Steven Sloan

Steven Sloan,
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STEVEN SLOAN
3 Spring Knoll Court ║ Johnson City, Tennessee 37601
(423) 794-0454 ║ smsloan@charter.net

SUMMARY

A resourceful and enterprising operations and manufacturing professional with vast experience in engineering, project management, production and process improvement, employee training and development, and production planning and scheduling. Develops short- and long-range business strategies to deliver productivity targets and reduce total operating costs. Maintains a high level of efficiency for all equipment and personnel to complete all business goals effectively. Possesses a proven track record of accomplishments in cost reduction, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement, contributing to the growth and profitability of several organizations.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Implemented new steel chemistry providing savings totaling $3,000,000 annually.
• Reduced WIP inventories by over 50% through the use of Kanban strategies, changeover reduction, and smaller lot sizes.
• Led cross-functional team that successfully addressed 56% of warranty failures using DMAIC and DMADV techniques.
• Championed an aggressive continuous improvement initiative to reengineer a critical 50-year old welding process.
• Capitalized on innovative design concept eliminating 24 direct labor positions, resulting in $1,000,000 savings annually.
• Managed $300,000 expansion of porcelain enamel system providing added sales of $1,200,000 annually.
• Installed $400,000 centralized crating system, including automated carton sealing system saving $648,000 annually.
• Served on Safety Steering Committee contributing to exceeding one million man-hours without a lost-time injury 18 times, with an industry record of 10.8 million man-hours without a lost-time injury.
• Served on union contract negotiating committee to successfully negotiate new multi-year union contracts.

EXPERIENCE

A.O. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS, Johnson City, Tennessee
Tank Plant Manufacturing Manager, 1998-2015

Oversaw production, engineering, and maintenance departments for tank fabrication consisting of 300 employees, with annual expense budgets from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 and capital budgets from $1,000,000 to $7,000,000. Accountable for achieving key performance metrics of man-hours per unit, cost of quality, employee safety, and equipment downtime. Served on the Safety Steering committee. Served on union negotiating committee and successfully negotiated new union contracts.

• Improved productivity and reduced direct labor by 17%, resulting in man-hours per unit reduction of 25% and saving $2,500,000 annually using lean manufacturing strategies and continuous improvement.
• Reduced WIP inventories by over 50% through the use of Kanban strategies, changeover reduction, and smaller lot sizes.
• Reduced changeover for an entire tank fabricating line to less than 4 minutes using SMED strategies.
• Led cross-functional team that successfully addressed 56% of warranty failures using DMAIC and DMADV techniques.
• Reduced cost of quality by 38%, tank leaks by 29%, resulting in $600,000 savings annually.
• Increased aggregate plant capacity by 33%, from 6,100 to 8,100 units per day.
• Championed an aggressive continuous improvement initiative to reengineer a critical 50-year old welding process.
• Capitalized on innovative design concept eliminating 24 direct labor positions, resulting in $1,000,000 savings annually.
• Focusing on waste minimization and lower waste water discharge limits, developed and implemented a raw material reclamation system that significantly reduced waste saving over $600,000 per year in improved utilization and disposal costs.
• Eliminated silica exposure risk associated with eight positions.
• Developed and implemented an innovative new process to support new product designs.
Tank Manufacturing Engineering Manager, 1997-1998

Directed tank plant manufacturing engineering and maintenance departments consisting of 35 personnel, with annual expense budgets from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 and capital budgets from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000. Maintained all production equipment and processes, methods and process improvement, and work and process instructions and supported new product introductions.

• Implemented new steel chemistry resulting in savings of $3,000,000 annually.
• Developed long-range aggregate capacity-increase plan to support projected sales growth.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

FELDKIRCHER WIRE FABRICATING COMPANY, Nashville, Tennessee, Manufacturing Manager, 1995-1997. Managed production, shipping, scheduling, human resources, and maintenance consisting of 150 employees at two facility locations. Produced various welded wire products and sheet metal products generating sales of $12,000,000 annually. Managed $300,000 expansion of porcelain enamel system to increase flexibility and capabilities, adding sales of $2,300,000 annually. Directed in-house fabrication of automatic welding line for after-market barbecue grill racks, saving $150,000 annually.

FRANCE COMPANY, Fairview, Tennessee, Manager of Manufacturing Engineering, 1991-1995. Oversaw manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, and maintenance departments consisting of 39 personnel, with annual expense budgets ranging from $750,000 to $1,000,000 and capital budgets ranging from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. Maintained all production equipment and processes as well as methods and process improvement, developed and maintained work instructions, supported new product introductions, and responsible for all plant environmental requirements. Implemented capital and non-capital cost reductions totaling $1,000,000 annually.

FRIGIDAIRE / ELECTROLUX, Springfield, Tennessee, Plant Engineering Manager, 1990-1991. Managed plant engineering, maintenance, and sanitation departments consisting of 30 personnel, with annual budgets ranging from $500,000 to $750,000. Responsible for capital projects; new and existing equipment and processes; and filing of all corporate, city, state, and federal environmental reports. Represented company involved in city, state, and local industry-funded environmental analysis of city of Springfield POTW for establishing acceptable discharge limits.

Maintenance General Foreman, 1988-1990. Oversaw maintenance departments supporting 1,000-employee range manufacturing facility. Developed budgets, training, controlled cash flows, and preventative maintenance schedules. Served as environmental coordinator. Implemented TVA’s ESP program generating $120,000 in annual savings.

Project Engineer, 1984-1988. Coordinated major equipment and process development, justification, and installation in support of $25,000,000 automation and new product introduction project, including expansion and redesign of existing facility. Managed the construction of $1,200,000, 30,000-square-foot building addition for a new powder paint system. Directed installation and start-up of two $375,000 laser-cutting centers for porcelain-coated oven cavities. Installed $400,000 centralized crating system, including automated carton sealing system, saving $648,000 annually. Installed 300-ton, coil-fed Niagara straight-side press line.

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CARRIER CORPORATION, McMinnville, Tennessee, Process Development Engineer, 1983-1984. Executed concept, design, development, justification, and implementation of new processes in commercial air conditioner manufacturing facility. Designed concepts for flexible manufacturing system to automate control box assembly and electrical wiring.

Manufacturing Engineer, 1981-1983. Maintained existing processes, production support, and sustaining activities in electrical wiring and controls assembly department. Managed installation and start-up of $75,000 wire-guided vehicle system and start-up of $150,000 roll form line for sheet metal fan louvers.

EDUCATION

TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Cookeville, Tennessee
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1981