Experience

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  THE JAG FAST COMPANY

  • South Florida

  • Consulting in Profit Maximization in Operations and Sales

    • Mar 2015 - Present
    • South Florida

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  Q.E.P. Co., Inc.

  • Boca Raton, Florida, USA

  • VP of Ecommerce, Export, OEM Sales, and Retail Information Management

    • 2005 - 2015
    • Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Q.E.P. Co., Inc. is a worldwide manufacturer of tools, adhesives, flooring and accessories for the construction industry, selling to big box retailers, professional flooring distributors and retail ecommerce sites. As VP of Ecommerce Sales I drove growth on retailer sites like Amazon, Sears, Lowe's, HDSupply and The Home Depot. As VP of Export Sales, I directed adhesive exports to the pacific rim, tile tools to the Caribbean and South America, and managed key accounts like the 111 stores of Home Depot Mexico. As VP of OEM sales I grew our private label adhesive business with premier companies like Liquid Nails and ZEP, delivering in bulk or private label packaging according to customers specifications. As VP for Retail Information Management I developed a wide array of programs and tools for POS sales analysis, marketing copy data base, product specification data base, and my favorite - tools for analysis and Pricing-For-Profit.When QEP contacted me in 2005 about returning, the timing was perfect with a company turnaround project I had just completed and I knew I would enjoy working with the Goulds again, especially on the sales side of QEP and contribute as much as I did on the operations side from 1999 to 2003.Select Key Accomplishments include:1. Grew Amazon sales from under $400,000 to over $2,500,000.2. Grew Home Depot HD.COM from initial shipments to over $2,500,000.3. Developed and launched 4 Planograms for Home Depot Mexico, growing sales to $2,400,000.4. Successfully drove a Pricing-for-Profit model for the Ecom accounts and achieved the highest gross profit margins of any of the QEP sales channels.5. Built and developed a team with skills to manage Ecommerce product marketing content, export documentation and logistics, and sales reporting and analysis to build for the future.With another success story in my back pack, I am ready and available for a new challenge.

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  Q.E.P. Co., Inc.

  • Boca Raton, Florida USA

  • VP, Supply Chain

    • 1999 - 2004
    • Boca Raton, Florida USA

    Q.E.P. Co., Inc. is a worldwide manufacturer of tools, adhesives, flooring and accessories for the construction industry. As VP Supply Chain I was responsible for domestic and international purchasing (>$50,000,000 annual spend), inventory control, demand planning, shop floor, production planning, warehousing, transportation, logistics, multiple site management in USA and Canada, and full P&L responsibilities for the Tile Setting Materials Division.Key accomplishments include;1. Directed implementation of ERP/DRP/MRP systems at four different facilities.2. Developed and implemented new product brand and line (QSET) including formulations, package design, product data sheets, pricing, freight policies and overall business plan.3. Created new business model for multiple Tile Setting Products plants, establishing new G/L accounts, labor and overhead burden rates, standard costs, sales/marketing plans, and G&A budgets.4. Developed and implemented demand forecasting and inventory control process for USA and Canada operations.Selected quantifiable accomplishments include;1. Reduced customer order backlog by 80% (from over $2,000,000 to under $400,000).2. Increased QEP inventory turns by 53% (from 7.5 to 11.5 turns).3. Reduced tool manufacturing component inventory by 68% (from $1,570,000 to under $500,000).4. Restructured the Supply chain team and yielded a headcount reduction of 45%.With these accomplishments fully implemented and complete, I left QEP for a challenging opportunity at SeaStone, a small start up company that would require the use of all my skill and talents as well.

