The professional story is below.  Click here to learn more about what helped inspired Matt ...

After reflecting on my education, work experience and professional acumen, I have found one thing that ties it all together.   I have been on the path to develop strategies for success in all of my business dealings.  While reading the Book of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi he lists nine requirements (bulleted below) to the path of being indomitable in whatever path you choose.  I possess these traits, and I have the tools to help drive myself and others to success.  My path in business has been an unerring commitment to producing product of the highest quality in its industry, refining process to be cost competitive and repeatable and building the best teams available to ensure long term sustainability.

• Do not harbor sinister designs
• Diligently pursue your chosen path
• Cultivate a wide range of interests in the arts
• Be knowledgeable in a variety of occupations
• Be discreet in commercial dealings
• Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters
• Perceive that which cannot be seen by the eye
• Do not be negligent even in trifling matters
• Do not engage in useless activity

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Respected business leader with strong background in industrial supervision, benefits administration and operations management.  Strengths include systematic attention to superior quality, on-time product delivery and understanding of customer needs and expectations.  Resourceful, with managerial savvy to lead teams to excellence in both small and large enterprises.

EXPERIENCE

Studio of 5 Rings – Rocky River, Ohio 2004 - Present

Owner, Master Vintner and Curator

Created small business venture combining a micro winery and art gallery into an upscale gathering place for the general public to participate in the visual arts, the art of wine-making and networking.  Business was started with minimal capital and is expanding growth by combining complimentary products and services.

• Brought business from concept to full operation in two months on a limited budget of disposal income
• Developed into a wine-maker, adding a new profit center and new customer base
• Recruit art talent and curate meaningful art shows, showcasing local artworks to mainstream customers
• Learned web design, generating presence on Internet and creating market niche
• Created marketing plan, ensuring consistency in budgeting, focus and market presence
• Internal and external sales, keeping customers at the center of focus
• Combined several unique business enterprises under one roof, fostering creative methods of marketing
• Authored press releases to aid in publicity of the business
• Trademarked the Studio of 5 Rings logo and name
• Leaned the wine bottling process into a one-man operation capable of bottled 20 cases per day by hand

Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio April 2008 - Present  and

Bryant & Stratton College - Cleveland, Ohio Sept. 2008 - Present

Adjunct Professor - Operations Management for Graduate School

• Prepare lectures and planning materials that combine my hand-on experience with operations strategy to build on the basic operations principles and tools
• Assign and grade homework that highlights the most important aspects the text has to offer
• Engage students and their grasp of the materials with group activities and class participation
• Evaluate students' performance and make recommendations for improvement

OSBORN INTERNATIONAL – 5401 Hamilton Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 2006

Production Supervisor

Full charge of two shift $10M operation with CNC equipment, manual lathes, presses and assembly.

• Work with scheduling, assembly and machining areas to maintain and improve on shipping goals
• Maintain active involvement in assembly area, ensuring deliveries were assembled and shipped on time
• Arrange training for employees in CNC and general machining to improve operations flexibility
• Perform 5S audits and encourage continuous improvement
• Mapping value stream current state to implement improvements
• Documenting Supervisor's functions for ISO certification and training for flexibility
• Submit continuous improvement proposals to Plant Manager

SWAGELOK CO. – 29500 Solon Rd. Solon, Ohio 1998 - 2006

Production Supervisor – Valves 2005 – 2006

Full charge responsibility of entire shift, utilizing complex machines and manufacturing systems to produce 1.5M parts per year with 40 machines in a 30,000 sq. ft. facility.

• Researched team-based performance evaluations, developed standard work instructions and established base-line expectations leading to full blown implementation of company pilot for execution
• Matched operator skills with jobs on schedule, optimizing number of jobs run per shift
• Diagnosed and addressed productivity issues, eliminating repeated errors and identifying training areas
• Addressed tough people issues, improving cross-shift relationships at operator and supervisory levels
• Provided training in work cells, improving flow and establishing better hand-off’s between stations
• Guaranteed individualized attention to all Associates, providing solutions to questions or breakdowns
• Built excellent rapport with site engineers, submitting improvement projects and prioritizing them
• Provided all support functions for plant on 2nd shift, maximizing number of direct labor hours
• Utilized systems to make data-driven decisions, maintaining dept. average of 105% of production targets

Supervisor – Valves 2003 – 2005

Responsible for leadership and direction of up to 23 skilled hourly employees in both direct production and support personnel.   Oversee two-shift operation: receiving raw material, machining product, manage schedule, manage tooling/gages and shipping finished product.  

