Robert Shumate

Seasoned Industrial Maintenance Technician and Fabricator with 30 years of hands-on experience troubleshooting, repairing, and optimizing complex production machinery in fast-paced manufacturing and food-processing environments. Expert in MIG, Stick, and dual-shield flux core welding, with extensive experience fabricating stainless steel and structural carbon steel components. Deep technical background rebuilding industrial gearboxes, executing precision shaft/motor alignments, tracking conveyors, and diagnosing hydraulic and pneumatic system faults.

Proven track record utilizing HMI and computer control diagnostic codes to quickly identify line failures under production pressure. Strong champion of shop safety with a zero-tolerance approach to Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) protocols and OSHA standards.

Mechanical Maintenance Technician at Tyson Foods (2024-01 – 2026-07

• Maintained, repaired, and performed emergency troubleshooting on high-speed food processing equipment, sorting lines, and facility assets under strict production deadlines.
• Utilized factory control panels and computer diagnostics to quickly identify line fault codes, minimizing equipment downtime and ensuring steady plant reliability.
• Executed mechanical repairs, tracked conveyor systems, replaced bearings, and rebuilt heavy-duty gearboxes across the facility.
• Upheld strict food safety and plant sanitation standards while performing daily maintenance tasks.
• Enforced 100% compliance with Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) safety procedures across multiple-source energy panels (electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic).

Industrial Maintenance Technician / Welder at Unilever

• Diagnosed and repaired high-volume automated production and packaging equipment to maintain continuous assembly schedules.
• Performed structural steel modifications, custom bracket fabrication, and critical system welding using MIG and Stick processes.
• Conducted preventative maintenance inspections on rotating machinery, ensuring precise motor shaft alignment to prevent premature bearing failure.
• Collaborated with plant engineers and production leads to safely dial in new machinery and minimize shift transitions.

Senior Industrial Maintenance Mechanic & Fabricator at Various Industrial Facilities (1996-01)

• Spent nearly three decades handling heavy-duty industrial fabrication, mechanical rebuilds, and facility maintenance.
• Mastered structural welding on dirty, scaled, or rusted metal by utilizing meticulous flap-disc grinding and pre-weld preparation.
• Tore down, inspected, and reassembled diverse gear and drive configurations, setting proper backlash and pressing new industrial bearings.
• Successfully adapted to decades of evolving plant technology by reading manufacturer manuals, studying