Tyler Thurston

Experience

• 

  The Kraft Heinz Company

  Feb 2011 - Feb 2023

  •Kraft Heinz “Appetite” Award Winner presented to team members who develop and implement innovative improvement strategies for the company. •Progressively promoted throughout my tenure becoming Manufacturing Manager (RTE) for 1 of 3 divisions at the Newberry, SC Mega-Plant, 1 of 2 in the company, overseeing 475 people producing 75-100 Million pounds of finished goods annually.•Ensure the daily processing of $2.5 Million in WIP inventory via GMP/Good Manufacturing Practices to meet corporate and regulatory guidelines such as USDA, OSHA, FDA, etc. •Achieved a 99.13% MBO Score (Management by Objectives) in my first year and 104% in year 2 for a purview of 16 production lines with 27 different SKUs. •Lead a team of 3 Production Managers, 8 Supervisors, 16 Production Leads, and interdisciplinary support services specialists including Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Sanitization, and HR. •Created $4 Million+ cost savings in a single year. •Improved GE (Global Efficiency Score) by 11.09% for a specialty department, while improving my division’s overall GE score by over 8% and OEE score by over 4% in 1 year.•Serve as site leader for a 2-year, $30 Million expansion project for facility and equipment upgrades. •Beginning March 2020, led a major capacity expansion in response to a demand increase from an average 1.3 Million lbs./week to 2.1 Million lbs./week, requiring a $4 Million capital upgrade. •Maintained production while training and onboarding staff through heightened health/safety restrictions and replacing/installing 10 production lines. •Foster lean methodology using BI analysis.•Empower Corporate Leadership, Plant Management, Materials Manager, and other Manufacturing Managers with actionable intelligence that hedges risk and fosters uptime.•Ensure on-time output through regular communication with the Distribution Warehouse Manager to collaborate on QC, 24-hour QT/safety holds, and logistics to both in-network facilities and direct customers. Show less •Brought on to build out and oversee a formal Safety Program that returned over $3 Million from a reduction in workers compensation in the 1st year, representing 60% for the entire US corporate sector. •Reduced TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) from 3.37 to 2.50 in my first, 6-months, then down to 2.08 TRIR in first full calendar year, achieving 1.42 TRIR just prior to being promoted, with a current TRIR of 1.19 (Q1 2022).•Continued to serve as Senior Occupational Risk Manager for the first 6-months as Manufacturing Manager.•Developed the budget, org chart, best practices, training/licensing, and transition plan for the safety department/program to confidently hand it off to a Safety Manager, 2 Supervisors, and 5 Safety Leads covering all shifts.•Supported environmental sustainability efforts as the site manager overseeing the site’s 1.2 Million-gallon capacity wastewater treatment center with 200,000+ pounds of anhydrous ammonia system.•Maintained legal/regulatory compliance, earning my Class A, SC Physical/Chemical Wastewater Treatment Operator License and overseeing 2 staff members with their Class B/C licenses. •Created comprehensive oversight of the wastewater treatment center including serving on the Global Emergency Planning Committee, reporting to the Department of Homeland Security as needed, and collaborating with representatives from local municipal water systems. •Maintained quality security measures such as biometric access to the engine room. •Continued to champion occupational health and wellness programming put in place as the PT including: Pre-Shift Stretching & “Blink Breaks” Work Hardening/Conditioning Proper Lifting Techniques Early Intervention Program•Approached by Plant Management to train and move into the Manufacturing Management role. Show less •Initially contracted via Premise PT to improve Kraft Foods’ largest site with the highest injury rate. •Led a major turnaround of safety ratings and injury reduction/prevention after developing and implementing occupational training and wellness programs•Leveraged Kraft Foods’ Management’s buy-in to establish the now highly successful OHS/Safety department that has created multi-million-dollar cost savings and strengthened revenue/margins impacted by injuries/workers comp, employee physical and mental health, and turnover. •Hired on full-time, permanently as the Senior Occupational Risk Manager in 2018. Show less

  • Manufacturing Manager

    Nov 2019 - Feb 2023

  • Senior Occupational Risk Manager

    Jun 2018 - Nov 2019

  • Physical Therapist - Site

    Feb 2011 - Jun 2018
• 

  Wattie's (Kraft Heinz)

  Feb 2023 - now

  • Managed 375 employees across 21 finished goods lines, implementing lean manufacturing methodologies to optimize operations and enhance employee engagement.• Oversaw capital project execution to improve site capabilities and efficiency in animal nutrition, frozen meals, condiments, jams, sauces, and soups.• Successfully led the site at Wattie's (Kraft Heinz) in New Zealand, driving continuous improvement initiatives and fostering a culture of excellence.

  • Site Manager

    Feb 2025 - now

  • Production Manager

    Feb 2023 - now