Experience

• 

  Comprehensive Marketing Incorporated

  • Lombard, Illinois

  • Key Account Support Specialist

    • Oct 2017 - Present
    • Lombard, Illinois

• 

  --

  • Purchasing and Product Management Professional Pursuing Strategic Sales Growth Opportunities

    • Dec 2016 - Oct 2017

    Proficient at: Wholesale PurchasingProcurementMerchandisingStrategic PlanningProject ManagementPricing ControlNegotiate Buying ProgramsVendor Relationship ManagementSupplier Contract NegotiationsDevelop Retail Sales ProgramsCategory ManagementRetail Planogram DevelopmentPromotional MarketingAnalyze Sales DataConsumer Relevance AnalysisRegulatory Agency Compliance ManagementTrade Shows

• 

  Ace Hardware Corporation

  • Oak Brook, IL

  • Associate Buyer - Automotive, RV & Marine Acc., Camping & Outdoor Recreation, Sport Knives, Apparel

    • Aug 2006 - Dec 2016
    • Oak Brook, IL

    Managed the P&L, product, pricing, placement, and promotion of Automotive, RV & Marine Acc., Camping & Outdoor, Sporting Knives, and Apparel categories in tandem. Responsible for $147M in wholesale of 4,000 sku’s from 250 suppliers.Negotiated cost of goods savings of $5M through RFQs and business analytics of market trends and consumer shopping behavior. Worked cross functionally to develop POP material, private label branding strategies, retail pricing and optimizing retail product assortments. Determined advertising plans to consumers and retailers working with Marketing and E-Com teams. Accomplishments include negotiating annual promotion of RV Antifreeze (the second largest unit moving sku for the corporation of 1M gallons) and national brand/PL promotions four times per year of passenger car motor oils. Launched product POGs to retailers along with creating marketing plans and POP to ensure retail success and consumer education. Recent achievements include introduction of the Outdoor Recreation series of POGs resulting in $7.5M sales and expansion of the Tarps / Stretch Cords / Tie Downs categories resulting in $3M sales growth.Built and sustained supplier relations pertaining to their product lines, cost, supply consistency, wholesale and retail competitiveness, market information / trends, and innovation.Presented and sold new products and programs to 2,000+ retailers at bi-annual conventions, retailer group meetings, and utilizing Field Managers. Managed purchasing, pricing, retails, margins, promotional costs and merchandise specifications utilizing SAP 7.40 and Informatica – PIM. Coordinated with Inventory teams to achieve 98% product service levels ensuring adequate inventory and turns in a network of 14 distribution centers. Determined promotional, seasonal and severe weather purchase strategies. Served as professional point of reference to Regulatory and Legal teams relative to product EPA compliance at national, state and local levels.

• 

  Ace Hardware Corporation

  • United States
  • Retail
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Merchandising Projects Coordinator

    • 1994 - 2006

    Coordinated and Implemented Various Projects Relative to Merchandising and Buying.

  • Senior Graphic Services Coordinator

    • 1989 - 1994

    Developed, Organized and Processed Various Printing Projects

• 

  Litton Industries

  • Bedford Park, IL

  • Senior Composing Associate

    • 1984 - 1989
    • Bedford Park, IL

    Created multi step-out films and printing plates for rotary and platen press equipment.Experienced negative stripper for four color process and straight color printing.

• 

  3M

  • Bedford Park, IL

  • Quality Control Lab Technician (Intern)

    • Apr 1983 - Dec 1983
    • Bedford Park, IL

    Performed various quality control testing procedures on pre-production raw materials and finished tape / specialty products.