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Director, U.S. Distribution Center Operations

Marketing & Sales

Distribution Center Operations Director / GM

15+ years of success in the planning and leadership of Warehouse and Distribution Operations for innovative, reputable Footwear and Apparel brands including: Crocs Inc., TOMS Shoes, and Deckers Outdoor Corp. (Ugg, Teva, Sanuk).  Consistent achievement in unleashing the full potential of warehouse operations by BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY and REDUCING COSTS, enabling SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, and COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.  Catalyst in applying a holistic approach to workflow and processes, and implementing highly effective tools and practices: Standards Accountability, Financial Metrics, Inventory Integrity, Continuous Improvement / Lean / Six Sigma, Robust Reporting, and Employee Engagement.  



Executive accountability for three center campus operations and one remote location totaling 1.2 million sq ft, with 5 Operations Managers and 400+ employees.  The highly automated and complex operating environment processed over 120,000 pairs of footwear per day and supported a full service VAS Area (Value Added Services) designed to meet special customer requirements.  Actively involved in Purchasing, Accounting, Financial Analysis, Vendor Compliance, and Customer interfacing functions.  Emphasis on achieving projected budget performance ($24M) and attaining key performance metrics such as optimal warehouse throughput and inventory levels.  

•	IMPROVED PROCESS EFFICIENCY: Substantially enhanced customer value, distribution operations performance and effectiveness – maintained service standards of 99.99% on average for all areas of the operation, including inventory and location accuracy, while reducing lead time by up to 50%.  Accomplished through breaking down internal “silos” across the extended Supply Chain, implementing Six Sigma initiatives and disciplined processes, and partnering with IT in systems modification to build greater visibility and advance ability to analyze relevant performance metrics.

•	MAXIMIZED ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: Established formalized Six Sigma and Project Management training programs as well as cross-training and team building exercises to evolve employee skill level, capabilities, cohesiveness and overall productivity.  Placed particular emphasis on expanding employee understanding of far-reaching operational impact of purchasing practices to the bottom line.

Director of Operations / Distribution (2010-2013) Senior Operations Manager (2008-2010)

Accountable for all strategic and day-to-day operations of a 400,000+ sq ft high-volume, multi-shift distribution center, with full budget of $20M and line management responsibility supporting multiple sales channels, including management of 3PL Service Providers, WMS Systems, and all aspects of Inventory and Quality.  Provide leadership, direction and ongoing development to a team of 8 Direct Reports and 300+ total employees.  Focus on creating optimum strategic positioning for the Crocs suite of products within the U.S. to meet/exceed objectives of Merchandise Productivity, Supply Chain Performance, and Customer Experience.   

•	INCREASED WAREHOUSE PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY: Implemented Continuous Improvement initiatives that reduced cost of operations and improved service level, quality and safety – outperformed baseline target of 5% operating cost reduction per year.  Accomplished by applying insights-driven strategic analytics, developing high-impact management and operational reporting, and instilling a “Lean” thinking mindset to ensure sustained distribution operations effectiveness.   

•	OPTIMIZED WAREHOUSE EFFICIENCY AND SPACE UTILIZATION:  Implemented a warehouse layout design that supported efficient material flow in and out of the warehouse, including WMS enhancement, SKU proliferation, and improved operating procedures.  Leveraged detailed knowledge, creative thinking, and understanding of requirements to ensure an efficient Distribution Center, Warehouse and Picking / Dispatch operation.  Initiative reduced a 5-7 day lead time cycle to 1-2 day order shipment, while improving inventory visibility. 

•	SHARPENED TEAM PERFORMANCE:  Demonstrated strength in building a solid team, utilizing a coach/mentor approach to champion consensus for excellence, which significantly increased employee morale, engagement and satisfaction.  Leveraged deep industry understanding to create a knowledge-sharing environment, improve overall skills, abilities and workplace performance, developing empowered, self-directed work teams that went the “extra mile” and performed at outstandingly high levels.

•	GENERATED SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS:  Initiated and proactively sourced, identified and negotiated new Onsite Labor Provider, capturing $500K in annual savings, while improving service delivery of constant flex of labor.  Additionally, saved an additional $130K by renegotiating supply vendor contracts.