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  Custom Building Products

  • Miami, Florida, USA

  • General Manager, Jamo Inc., Division of Custom Building Products

    • 1994 - 1999
    • Miami, Florida, USA

    Mentored by the CEO and entrepreneurial owner of this South Florida, market leading manufacturer and distributor of building products. Successfully progressed from Plant Manager to General Manager over operations and sales, with full P&L responsibilities. Key contributions included new product development, capacity optimization, improved customer service levels, supply chain management, and significant growth in profits. Praised with “Jim is a role model because of his dedication and commitment to excellence.” Jamo, Inc. was sold to Custom Building Products in 1999 and still flourishes today.Selected Accomplishments:1. Established excellence in customer service by achieving service goal of 34 consecutive days at 100% fill rates (no short shipments or back orders). Accomplished during peak season and while reducing inventory by 15%. 2. Restructured manufacturing operations, yielding an increase in productivity of over 20%. Performance evaluation stated, “Jim has produced innovative approaches and ideas that are far beyond expectations.”3. Developed and marketed a new technology based product (Waterproofing Membrane), recovering investment in development and equipment in just four months. Personal achievement included formulation, testing, package design, equipment acquisition, manufacture, all supply chain attributes, pricing for profit, marketing programs (including demonstrations at industry trade shows), and final product distribution.

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  Baxter Healthcare Corporation

  • Miami, Florida USA

  • Manufacturing and Engineering Manager

    • 1979 - 1993
    • Miami, Florida USA

    The Dade Division of Baxter Healthcare Corporation was a Fortune 100, leading manufacturing in FDA regulated medical devices including controls, calibrators, reagents and laboratory instrumentation. As Manufacturing and Engineering Manager, I directed activities in Chemistry and Hematology Reagent and Control manufacturing, including raw material receipt and processing, formulation, batching, mixing, clarification, centrifugation, sterile filtration, aseptic and non-aseptic filling, lyophilization (freeze drying), capping, labeling and packaging.Highlighted accomplishments include:1. Directed multiple capital investment projects for installation of large lyophilizers, with state-of-the-art automated controls, validation, and close work with manufacturer's engineering team in system design. $2.9MM lyophilizer and facility expansion project in Miami increased capacity by 35%. The $2.3MM lyophilizer and facility project in Aquada, Puerto Rico increased their capacity by 40%.2. Manufacturing cycle time reduced for large volume chemistry controls from an average of 90 days to 10 days through elimination of non-value added activities, improving quality through SPC and automation of functions to remove variability. This improvement also reduced work in process inventory by $1,600,000.3. Led projects to acquire and install new filling lines to increase quality, decrease line manning and reduce scrap. A $700,000 high accuracy filling line with inline, automated check weighing and SPC analysis led to $350,000 in annual cost savings. The $1,500,000 high speed filling line reduced line manning from 16 to 8 and yielded $900,000 in annual saving from labor, scrap, increased yields and elimination of rejected runs.4. Designed and implemented a rapid set-up production line to support the efficient production of small lot sizes and inventory reduction objectives. The new line reduced set-up time by 83% and increased production rates by 400%.

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  Matrix Z - SeaStone Group, Inc.

  • Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA

  • General Manager

    • 1903 - 1904
    • Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA

    SeaStone Group, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of engineered, designer stone tiles, trims and slabs. As General Manager, I reported directly to the entrepreneurial owner and managed all aspects of the business, including supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, accounting, sales, marketing, and P&L. In the year I worked there, I was successful in completing the exciting and challenging opportunity of the one-year turnaround and growth mission I had accepted.Highlighted accomplishments include:1. Rebuilt both production and quality processes to achieve high customer satisfaction levels through reduced lead-times (12 weeks to 3 weeks) and delivering higher quality product.2. Restructured the organization and yielded over $250,000 of annual salary savings.3. Optimized accounting system through massive clean-up and implementation of proper accounting standards.4. Developed product costing and "Pricing-for-Profit" policies and sales plans.When leaving SeaStone to return to Q.E.P. Co., Inc., the owner Jim Heiman wrote as a closing in a letter of accomplishment and recommendation "Jim's leadership built a strong foundation for the growth of the company. The team he built in the plant is excellent, with key focus on quality and customer service. Reestablishing the relationships with National Pool Tile Group (NPTG) and helping land the Pool Corp. account have put the future avenues for sales growth in place."