Projects
Quick project outcomes with optional STARL context by card.
SPC Extrusion Standardization Reset
SPC Extrusion Standardization Reset
Standardized day to day extrusion operations to stabilize safety and quality and unlock throughput.
- Scrap improved from 12% to 5.0% (Apr) and 4.6% (May)
- Throughput increased from ~39k to nearly 60k sqft per line per day
Situation
- The department had inconsistent operating practices, weak standard work, and high variability between shifts, with high scrap and unstable throughput.
Task
- Create durable standards and operating governance that held quality and safety while improving yields and throughput.
Actions
- Built SOPs, checksheets, training matrix, and centerline settings.
- Defined which settings operators could change versus engineer controlled versus manager only.
- Established quality first stop rules and escalation triggers.
Results
- Standard work reduced drift, improved scrap performance, and increased throughput while remaining durable after leadership transition.
Learning
- Standardization only sticks when authority boundaries are explicit and verified on the floor.
Line 6 Flex LVT Startup (Operational Owner for Commissioning + Readiness)
Line 6 Flex LVT Startup (Operational Owner for Commissioning + Readiness)
As plant manager for SPC extrusion, owned operational readiness and accelerated commissioning and startup of Line 6, a new flexible LVT extrusion line, achieving saleable product within hours.
- February 2025 startup of Line 6, first flexible LVT line (new product class versus existing rigid lines)
- Commissioned in 1 day, ran capability and setpoint determination for 2 days
- Achieved saleable product within about 6 hours of first material entering the extruder
Situation
- Line 6 was a new extrusion line intended as a flex line producing flexible LVT, unlike the existing rigid product lines.
- Capex approval predated the role, but operational ownership started months before project execution began.
- OEM delivery delays created external schedule issues and customer delivery pressure prior to equipment arrival.
- Once equipment arrived, installation, commissioning, and startup needed to move fast and stay controlled to recover timeline.
Task
- Act as the operational owner and site “plant manager” for Line 6 execution once equipment arrived.
- Ensure construction execution stayed tight to plan, safety audits were completed and signed off, and full documentation and training packages were ready before startup.
- Build and execute an accelerated startup plan that achieved stable, saleable product quickly for a new product type.
Actions
- Managed site execution discipline by participating in project reviews with the project manager and holding construction sequencing to plan once materials were on site.
- Owned operational readiness gates including e-stops verification, fire safety systems checks, training completion, SOP completion, PM plan readiness, trial plan readiness, and capability run planning.
- Built the startup schedule and coordinated operators and supervisors to execute step-by-step without skipping critical checks.
- Ran commissioning for 1 day, then executed capability studies and setpoint determination over the next 2 days to lock in initial operating windows.
Results
- Accelerated commissioning and startup execution after equipment arrival, beating expected pace from that point forward.
- Achieved saleable product within about 6 hours of first material entering the extruder on day 3 of the plan.
- Established initial setpoints and capability evidence quickly for a new flexible LVT process lane.
Learning
- Speed comes from discipline. Slowing down to hit each readiness step and think through settings prevented rework and saved time overall.
- Tight operator and supervisor coordination is the difference between a fast startup and a chaotic startup.
LVT Lacquer Consumption Reset (Gap Control + Supplier-Led Root Cause)
LVT Lacquer Consumption Reset (Gap Control + Supplier-Led Root Cause)
Cut lacquer consumption from 8 barrels per day to 4 to 5 by fixing gap control and curing stability instead of dumping tanks as a workaround.
- Baseline lacquer consumption averaged 8 barrels per day for years
- Reduced to 4 to 5 barrels per day after standardizing gap settings and preventing overclose
- About 3.5 barrels per day reduction, about 360 days per year
Situation
- LVT product was lacquer coated after PVC lamination cooling.
- Lacquer consumption averaged 8 barrels per day for years and repeatedly ran short versus the expected math.
- Planning and procurement were constantly reacting because the consumption rate did not reconcile.
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Task
- Reconcile lacquer consumption to the process math by eliminating hidden disposal and false quality workarounds.
- Stabilize coat application so UV cure completed reliably, cutting both waste consumption and uncured lacquer scrap risk.
Actions
- Confirmed the problem statement using barrels per day versus expected consumption and eliminated obvious culprits like leaks and sewer losses.
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- Partnered with the internal lacquer engineer and specialist to put technical discipline behind the investigation.
- Engaged lacquer suppliers directly, kept blame out of the conversation early, and made expectations clear regarding root cause support.
Results
- Lacquer consumption normalized from 8 barrels per day to 4 to 5 barrels per day.
- Reduced waste by about 3.5 barrels per day, translating to about $1.1M per year in lacquer consumption savings based on stated material cost and purchase unit.
