Career Path

Helped led a cultural shift from a project-based company to a product-based company. Within a union manufacturing facility, fostered relationships, and assembled a cross-functional team of production and engineering to break down cultural walls and cost-reduced the highest volume, mature product with a new process of common pre-built, interchangeable assemblies. Significant accomplishments include:

• Connected directly and regularly with leading, international technologists in the solar field to collaborate on improving solar cell efficiencies via better machine design, and process control.
• Innovated a “first-ever” controlled wavelength solar cell firing furnace, generating 33M in sales in the first year, leading Despatch out of the great recession. Driven by solar, company annual sales organically grew by 3X over 3 years.

Merged best of two previous competitors into a single division, and assembled a new leadership team of sales, marketing, production, engineering, and planning. Under a completely new corporate culture, embraced a new strategy: “We make technology simple.” (It is easy to make technology complicated and expensive.) After 5 years, significant accomplishments include:

• Moved major manufacturing center from New Hampshire to New York. Created a viable modern sheet metal and machine shop by minimizing bottle necks and maximizing tool utilization. Outsourced some work to Malaysia, for Asian markets.
• Integrated vertical manufacturing as a strategic advantage to lower costs and customize equipment, faster and less expensive than competitors.
• Retained major portion of existing customer base by listening and responding with requested product improvements.
• Reduced product costs by more than 60% while selling prices fell more than 50% through vertical integration with manufacturing, and product rationalization. Repaired falling profits with increased margins on service and parts business.

Assumed leadership over an experienced, well-groomed engineering team, and managed transition in processes via computer automation to reduce time to market from an average of 12 months to less than 4 months, and increased profit margins from 25% to over 50%.

• Strategically implemented vision of stratified customers: Strategic Partners (Drove technology development,) Key Customers (Drove business development,) and Base Accounts, to successfully differentiate our products, services, and pricing.
• Conceptualized, championed, & drove technology of a new revolutionary product to printed circuit board industry (3-year, 3-million-dollar project.)
• Developed and implemented meaningful procedures to interface manufacturing, sales, and field-service with engineering while increasing integrity of ISO 9000 certification and CE approval ratings.
• Supported sales, trained sales representatives, and regularly visited major account customers.

“Cut my teeth” via hands-on manufacturing leadership in a direct customer facing, high-mix / low-volume, services-based business.

• Directed the operations of separate business sectors within the ARM Services corporation including welding and machine shop, industrial supply sales, marine propeller repair, and electric motor re-winding services.
• Accomplished as a welder, and manual machinist.
• Setup Electric motor re-winding service business, including design and build of rewinding machines and ovens