David Funderburk

Industrial maintenance and project leader with 36+ years of progressive experience in high-volume poultry processing and manufacturing environments. Expertise spans maintenance planning and scheduling, capital improvement coordination, equipment installations, planned shutdowns, contractor and vendor management, budgeting and procurement, preventive and predictive maintenance, and equipment reliability. Proven ability to align production, engineering, maintenance, purchasing, contractors, and equipment manufacturers to execute complex work safely, control costs, minimize downtime, and support production objectives.

Maintenance Planner at Fieldale Farms Corporation (2006-02 – Present)

Coordinate maintenance planning and project execution for a high-volume poultry further-processing facility supporting continuous production.

• Plan and schedule preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance across multiple production departments, balancing daily production priorities with equipment reliability and uptime.
• Coordinate planned shutdowns, equipment replacements, facility upgrades, production-line modifications, and capital projects from planning through startup and commissioning.
• Develop work packages, labor schedules, procurement plans, contractor coordination, and maintenance timelines; monitor progress and adjust schedules to limit operational disruption.
• Manage planning and expenditure tracking for a $2.8 million major-expense maintenance budget, including vendor quotations, contractor proposals, materials, equipment, and contracted services.
• Partner with plant leadership, engineering, production, purchasing, vendors, equipment manufacturers, and outside contractors to execute maintenance and project work safely and efficiently.
• Drive reliability and continuous improvement through preventive-maintenance compliance, root cause analysis, OSHA / Lockout-Tagout practices, safety audits, and contractor safety compliance.

Assistant Maintenance Manager at Wayne Farms LLC (1990 – 2006-02)

Provided maintenance leadership and daily operational support within a large poultry processing facility, coordinating personnel, equipment reliability, and capital improvement work.

• Assisted in supervising maintenance personnel across multiple production areas, coordinating daily labor assignments and maintenance priorities.
• Prioritized preventive, predictive, and emergency maintenance work to support equipment uptime and continuous plant operations.
• Mentored maintenance technicians and supported employee development within the maintenance department.
• Oversaw maintenance and troubleshooting of processing equipment, conveyors, motors, pumps, gearboxes, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, boilers, steam systems, and industrial plumbing.
• Coordinated troubleshooting efforts during equipment issues to minimize production downtime and restore operations efficiently.
• Coordinated new equipment installation, plant expansion, facility improvement projects, renovations, commissioning, and startup with plant leadership, engineering, and contractors.
• Worked directly with outside contractors during equipment installations and facility renovations, coordinating schedules and plant access around production needs.
• Supported maintenance budget planning, purchasing, vendor communications, contractor scheduling, and equipment procurement.
• Coordinated purchasing of maintenance materials and replacement equipment to support scheduled and corrective maintenance work.
• Helped develop preventive-maintenance strategies and reliability improvements designed to reduce downtime and support production performance.
• Promoted OSHA and Lockout/Tagout compliance and participated in accident investigations, corrective actions, food-safety requirements, and regulatory-compliance initiatives.

Associate Degree

High School Diploma