Expert Details
Manufacturing Economics: Markets, Sourcing, Exporting, Energy
ID: 731993
California, USA
Experience with OEMs, Suppliers, and Aftermarket Distribution in Automotive, Light, Medium, and Heavy On-Highway Truck, Off-highway Equipment including Agricultural, Construction, Mining, and Railroad and General Manufacturing Equipment.
Market Economics - A major national distribution company sought to significantly grow it office furniture distribution business. They needed to fully understand the full range of channels to market, the size and growth rates of each type of channel participant, and their own market shares in each channel participant stages. The findings identified that a number of their current target channel participants were in segments that were declining. The analysis also uncovered other key segments in which they should increase their presence to achieve significant growth. Armed with these insights the client was able to redirect its focus and bolster its capabilities to achieve meaningfully growth.Voice of Customer - A manufacturer of industrial mechanical power transmission products sought to grow through entry into new segments. In order to do so it needed to understand the wants and needs of prospective customers in these new segments. A series of open ended voice of the customer interviews were conducted across the new segments in both North America and Europe. The synthesis of the voice of the customer findings revealed which segments would be most receptive to the client’s offering as well as the critical product and support dimensions that would be required in order for them to win in those new segments. This enabled the client to enter and grow successfully in these new market segments.Growth Strategy - The client had just acquired a manufacturer of components for agricultural equipment in the OEM and Aftermarket channels. The largest growth opportunity was believed to be the European market. The client needed to validate the size of the market, its growth prospects, the wants and needs of current and prospective customers, and to develop the strategy to rapidly grow the business in Europe. The market economics showed a large but very flat and mature market. But voice of the customer assessment uncovered that the customers were very dissatisfied with the long standing market leader. This created a significant growth opportunity in what is otherwise a very mature slow growth market. The recommended strategy focused on how to significantly grow the client’s European business by taking share from the complacent market leader.Acquisitions - A scientific technology company sought to acquire an additional company in a new sector. They sought assistance to perform market due diligence while they and other advisors conducted legal and financial due diligence. The three week engagement took the form of performing a wide series of quick interviews with current and prospective customers of the acquisition candidate across multiple end markets and all global regions. The synthesis of these interviews found that the acquisition candidate was highly regarded in its current and prospective end markets and that there was more potential growth opportunity that even the seller was suggesting. It also revealed that the target was performing very well on customer support in all global regions except one leading to recommendation to address that one region to foster further growth.Divestiture - A private equity company was preparing to divest an Electronics Manufacturing Services Company. It desired to determine the total available market and growth prospects to include in the offering pitch. The four week engagement covered three key aspects. A rapid overview and assessment of the internal manufacturing and businesses processes to determine its capability to support the desired growth and needs of the target markets. A full sizing and projection of the growth potential of the total available market. And a select set of voice of the customer interviews across all current and potential future sectors. The synthesis of the assessment found that the market opportunities were even more attractive than the client had previously believed. Further, that the optimal target geographies should be re-focused in even more attractive states than the current target geographies.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1988 | Degree: MBA | Subject: Finance and Managerial Economics | Institution: The University of Michigan |
Year: 1981 | Degree: Bachelors of Science | Subject: Manufacturing Industrial Technology | Institution: Eastern Michigan University |
Year: 1978 | Degree: Associate Degree of Science | Subject: Metallurgical Technology | Institution: Washtenaw Community College |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 2012 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President & CEO | Department: |
Responsibilities:Consulting with Manufacturing Clients on Specific Client EngagementsResearch, Analysis and Publication of Syndicated Market Research Reports Sales and Marketing of J.T. Expert Consulting, LLC Services and products |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2002 to 2012 | Employer: Blue Canyon Partners | Title: Engagement Manager | Department: B2B Growth Strategy |