• Maintained goal-oriented manufacturing culture, resulting in zero missed shipments
• Organized and executed plan to increase staffing by 100%, providing critical capacity to meet customer due dates when an outside vendor was not able to meet its obligations
• Directed Total Productive Maintenance program, improving machine uptime
• Implemented gage process, providing traceability from gage to finished parts
• Oversaw 5-S process, organizing all plant equipment, tools and supplies, increasing efficiency of plant operations by an estimated 10%
• Changed support group’s focus from task-oriented to customer-focused, reducing set-up time 10%

Supervisor – Tube Fittings 1998 – 2003

Supervised six skilled Associates in a machining department and 16 support Associates across three shifts.   Support Associates supplied tools, gages and material for 150 machines in a 250,000 square foot, high-volume production facility.   Performance management, wage administration, safety programs and project work.   Direct responsibility for $7.5M of inventory, product flow and cost management.  

• Coached production employees, increasing production 10% while running 316SS and nickel-alloy metals
• Coordinated with scheduling personnel, to diminish set-up time, reduce scrap and increase output
• Developed MS Access database to measure productivity in support areas, adding specificity to annual employee evaluations and correction of performance deficiencies
• Worked closely with outside vendors, forming relationships that produced better quality and shorter lead times on production tooling
• Implemented SPC in tool grinding operations, reducing rework by 50%
• Spearheaded project to add 14,000 part numbers to tool inventory and conducted inventory training on three shifts, lowering monthly tool expenses from $250K per month to $110K per month
• Developed a production tool inspection program, ensuring that all production tooling met manufacturing specifications to before tools were committed to inventory
• Implemented vendor-managed inventory on key items
• Developed comprehensive inventory reports, reducing stock-outs and improving procurement efficiency  

AVI FOODSYSTEMS, INC. – 2950 Elm Rd. NE Warren, Ohio 1996 - 1998

Benefits Administrator

Managed life insurance benefits and a $4M self-funded health insurance plan for 1,500 eligible employees in seven states.   Helped negotiate, interpret and maintain contracts with 71 union locals.   Evaluated benefits package and researched new benefits options to offer competitive compensation packages.

• Performed semi-annual audits on 41 cost centers, scrutinizing Branch Managers’ compliance with corporate and Federal guidelines for benefits eligibility
• Investigated enrollment information and medical claims for authenticity, protecting the plan against fraudulent activity
• Aggressively negotiated with healthcare providers, keeping health insurance costs to $150 per person – this was almost as low as the health costs negotiated by the automotive industry
• Researched and helped implement new benefits programs, reducing turnover by offering the workforce more benefits options such as 401(k) retirement investment options and cafeteria-style benefits
• Authored and revised the health insurance certificate, aligning claims risk with corporate goals, legal obligation and improving readability

OHIO COLOR, INC. – 4800 Market St. Youngstown, Ohio 1988 - 1996

Business Manager

Supervised seven skilled hourly employees and had full P&L responsibility.   Managed sales growth, cash flow, short-term debt, customer service, quality assurance, equipment maintenance and vendor negotiation.

• Combined marketing strategies with improved financial practices, improving bottom line to break-even from five consecutive years of net losses of 18% of gross sales
• Stabilized working capital by forecasting seasonal cash flow and distributing surplus to shortfall periods
• Set purchasing goals and controls, shrinking accounts payable by 44% and increasing cash availability

• Established, implemented and enforced credit policies, reducing overdue accounts receivable 40% with no negative impact on sales

• Revised pricing strategies, increasing sales and improving market position

OTHER ENTREPENEUR EXPERIENCE

MC PHOTOGRAPHY - Youngstown, OH 1992 - 1996

• Professional photographer for commercial, weddings, portraits and modeling
• Developed sales skills to grow business and satisfy customers' needs
• Negotiated a high school year book contract, increasing market share
• Developed market plan, set pricing and developed advertising
• Expanded from home-based studio to full commercial studio, increasing market presence and studio capability

EDUCATION

MBA – CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY, Cleveland, Ohio – 1998 to 2000

BBA – UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, Notre Dame, IN – 1984 to 1988

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

• MS programs: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and Explorer
• MRP, Order Point and Vendor Managed Inventory Implementation & Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Webmaster and Web Design
• 5S, TPM and Kaizen Facilitator Certification

• Supervisor Training
• Drug Testing
• Interview Training
• Languages: Conversational German
• Oral Presentation   (Toastmasters International)
• Workplace Harassment Training
• Tow Motor and Crane Certification