- Cut uncured lacquer scrap exposure dramatically by fixing undercoating and stabilizing cure behavior, including preventing repeat events on the scale of a $500,000 scrap week.
- Replaced a fragile operator workaround with a controlled, documented process window enforced by automation.
Learning
- Lean on suppliers and technical resources early and keep blame out until the mechanism is proven.
- Many "material waste" problems are actually control window problems. Fix the physics and the behavior changes without a fight.
Belt Press Teflon Belt Failure Reduction (RCA + Standard Work)
Belt Press Teflon Belt Failure Reduction (RCA + Standard Work)
Cut belt press Teflon belt replacements in half by preventing PVC contamination damage and tightening patching and edge-cleaning discipline.
- Bottom belt 121 m and top belt 96 m, about $1,000 per meter (about $120k bottom belt)
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Situation
- Lamination belt press used fragile, high-cost Teflon belts with long lengths (121 m bottom, 96 m top) where contamination, debris, and certain stops could cause belt failures.
- Process ran micronized PVC beneath fiberglass webbing. If powder extended beyond the fiberglass edge, it did not adhere and contaminated the machine over time.
- Machine included about 50 m of heated platters followed by a press-roll section with two rolls at about 100 bar.
- PVC contamination on platters degraded into hard abrasive debris that rapidly wore belts.
Task
- Reduce belt failures and replacements by preventing contamination damage and stopping small defects from escalating into belt-killing events.
- Build durable operator-driven routines and maintenance systems that held belt care standards every day.
Actions
- Improved hole patching discipline with better checklists and structured timing for inspections and repairs.
- Partnered with the belt vendor group to upgrade belt welding and patching equipment and improve patch quality.
- Expanded storeroom inventory and installed a positive pressure cabinet to protect and maintain continuous stock of patch films (Teflon, PFA).
- Focused on belt edge cleaning using the edge vacuum system, including tuning suction to the correct setpoint for abrasive powder removal.
Results
- Reduced replacements from 14 per belt in 2020 to 7 per belt by 2022, cutting belt replacements by 50 percent.
- Reached 6 top belt replacements in 2023, approaching vendor best-case guidance of 5 per year.
- Improved belt life by preventing hole fray escalation and keeping belt edges consistently clean to block contamination buildup.
Learning
- Do not let small defects slide. Minor belt damage and small cleaning misses compound into very expensive failures.
- The best reliability gains happen when operators trust the system and execute precise routines every shift.
Lamination Lost-Batch Reduction (Vacuum Transport + Alarm Logic Fix)
Lamination Lost-Batch Reduction (Vacuum Transport + Alarm Logic Fix)
Reduced lost-batch events in lamination material handling by fixing vacuum transport conditions and eliminating automation alarm behavior that caused batch stops.
- Reduced material cost loss by 90 percent
- Savings exceeded $2 million in reduced waste
- Operational cost of lost production was $8,000 per hour at 11 m/min
Situation
- Lamination belt press area used a vacuum transport system feeding five scatter dispersal systems from virgin and recycled material silos.
- Each scatter had a weigh hopper, and each weigh hopper charge was a batch feeding the JTEC.
- Lost batches created throughput loss, line slowdowns, quality defects, maintenance callouts for plugged pipes or holes, and web breaks that triggered tear-outs and downtime.
- Operators sometimes ran scrap for extended periods waiting for batch flow to resume.
Task
- Stop chronic batch loss and batch stop events without compromising material clearing reliability.
- Remove the need for constant console monitoring and prevent indefinite stoppages that drove scrap and downtime.
Actions
- Diagnosed vacuum transport failure modes including pipe and gasket failures driven by abrasive material and unstable transport conditions.
- Optimized vacuum transport pressures to reduce blockages and pipe wear while maintaining consistent conveyance.
- Identified control logic and alarm behavior that caused batch stops and could stall the system indefinitely when a permissive did not clear.
- Coordinated with automation and programming teams to reduce system alarm errors causing batch stops.
Results
- Reduced loss of material cost by 90 percent with savings exceeding $2 million in reduced waste.
- Reduced batch stop frequency and eliminated major failure modes that caused prolonged scrap runs and downtime events.
- Improved operational stability by reducing maintenance callouts and preventing web breaks driven by batch starvation.
Learning
- Complex chronic losses often come from one bad assumption in control logic plus a process variable that needs disciplined tuning.
- Use OEM help strategically, then lock the win with alarms, recovery behavior, and PM so the system stays fixed.
LSS Black Belt Caustic Savings (Extraction Effluent Reuse)
LSS Black Belt Caustic Savings (Extraction Effluent Reuse)
Reduced caustic consumption by reusing extraction effluent as makeup in an earlier bleaching stage, converting a waste stream into value.
- Annual caustic savings exceeded $1M
Situation
- The bleach plant was sending extraction effluent to waste while purchasing new caustic for makeup, leaving major recurring savings unrealized.