Recruited based on previous track record of performance to oversee start-up of a 750,000 sq ft fully automated, multi-channel (Retail, Ecommerce, Wholesale) Apparel / Footwear Distribution center.  Directed day-to-day operations, including on-boarding, training and managing 30 Directs and 300 indirect employees, and maintaining optimal utilization of WMS, CMS, YMS and LMS systems.  After establishing operation, re-assigned to large-scale fulfillment facility servicing Home Goods, with focus on enhancing team cohesiveness, productivity, and safety.  

•	LED SEAMLESS DISTRIBUTION CENTER START-UP TO MEET GROWING MARKET DEMAND: Developed and executed complete facility design, drawing upon industry expertise and keen understanding of order-to-ship cycle time, off-the-shelf fill rate, required level of automation and material handling equipment, and other objectives directly affecting the layout.  Drove a seamless transition, successfully navigating the usual challenges associated with a start-up: physical, operational, and financial; positioning the company to capitalize on future growth expectations.

Senior Director of Operations

Responsible for all activities within the distribution center, a business-critical, 24-hour per day operation reported to the President and CEO.
Inspire and mentor staff in their career development.
•	Set clear goals emphasizing outstanding performance and accountability.
•	Re-invigorated an open door policy to build trust with staff.  This was highly successful
•	Developed novel and creative solutions for employee incentives
•	Seized opportunities to dramatically improve operating center layout, process flow and procedures with the ultimate goal of total customer satisfaction.
•	Improved orders turn time by 30% through a comprehensive re-profiling of the warehouse.
•	Dramatically improved inventory available to sell from 7 days to 24 hours.
•	Extensively evaluated and improved vendor relationships and contracts, resulting in enormous cost savings.
•	Improve divisional P&L through a well-managed budget and operating plan.

Director of Operations (consulting project),

Directed a 400K sq. ft. high-end apparel distribution center included GOH (Garment on hangar) processing.  Clients included top selling brands such as Kenneth Cole, Guess and Echo Red with annual sales exceeding $473,438,000 Reported to the VP of distribution
•	Engineered end-to-end process flows, which identified opportunities for cost savings within the supply chain.
•	Successfully applied G.E.’s Six Sigma principles and lean manufacturing philosophies.
•	Carefully coordinated logistics with manufacturers, both domestic and international
•	Oversee all facility maintenance, security, safety, purchasing & inventory control functions

Director of Distribution / Operations

Managed all activities for with a campus of 800k sq. ft. servicing Direct to consumer and wholesale operations for high velocity complex pick and pack and light assembly environment spread across three facilities. Report directly to the President
•	Completely revamped and modernized the operating facilities with automation. This was a highly successful endeavor that resulted in turning a major loss into a core profit center for the company this also included the returns and drove processing time down from 10 days to 24 hours.
•	Restructured warehouses for optimum space utilization and capacity improvement.
•	Maintained an inventory accuracy level of 99.5%.
•	Recruited and mentored a top-notch team, conducted performance reviews for a large staff.
•	Championed a company-wide safety initiative that resulted in a substantial decrease of OTJI (On the Job Injury), resulting in a 100% decrease in the first year.
•	Responsible for staff of six directs and two-hundred indirect

Regional Director of Operations

Directed overall activities for a campus of distribution centers (200-300 employees). Reported to the VP of Operations.
•	Increased picking production level by 55% from an average 60 to 115 UPH.
•	Responsible for shipping, receiving, order processing, inventory, quality control and samples department.
•	Improved rates on freight and vendor contracts.
•	Successfully relocated entire distribution center, resulting in a 100% increase in accuracy and facility throughput
•	Responsible for inventory with over 15,000 SKU’s.
•	Lead team on a computer migration and integration project. Migrated from an obsolete and proprietary system to an enterprise-grade JD Edwards based solution.
•	Increased inventory record accuracy from 65% to 99% within six months through greater efficiency of procedures/resources and process controls.
•	Brought the available stocked items in pull locations up 33% to a solid 97% in eight months through improved I.M.S. (inventory management system).

Director of Warehouse Operations

Find out detailed information about Ron Minch, Director, U.S. Distribution Center Operations in Diamond Bar, CA

Ron Minch: Director, U.S. Distribution Center Operations in Diamond Bar, CA

Ron Minch