Purchasing & Warehouse Manager - TENNESSEE CHEESECAKE
(2016-01 - 2026-12)
Food Manufacturing Environment • 60,000 sq. ft. facility • 80 employees • 1,000+ SKUs • $2M+ annual raw materials spend
- Built collaborative supplier relationships that improved responsiveness, communication, and material availability
- Worked directly with suppliers to reduce lead times and improve material readiness supporting stable Just-in-Time manufacturing operations
- Managed purchasing operations across 1,000+ SKUs supporting raw materials and finished goods
- Reduced inventory by 50% while improving material availability and production flow
- Doubled inventory turns from 6 to 12 annually through improved planning and supplier coordination
- Reduced obsolete and redundant inventory through improved purchasing decisions and demand alignment
- Reduced shortages, expedited orders, partial shipments, and last-minute schedule changes through improved procurement visibility and scheduling alignment
- Implemented Kanban replenishment systems improving inventory accuracy and reducing cycle counting requirements
- Created scheduling and material visibility dashboards improving communication between purchasing, warehouse, production, and shipping teams
- Led implementation of Odoo ERP and migrated operations from QuickBooks and Wasp Inventory systems to improve purchasing visibility and inventory tracking
- Developed SOPs and standardized work instructions for warehouse and material handling processes
- Built AI-assisted scheduling and procurement support tools improving forecasting visibility, purchasing coordination, and operational planning
- Supported 10 SQF third-party audits through strong lot traceability systems, food defense procedures, chemical receiving controls, and compliance support
- Participated in QA and safety teams supporting corrective actions, operational compliance, and root cause analysis
- Participated in weekly Level 10 leadership meetings focused on identifying, discussing, and solving high-priority operational problems
- Reduced warehouse staffing requirements through process optimization, workflow improvement, and Just-in-Time material planning
- Improved communication and trust between production teams and management by serving as a bridge between the floor and leadership
Shipping & Receiving Associate - TENNESSEE CHEESECAKE
(2015-01 - 2016-12)
- Supervised inbound/outbound freight scheduling, material staging, and lot documentation for raw ingredients and finished goods
- Earned promotion into leadership through strong operational execution, reliability, and continuous improvement mindset
Production Lead - INNOVATIVE PERCUSSION
(2012-01 - 2015-12)
- Managed daily production schedules, material staging, and manufacturing throughput in a high-mix assembly environment
- Worked closely with purchasing and warehouse teams to prevent component shortages and maintain uninterrupted production flow
Production Associate - INNOVATIVE PERCUSSION
(2010-01 - 2012-12)
- Executed high-volume manufacturing workflows, incoming material checks, and quality verification steps to support daily output goals
Founder & Facilitator - Voluntary Leadership Development Initiative
Created and led a voluntary before-work leadership development initiative that attracted 15 participants with no financial incentive or company requirement to attend, strengthening communication, trust, and collaborative problem solving across production and management teams.
- Built a trusted environment where frontline employees and management could openly discuss operational challenges, communication gaps, and improvement opportunities
- Led weekly leadership development and structured root-cause sessions focused on real production and warehouse issues impacting day-to-day operations
- Facilitated practical 5 Why discussions that helped teams identify underlying causes rather than treating symptoms
- Created weekly learning presentations and coordinated guest speakers to strengthen leadership capability, critical thinking, and continuous improvement skills
- Developed an AI-assisted root-cause analysis tool to help participants learn structured problem-solving techniques and improve decision-making
- Served as a bridge between management and frontline employees, increasing trust, improving communication, and encouraging greater participation in improvement initiatives
- Helped create a culture where employees felt comfortable bringing forward ideas, identifying waste, and collaborating across departments to solve problems
- Demonstrated the ability to unite people around a common purpose and sustain voluntary engagement outside normal working hours through trust, credibility, and practical leadership
