launched two new products for Japanese markets. Challenges include
d meeting customers' unique raw material and finished product requirements. Serv
ed as expert on R&D team for both products, from inception to completion. Freque
ntly visited customers in Japan as the consultant for product applications and t
raining the Japanese workforce.
(
Delivered intense customer product requirement training to empower employees to
meet specific requirements.
(
Developed several "firsts": checkpoints along all production line steps (from ra
w materials to finished products), on-grade charts to track overall production q
uality, and daily grader training to ensure employee production success.
(
Outcomes: Boosted volume of strength grade lumber to 100M bf/year in just 4 year
s and appearance grade lumber volume to 300M bf/year in only 5 years. Increased
customer satisfaction surveys from 70% to a high 90% range in 4 short years. Rai
sed employee pride in their overall performance.
PILOT MANUFACTURING - NEW PRODUCT LINE AT U.S. MILL
Served on the capital project development team that planned and built a new mill
production line with a $9M capital budget. Project roles included design (with
engineers and planners), start up training program development, production forec
asting, capacity planning, vendor management, and delivery of safety and new equ
ipment training programs.
(
Developed training matrix for new operators, performance standards, and timeline
s for project implementation.
(
Initiated pre-installation training on new equipment with employees, vendors, an
d on similar equipment at other mills. Required all operators to work hands-on w
ith installer and vendor after machine installation to ensure safety, efficiency
, and knowledge of machine capacity.
(
Outcomes: Reduced initial start up time by 50% (from projected 8 months to 4 mon
ths). Final project costs were cut from $9M to $8.3M, winning corporate recognit
ion. All operators were fully trained by start up.
OPERATIONS AND PROCESS REENGINEERING, YIELD IMPROVEMENT, COST AND WASTE REDUCTI
ON
At several mills, significant production challenges existed, including old manua
l production processes, material and manpower waste, production errors, and inef
ficiencies due to using outmoded machinery. Oversaw end-to-end project requireme
nts that included: reengineering plant systems, replacing old machines with new
technologies, training operators on machine capacity, and establishing new produ
ction and performance standards.
(
Examined mill production statistics, determined causes of material and labor was
te, and researched applicable new technologies to improve production metrics. Co
llaborated with sales, marketing, vendors, and engineers to determine and design
feasible solutions for operations and production improvements.
(
Designed and implemented new labeling system to more accurately track available
finished products. (Longview Mill)
(
Instituted asset management through mandating equipment maintenance and regularl
y scheduled parts replacement.
(
Outcomes: Boosted product volume by an impressive 30% through the reengineered p
roduction line; appreciably cut material and labor waste by 8%, saving $3M/year;
and achieved a 1% drop in production downtime, yielding a noteworthy volume inc
rease of 10M bf/year.
TEAM BUILDING, TEAM MANAGEMENT, CROSS-STAFF TRAINING, WORKFLOW OPTIMIZATION
Challenges entailed building united inter-departmental teams working toward comm
on business goals, reversing entrenched old culture, replacing outdated business
models, motivating production improvement, and establishing new operation syste
ms to improve overall quality and output. Through patience, keen listening, and
pacing transitions, a new team culture emerged.
(
Utilized participative management model that incorporated the following: buildin
g employees' knowledge base of customer requirements and company business object
ives; teaching problem solving, leadership, and team building skills; facilitati
ng understanding of cross-departmental needs; training on effective machine oper
ations, grade yields, environmental and occupational health, and waste reduction
; and conducting mandatory weekly safety meetings.
(
Initiated employee interfaces with other departments to forge understanding of t
heir performance impact on other teams.
(
Developed product output metrics to track improvements in each department, and i
nstituted employee incentives.
(
Led monthly reviews of customer feedback, sales and P&L updates, and production
goals with crews and supervisors.
(
Outcomes: Improved communication between departments, stimulated employee involv
ement, and raised overall labor efficiency. Departments met/exceeded budgets and
safety, quality, and production metrics.
PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENTS, COST SAVINGS, SAFETY MANAGEMENT, INVENTORY CONTROL, BUS
INESS OPTIMIZATION
Represented company as the "go to expert" at multiple sites in Washington, Orego
n and the Midwestern states to assess ways to reduce costs, improve safety, stre
amline operations, install new technologies, and detect business models applicab
le to the company. Established systems that met or exceeded company financial an
d production goals. Involved both labor and supervisors in weekly decision-makin
g meetings, conducted Quality Circles, and instituted safety management programs
.
(
Outcomes:
- Slashed new project downtime from 60% to less than a 10%.
- Cut safety incidents from 25 per year to a cost-saving low of 2 incidents per
year.
- Reduced mill workforce from 2,500 to 300 employees in just 10 years while incr
easing production 30%.
- Boosted customer satisfaction surveys from 82% to an impressive 90% yearly.
- Expanded fresh product inventory and minimized old product supply by streamlin
ing inventory control.
- Accelerated product high grade yields an average of 5% annually, topping at pl
us 90% annually.
- Influenced increased / maintained orders as product expert during customer sit
e visits with sales teams.
PREVIOUS POSITIONS AT WEYERHAEUSER:
Dry End Superintendent | Planer Supervisor | Finishing End Superintendent | Qual
ity Control Supervisor
"Knowledge is essential to getting employees to "buy into" the system. The more
they know about the business objectives, the greater the overall success of the
company." -John M. Wade on empowering the workforce to maximize production.
EDUCATION and TRAINING
Bellevue Community College, Bellevue, WA-Accounting and Business Courses
Leadership Institute, Weyerhaeuser Corporation, WA-Graduated Levels 1, 2, 3
Courses in Leadership, Team Building, and Customer Relations
ADDITIONAL PROFICIENCIES and TECHNICAL SKILLS
Microsoft Excel and Word...Accounting and Budgeting...Warehouse Operations...Pro
duction Plans and Schedules...
Regulatory Compliance (OSHA, FDA, DOT)...Time and Motion Studies...Shipping (Bil
ls of Lading, Scheduling)...Payroll