Responsibilities:Worked on a variety of growth strategy projects. Contributed to the development of strategies for a number of major Tier 1 suppliers and several of the OEMs in the automotive, commercial, and agricultural vehicle industries in both the original equipment and aftermarket channels, developed customer-driven strategies for manufacturing operations, and helped to design a long-term approach to growth in the industrial controls market. A number of projects have involved global assessments in pursuit of the optimal new country markets to enter, frequently within the BRIC countries, in a diverse range of industries including chemical additives, capital equipment, On and Off-Highway Commercial Vehicles and Equipment, industrial power equipment, vehicular aftermarkets, and MRO supplies. His involvement in these projects has included project management as well as contributions as a senior member of the Blue Canyon team. Authored Market-Driven Operations Strategy: Achieving Alignment between Operations and Markets and Equipment and Aftermarket Growth Strategy, and co-authored Creating – Rather than Destroying – Value through Acquisitions, Market-Driven Product Development: Achieving Alignment between Product Development and Markets and Win the Day: Managing Price Pressures in the Automotive Industry. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1998 to 2001 | Employer: QuestOne Decision Sciences | Title: Program Director | Department: Consulting |
Responsibilities:Managed Theory-of-Constraints based logistical and financial project engagements in a rapidly growing consulting practice in the general industrial, pharmaceutical, and high tech industries. Growth goal is 100% annually. Roles in support of that goal include: Client relationship management – recent and current client responsibilities include General Motors, Simpson Industries, Ivax, and CompuCom. Support of Sales team through joint visits to prospective clients in all three industries. Propose, win, plan, launch, execute, complete, win follow-on projects, for current and new clients. Recruitment, training and mentorship of additional consultants and support personnel. Active member of the management team for the overall QuestOne Customer Engagement Group (Consulting Group). Adapt conceptual, intellectual, products to pragmatic application and develop supporting implementation processes. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1996 to 1998 | Employer: Baker & Company | Title: Co-Director of Automotive Practice | Department: Automotive |
Responsibilities:Director in the rapidly growing Metropolitan Detroit based Automotive Practice with responsibility for client project management and client relationship management. The practice was growing at a 50% annual rate. Activities include engagements at Bosch, Chrysler, Michelin, Textron, Sachs Automotive, Timken, TRW, Simpson, Arvin, Amcast, Yazaki, Budd-Thyssen and, J.D. Power & Associates. Client engagements involve substantial interaction with their customer’s including Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Deere, Cummins, ASC, Rockwell, American Axle, New Holland, Twin-Disc, and Philadelphia Gear. Areas of expertise involve pulling together all of the cross-functional factors that impact firms in the automotive industry and developing strategies to achieve competitive leadership. Projects include: Strategy Development - Overall / Marketing / Account / Purchasing. Business-to-Business Customer Value and Satisfaction Evaluations. Management of the entire Extended Enterprise Value Chain. Organizational change management |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1993 to 1995 | Employer: Federal-Mogul Corporation | Title: Manager, Corporate Development | Department: Corporate Development / Manager Financial Planning and Analysis |
Responsibilities:Evaluated the strategic mix of businesses within the corporation's portfolio, performed "Situation Analysis", evaluated and managed acquisitions and divestitures. Extensive Travel including United States, Germany, and Argentina. Position reported to Vice President of Corporate Development. Served significant role, interacting with Salomon Brothers, in successful sale of Precision Forged Products Division to Borg Warner Automotive. Prepared Offering Memorandum for Sale of GAT Unit (on-site in Germany). Evaluated the viability of the BHW Heavy-Wall Bearing Operations (on-site in Germany). Performed Situation Analysis on Argentine operations - (on-site in Argentina at the 4 operations). Evaluated the potential divestiture of the Ball Bearing Operations, the Lighting & Electrical Operations, and the Fuel Systems Operations.Managed The Financial Planning and Forecasting function for $1.8 billion global corporation including 5-Year Strategic Plan, Annual Business Plan, Quarterly Tactical Plan, Monthly and Quarterly Financial Analysis of Operating Results. Position reported to Vice President & Corporate Controller. Coordinated joint development and implementation of Management Forecasting System along with Booz-Allen & Hamilton. This system models all the interactive effects from all individual manufacturing processes through the distribution system and to the customer. Wrote for the top 30 officers of the firm quarterly summaries of economic conditions, and their potential impact on the firm. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1990 to 1993 | Employer: Simpson Industries, Inc. | Title: Strategic Planner | Department: Business Planning |