- The opportunity was present in existing flows but not captured operationally.
Task
- Lead a Black Belt project to identify and implement a practical recycle path for extraction effluent into E4 makeup for the E2 stage, then lock in savings with controls.
Actions
- Led a cross functional team to investigate caustic savings opportunities tied to bleach stage makeup strategy.
- Determined extraction effluent was being routed entirely to waste and quantified the reuse opportunity.
- Designed and implemented a small piping addition to recycle effluent as makeup.
- Established detailed control plans to sustain the new operating condition and verify ongoing performance.
Results
- Implemented effluent reuse and achieved caustic savings exceeding $1M annually with controls in place to sustain the benefit.
Learning
- Treat waste streams as feedstock opportunities.
- Simple physical changes, when paired with disciplined controls and verification, can deliver outsized recurring savings.
Fiberglass Splice Wrinkle Reduction (Pull Roller Elimination + Splice Standardization)
Fiberglass Splice Wrinkle Reduction (Pull Roller Elimination + Splice Standardization)
Cut fiberglass splice related tear-outs and wrinkle defects by removing a problematic pull roller and standardizing splice execution across shifts.
- Reduced fiberglass splice related defects by about 50 percent in 2021 versus 2020
Situation
- Lamination belt press inserted a fiberglass reinforcement web into micronized PVC powder.
- Wrinkles and splice joint failures were driving off-quality and tear-outs, and tear-outs were a top-three defect category.
- Defects were detected through tear-outs and visible wrinkles or creases that created off-quality.
- The system included a pull station nip roll directly after the splicing table, creating instability when combined with supplier winding variation.
Task
- Reduce tear-outs and off-quality tied to fiberglass splice and wrinkle events.
- Stabilize web handling and splice quality across shifts using durable process design, not operator heroics.
Actions
- Diagnosed instability drivers including speed differential, alignment walk, and supplier winding variability interacting with the pull station nip roll.
- Simplified the web handling system by eliminating the pull roller that was amplifying variability and creating chaotic tension behavior.
- Tuned automation and load cell behavior on the tension system to maintain stable tension control without the pull roller.
- Updated splice procedure to ensure consistently flat splices and prevent wrinkle initiation at the joint.
Results
- KPI defect entry data showed about a 50 percent annual reduction in fiberglass splice related defects in 2021 from changes implemented in 2020.
- Reduced tear-outs and off-quality events caused by wrinkles and splice joint failures by stabilizing web handling and standardizing execution.
Learning
- Unnecessary components like the pull roller create failure modes and waste. Removing the failure mode beats managing it.
- Engineering controls outperform administrative controls when the process is sensitive to variability across shifts and material supply.
Settling Basin Chemistry Optimization (Polymer vs Alum Strategy)
Settling Basin Chemistry Optimization (Polymer vs Alum Strategy)
Reduced total settling basin cost by shifting the chemistry strategy from alum-driven solids settling to a polymer-based approach, extending basin runtime and reducing cleanout burden.
- Delivered approximately $500K annual savings (chemical plus basin cleanout labor and rentals)
- Improved settling basin runtime by about 50%
- Implemented in 2017-09
Situation
- The mill was operating near capacity, so settling basin downtime directly constrained production.
- The existing strategy relied heavily on alum which contributed significantly to settled solids, driving more frequent basin shutdowns and costly cleanouts.
Task
- Reduce total basin-related cost and improve uptime by redesigning the flocculant strategy while maintaining stable performance under tight capacity constraints.
Actions
- Analyzed solids loading drivers and determined alum was a major contributor to settled solids while polymer usage was a smaller fraction.
- Reworked the treatment approach toward polymer to reduce solids accumulation and extend basin runtime.
- Evaluated total cost impact including chemical cost difference and the labor, equipment rentals, and disruption associated with basin cleanouts.
- Implemented the updated chemistry strategy with controlled rollout and monitoring to ensure stable settling performance.
Results
- Achieved approximately $500K annual savings driven by reduced basin cleanout labor and equipment rentals, even with higher polymer unit cost.
- Basin runtime improved by roughly 50%, reducing the frequency of shutdowns that constrained site capacity, though the production impact benefit was not included in the formal savings calculation.
Learning
- The cheapest chemical is not always the lowest total cost.
- When capacity is tight, the right objective is total system cost and uptime, not unit price.
Lime Kiln Fuel Cost Reduction (Mud Solids + Vacuum System Reliability)
Lime Kiln Fuel Cost Reduction (Mud Solids + Vacuum System Reliability)
Reduced kiln natural gas usage by increasing mud solids and stabilizing drum filter and vacuum pump performance.
- Reduced kiln fuel cost by about $300K per year
- Implemented in 2016-07
Situation
- Kiln natural gas cost was elevated and unstable.
