Education
Educated in England to O Level Certificates continued onto full-time further education at technical college. Pre-apprenticeship one year full-time building construction course.
Technical college-apprenticeship. Machine woodworking / sawdoctoring. Timber processing. Furniture & Joinery production.
Qualifications City & Guilds of London. Craft machine woodworking.
City & Guilds advanced machine woodworking / sawdoctoring.
City & Guilds NC/CNC computer numerical control. Machine wood processing.
In-service training Coach & Assessor lean training.
Giban Opisave.
Cabinet planner
BaaN IV manufacturing system.
MBI management system.
Conversant Lean manufacturing techniques.
Career summary.
I am an operations manager with over 36 years of experience within the sawmill /timber processing, furniture and joinery industries. My experience also includes sourcing and procurement of timber, furniture and upholstery component products.
I am professional in quality assurance and was responsible for the quality monitoring of products supplied by Halo group of companies worldwide. Previously during my time with W.E Connor I was Country Quality Assurance manager based in Vietnam supplying U.S. & UK clients, Williams Sanoma, Marks & Spencer and The White Company. My duties involved all aspects of quality assurance including performing technical evaluation’s of potential vendors.
Originally from a sawmilling background, I am strong in production and my management experience covers all aspects of the industry with the main emphasis being in operations / production management.
My career has included forestry; primary & secondary wood processing, high volume manufacturing of joinery products and “top of the range” bespoke furniture.
Whilst in Croatia with a newly privatised company, I was responsible for a 1.5 million Euro upgrade of the production facility during 2003 and also re-organisation and initiation of lean practice in the complete manufacturing facility.
To reduce costs and recover raw material expenditure sooner, I was required to set up supply chain contracts to outsource timber and furniture components in excess of 2.3 million Euros per annum mainly from other Eastern European companies.
The factory performance and drying operations including the corresponding delivery schedules was my responsibility in Croatia and later in Ukraine for Masonite.
Over the last 20 years, my career has been overseas where I have used my skills and experience assisting company’s in Africa, Philippines, Europe and the Middle East.
My Middle East experience includes Saudi Arabia and UAE where I have completed a number of contracts successfully as a production/ factory manager of large high end furniture & joinery fit-out projects.
Currently I am factory & operations manager of a state of the art manufacturing facility that was established 2010 producing furniture & joinery products.
I was recruited to manage the company through the difficult start up years.
Currently: Factory & Operations Manager. Saudi Arabia.
Jan 2012- State of the art residential & contract Furniture
Production, interiors, flooring, joinery fit-out.
Fire rated doors, non fire rated and acoustic door
manufacturing to UK & US standards.
Hardwood & softwood timber import supply chain.
www.woodroc.com
Previous experience
Aug 2010- Jan 2012 Halo Asia Ltd. China.
Senior Quality Assurance & Engineering Mng. Managing all quality related activity including process engineering. Responsibility for all Halo product shipped globally that includes brands Halo, Kelly Hoppen, Esquire and Timothy Oulton. Products include furniture, lighting and all homeware. Wholesale and own retail stores.
Jan 2009- Aug 2010. CJB LLC. Dubai UAE.
Factory/ Production Manager.
Manufacturing bespoke high end furniture and architectural joinery commissioned mainly for the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi the President of UAE palaces in the Seychelles and France. Other bespoke projects included Yas Island yacht club at the new F1 racetrack and the Radisson race day hotels. Another project was the Amir of Kuwait private residence at the new royal airport terminal.
Nov 2007- Dec2008. W.E. Connor associates, Vietnam
Country Quality Assurance Manager.
Responsible for quality assurance for major U.S & UK clients, Williams Sonoma, Marks & Spencer,
The White company.
Managing countrywide inspection teams,
Recruiting and managing a team of production engineers to improve vendor performance.
Monitoring return rates and fall out rates. Open carton auditing. 100% inspection and AQL systems.
Technical assistance & inspection of high risk items.
Nov 2005- Nov 2007. Management Contracts.
Masonite Ukraine. International corp. Wood processing and joinery products.
Dubai consultancy, finishing remaining part of a furniture & joinery project on super yachts.
Assignment for a Saudi Arabian company to determine the viability of their sawmilling operation in Umtata region of South Africa. Review of the existing timber supplies to Saudi Arabia.
Mar 2002-Nov 2005 Euroseat. Croatia.
Position Operations Manager. Privatisation project.
Duties. Capacity planning
Initiating lean furniture manufacturing processes.
Preparing capital investment programme for the upgrade of the production facility.
Identifying kiln drying requirements and the purchasing of all new production machinery for the furniture element and plywood production.
All processes. Log conversion and air-dry element to final finished, polished and upholstered item.
Outside sub-supplier sourcing and setting up and maintaining supply chain contracts. Setting up quality control department and installing quality system in preparation for ISO attainment.
Mar 2001-Dec2002 Interim management position. UK.
Bespoke furniture-manufacturing contracts.
Fit-out contracts included BP Britannic house, Cisco systems, Canary wharf, and Slaughter & May.
Mar 1998- Feb2001 Riyadh furniture industries. Saudi Arabia.
Position Production manager.
Duties Production planning / scheduling. Setting up measurement systems for output and efficiency. Advising on design and materials used on major office systems projects in the banking, education and telecommunications sectors. Utilising wood, veneers & marquetry, metal, board materials and textiles. Large scale hotel, palace and housing furniture fit-out projects.
Apr 1997- Mar 1998 Victorian Woodworks. London, UK.
Position Manufacturing manager.
Re-cycled timber operation, processing & flooring.
Mar 1996- Apr 1997 Linea Fina Inc. Cebu, Philippines.
Position Production manager.
High quality re-production furniture manufacture.
Sept 1995-Mar 1996 Aujan Crestwood. Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Position Production manager.
Manufacture of kitchens & closets.
1993- Jun 1995 Wood Industries Corporation. Blantyre, Malawi, Central east Africa.
Position General manager.
Forestry, sawmilling, timber merchants, pallet and packing case, furniture manufacture and retail.
1990-19993 A.F.C.O.L. Highpoint furniture Industries,
South Africa.
Position Production / Engineering manager.
1984-1989/90 Wilray ltd / Noveaux security products
Position Machine workshop foreman.
1976-1984 Door & furniture & Joinery manufacturing.
Woodworking machinist.
1972-1976 W.F. Hollway bro. Timber merchants,
Liverpool.
Apprenticeship. Sawdoctor / Wood machinist.