Responsibilities:Established and institutionalized the newly created Business Planning function. Evaluated markets, products, processes and systems. Managed and facilitated the annual and 5-year Business Planning process. Evaluated competitors and suppliers in search for strategic synergistic alliances, business combinations and acquisitions. Scanned the business environment constantly for relevant opportunities and threats. Performed specific studies as needed by the top officers. Position reported to the President & COO. Utilized Autofacts Forecasts and their Industry Intelligence extensively from the client side. Developed forecasting tool to project future sales and earnings. Current (1992-1997) actual performance is within 5% of forecast produced in 1991, a period during which sales more than doubled. Worked on the very successful two million-share common stock equity placement in conjunction with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and PaineWebber. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1977 to 1990 | Employer: Federal-Mogul Corporation | Title: Seven Position Progression From Engineering to Finance to Manufacturing Operations | Department: Components Group |
Responsibilities:Manufacturing Operations - Direct supervision of hourly unionized labor workers during "start-up" in state-of-the-art, high techBall Bearing Manufacturing facility serving in the following capacities: Grinding & Assembly Foreman (second shift), Heat Treat Foreman (first shift), and Business Operations & Inventory Analyst. Maintained excellent relationship with union committee people and officers. Streamlined manufacturing processes resulting in increased throughput with reduced costs and reduced inventory (process re-engineering). Controlled de-bugged and maintained the inventory systems (process re-engineering). Wrote Management Summaries of the potential impact of various issues upon the business and performed studies for management as requested. Financial Analyst - Held two positions providing Financial Planning and Analytical Support for a $370 Million Manufacturing Operating Group including financial feasibility studies, lease vs. purchase analysis, new and alternative product analysis, and manufacturing strategy analysis. Position reported to the Group Controller. Worked on Long Term Strategy Plan with Boston Consulting Group serving as the interface between; Accounting / Finance, Manufacturing Engineering, Sales / Marketing, and the Manufacturing Facilities. Raised $1.1 Million of the $56 Million raised in The United Way's Annual Campaign as part of the "Loaned Executive" program while on loan from Federal-Mogul for fifteen weeks. Engineering - Held four positions performing product and process engineering support in a range of functions including Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering and Metallurgy in multiple environments including at the corporate level, manufacturing plants, and the research and development labs. Performed financial feasibility studies, serving as the interface between the other disciplines. Saved $4 million in avoided capital investment and $1 million Per Year in ongoing costs through coordinating the in-plant implementation of a State-of-the-Art Powdered Metal Sintering Process. Co-inventor/developer of the subject Sintering Process in a research environment. (patented). Wrote 100 page Metallurgical Atlas / Training Manual. |
Additional Experience
Vendor Selection |
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Numerous Projects as an Employee of Manufacturing Companies and as a Consultant to Manufacturing Companies in Selecting the Best U.S. and Global Source Locations for both Suppliers and Employer/Client owned, or potentially built or acquired facilities. Performed the research, analysis, and published Market Research Reports to assist manufacturing companies in selecting from 30 source countries. |
Marketing Experience |
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Extensive internal project, client projects, and publishing of market research reports in the following areas of focus and industries Areas of focus/expertise - Market Economics: Sizing, Growth, History and Forecasts, Segmentation, Customer Chains. Supply Chain Economics. Market Trends derived from conducting thousands of Voice of the Customer Interviews. Energy Cost Analysis in Manufacturing and Transportation. Competitiveness Analysis. Industry Sectors OEM, Supplier, Aftermarket for Automotive, Light Truck Medium and Heavy Duty On-Highway Vehicles, Specialty Vehicles, Construction Equipment, Agricultural Equipment, Mining Equipment, Railroad Equipment, Marine Equipment, Office Furniture, Specialty Chemicals, Electronics, Industrial Refrigeration, Manufacturing Equipment, Oil & Gas Equipment, and others |
Fields of Expertise
economic development, economics, energy, exporting, market, market development, market trend, market value, sourcing, finance, manufacturing equipment, manufacturing technology, business economics, economic analysis, economic value, energy economics, technoeconomic evaluation, manufacturing machining, plant and machinery, manufacturing efficiency, heavy machinery, harvest machinery, manufacturing procedure, manufacturing process design, manufacturing management, automotive transportation, trucking, lean manufacturing, contract manufacturing, bearing manufacturer, ball bearing manufacturing, automated machinery, Association of American Railroads, manufacturing cost control, manufacturing cost analysis, discrete manufacturing, farm equipment, manufacturing model, electrical machinery manufacturing, electrical machinery, railroad car, construction equipment, continuous flow manufacturing, machined parts manufacturing engineering, automated manufacturing, manufacturing process development, manufacturing site evaluation, automobile manufacturing, rotating machinery, industrial machinery, manufacturing profitability, manufacturing productivity, vehicular transportation, building construction, manufacturing facility, manufacturer, farm machine, transportation equipment, manufacturing, machine tool, just-in-time inventory, manufacturing heat transfer, factory automation, computer integrated manufacturing, manufacturing cell, manufacturing automation, agricultural machine