- Investigation showed excessive moisture in the mud was overwhelming drying capacity, increasing fuel demand and driving operational instability.
Task
- Reduce kiln fuel consumption by improving mud solids content and drying stability, then build monitoring and reliability controls so performance held.
Actions
- Identified mud solids content as the primary driver of gas usage and confirmed with solids testing and operational monitoring.
- Researched and trialed hardware and efficiency levers including nozzle design and vacuum pump performance.
- Modified drum filter wash system to a low pressure fan style nozzle so wash water disturbed the cake less, enabling reduced water flow while maintaining performance.
- Performed full PM overhauls on Nash vacuum pumps supporting the drum filters to restore efficiency and reliability.
Results
- Kiln fuel costs dropped by about $300K annually, with more stable drying behavior driven by improved mud solids control and reduced moisture carryover.
- Added instrumentation and PM discipline reduced repeat losses from vacuum system degradation.
Learning
- Major energy costs often trace back to one physical driver.
- Once you find it, you lock the win by improving the hardware, adding instrumentation, and building simple alarms that prevent silent performance drift.
$3M Contractor RFQ and Outage Cleaning Governance (Hydroblasting + Confined Space)
$3M Contractor RFQ and Outage Cleaning Governance (Hydroblasting + Confined Space)
Owned annual RFQs and contractor selection for comprehensive mill cleaning services and outage execution, managing safety risk, schedule pressure, and scope change without schedule overruns from cleaning delays.
- Managed annual RFQ and award for about $3M cleaning contract scope (hydroblasting, vac work, tank cleaning, confined space, scaffolding)
- Ran outage cleaning scope governance with tight windows and no schedule overage due to delayed cleaning
- Maintained strong contractor safety performance through standdowns, reviews, and enforcement (no crew removed for safety violations)
Situation
- Mill cleaning work was high-risk and high-variance, involving hydroblasting up to 40,000 psi, confined spaces, and work at height from scaffolding.
- Annual cleaning and outage scopes required competitive bidding, contractor selection, and controlled execution during a tight outage window.
- Scope growth was routine after equipment was opened, with add-on work discovered during outages and price changes expected.
Task
- Collect and compile multi-department cleaning scopes into RFQ packages, solicit three bids, evaluate vendors, and award contracts.
- Serve as point of contract for the selected contractor and delegate workstreams across the site to meet the outage schedule.
- Control safety exposure and prevent schedule overruns driven by cleaning delays while managing expected scope change.
Actions
- Built comprehensive RFQ scopes covering hydroblasting, vac work, tank cleaning, confined space cleaning, and scaffold access cleaning with equipment lists and defined deliverables.
- Issued RFQs to three vendors each cycle, received bids, and evaluated based on price, equipment capability, past performance, and safety and quality record.
- Conducted contractor clarification discussions and selected vendors based on capability to execute safely and on schedule, not price alone.
- Served as point of contract for the awarded contractor, coordinating execution and delegating work across mill departments during outages.
Results
- Awarded and governed an annual cleaning contract worth about $3M with competitive bids and clear scope control from 2016 to 2019.
- Prevented outage schedule overruns caused by delayed cleaning despite tight windows and routine scope growth from discoveries.
- Maintained strong safety performance in high-risk cleaning work through standdowns, reviews, and enforcement, without contractor crews being removed for safety violations.
Learning
- Tight scope wins. Assume work will go sideways, pre-plan contingencies, and bake buffer into the schedule so discoveries do not become schedule overruns.
LSS Green Belt Chemical Savings (Automatic Titrators + MSA Fix)
LSS Green Belt Chemical Savings (Automatic Titrators + MSA Fix)
Quantified and eliminated chemical loss driven by testing inefficiency by fixing the measurement system and upgrading titration.
- Established over $200k annual loss tied to testing inefficiency
- Approx $250k comptroller approved savings tracked over 2 years
Situation
- Chemical usage and control decisions were being driven by an unreliable operational testing process.
- The measurement system error created avoidable chemical loss and masked true process performance.
Task
- Lead a structured Green Belt project to validate the measurement system, quantify the financial impact, implement a sustainable fix, and verify improvement with a repeatable control plan.
Actions
- Studied system dead load and how it affected chemical control behavior and operating decisions.
- Performed MSA on the operational testing process using Gauge R and R to quantify measurement error.
- Quantified financial impact and established over $200k annual loss due to testing inefficiency.
- Implemented automatic titrators to improve testing accuracy and consistency.
Results
- Improved testing accuracy and control, reduced chemical loss, and achieved approximately $250k comptroller approved savings tracked over two years.
Learning
- Data based decision making only works when the measurement system is trustworthy.
- Fixing MSA issues can unlock large savings without changing the underlying process physics.