Jim Gardner

Experience

• 

  American Chemicals Co. / Columbia Terminal

  Apr 1987 - Jan 2000

  Purchasing Manager / Facility Supervisor

  Started in the inside sales department. Grew my knowledge base and worked my way up into operations management and purchasing manager. Experienced in Chemical and materials procurement, Rail and tank truck & LTL Logistics, liquid filling operations, terminal operations, and much more.

• 

  Houghton Chemical Corporation

  Aug 2000 - Mar 2006

  Purchasing / Logistics

  Houghton Chemicals acquired American Chemicals. I was hired at Houghton as a consultant for the company transition as I had extensive knowledge of the business dealings at American. Success in that role led to being hired full time to work for the company in supply chain / operations.

• 

  Von Roll USA

  Mar 2006 - Dec 2015

  Supply Chain Manager for North American Operations

  Responsible for The Raw Materials and MRO Supply Chain for 5 manufacturing locations in the U.S. Managed and developed 6 buyers responsible for $100 Million+ in various Liquid and Dry Raw Materials and another $15 Million in MRO supplies and manufacturing equipment.Responsible for successfully reducing COGS over the past 7 years with maintaining a steady stream of materials to all sites. Record includes never shutting down a production line due to lack of materialsven during worldwide shortages and Force Majeures. Developed great working relationships with some of the best Suppliers in the industry. Reduced Liquids Material cost by $1.1 Million dollars in 2013 and another $357K on top for 2014 using alternate sourcing program & relationship building techniques with suppliers. In 2013-2014 managed Corporate Net Working Capital initiative and had over $1.1M for 2013 and $1.6M for 2014 of additional contribution to Von Roll USA.Also support Manufacturing Operations at the NJ facility utilizing the many skill sets developed over the years in the industry.Extensive knowledge on Tank Farms, Tank Trucks & Logistics , Rail Spurs, Liquids Packaging lines, Mixing and Packaging Equipment, ICB (totes) and other packaging, Finance, Inventory Control, and most of what makes a "chemical" company fuction properly and profitably.Extensive knowledge of dealing with Hazardous class Raw Materials as well as USP materials. Familiar with UL approved product lines."Certified Purchasing Professional" Certification from the American Purchasing Society in November 2013 Member # 122990"Certified Purchasing Professional Manager" Certification from the American Purchasing Society in November 2014 Member # 115056M Show less

• 

  National Packaging Services, Inc.

  Nov 2015 - Dec 2018

  General Manager Operations

  General Manager of Operations in charge of managing and fine tuning the operational aspects of the business. Implemented "Best Practice" procedures to better our service capabilities and offer industry leading technical support. Packaging included Steel, Plastic and Fiber Drums, and pails including UN certified services. Used Supply Chain skills to assist with finding more efficient ways to buy equipment.Audited, Analyzed and Upgraded computer software system to handle the increased flow of business which allowed for an increased order input by 24% with no additional head count thus resulting in additional EBIT of $2.5 Million. Researched and Designed new storage technology to maximized usage of the 100,000 sf warehouse. Increased space for a new storage contract with Exxon/Mobile adding $800K in top line revenue per year.Negotiated new contracts for modernized equipment for material movements and leases for transport equipment resulting in superior internal handling times and reduced labor costs.Maximized warehouse and logistical operations work flow to support the 20% increase in business annually with nominal additional costs. Increased logistics fleet to reduce outside carrier support resulting in better (JIT) delivery times with no added costs. Estimated savings were valued at approx. $275K annually.Orchestrated a new distribution warehouse including sales staff in Rochester, NY that expanded East coast territory turning a profit in the first year of operations. Show less

• 

  HUBER+SUHNER Astrolab, Inc.

  Apr 2019 - Apr 2020

  Supply Chain Manager

  Established a professional supply chain program for this growing company. Qualified additional suppliers that could meet stringent quality standards and have the certifications required to be in the defense and space exploration market as well as other high tech markets requiring Low and high frequency communications connectors and cable equipment. Managed, trained and developed a team of buyers teaching optimization techniques to minimize cost and lower lead times while improving supplier relationships. Improved lead times by 22% and lowered average cost by 15 percent in 12 months. Developed supplier quality performance reports and worked to assist suppliers to meet the demanding quality requirements to meet the high standards of H+S Astrolab supplier requirements. Show less

• 

  QuEST Global (supporting Collins Aerospace)

  Oct 2020 - now

  Senior Engineer Project Manager

  On site consultant supporting Collins Aerospace supplier management and procurement teams. Increased continuity between vendor and Collins resulting in desired deliverables timelines resulting in saving Collins in excess of $120,000 to date. Monitored, measured, and reported on project performance of specialized parts manufacturing and deliverables using specially designed spread sheets that reported intricate levels of accuracy and OTD performance. Reported daily progress utilizing Zoom to present to a team of engineers, buyers, and project managers. Designed Excel spread sheets to display and measure advancements and failures on required materials. Show less

• 

  Pflaumer Brothers, Inc.

  Dec 2021 - now

  Director Of Purchasing

  Joined this fast growing Specialty Chemicals Manufacturer to enhance their Purchasing Capabilities.