What are the responsibilities and job description for the Plant Production Manager position at Crane Consumables?
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Crane Consumables is a 20-year-old family owned, full-service barcode label manufacturer and converter based in Middletown, Ohio, with approximately 75 employees across 40,000 square feet of production space. We operate two shifts to meet demanding turnaround requirements and produce a wide range of pressure-sensitive label products for customers across multiple industries. With decades of expertise in materials, adhesives, and print processes, we partner closely with our customers to deliver consistent quality, competitive lead times, and the operational flexibility that high-volume production requires.
POSITION SUMMARY
Crane Consumables is a fast-growing manufacturer seeking a hands-on, results-driven Plant Manager to lead a high-performing production operation and support the company’s next phase of growth. This leader will oversee 4–6 direct reports and a team of 30–40 press operators, driving a culture centered on safety, accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
This role will lead a dynamic facility undergoing rapid expansion and will be responsible for increasing capacity, improving production efficiency, and integrating additional volume from acquisitions and insourcing initiatives. The Plant Manager will play a critical role in scaling operations, developing frontline leadership, and ensuring consistent execution to meet customer demand and business objectives.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record of leading change, improving manufacturing performance, and building engaged, high-performing teams.
This is a full-time, exempt, onsite role based at 155 Wright Drive, Middletown, OH 45044 and requires onsite presence five days per week. The position oversees both first and second shift operations and will require schedule flexibility, including regular visibility into second shift and Saturday shifts to ensure smooth execution and operational performance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Safety, Quality & Compliance
- Establish and maintain a culture of safety, quality, and operational discipline across the plant.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable safety regulations, environmental requirements, and industry standards.
- Develop, implement, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), training programs, and systems that reduce employee risk and support continuous improvement.
- Drive accountability for safe work practices and proactively identify and mitigate operational risks.
Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, develop, and mentor Production Supervisors, Team Leads, and plant personnel to build a high-performing manufacturing organization.
- Establish clear performance expectations, monitor results, and provide regular coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
- Partner with HR to support workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and succession planning.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.
Production Execution & On-Time Delivery
- Own daily production execution to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity targets.
- Optimize labor, equipment, and material utilization to maximize throughput while minimizing downtime and waste.
- Execute production and shipping schedules to consistently achieve 95% on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery performance and industry-leading lead times.
- Partner with Scheduling, Supply Chain, and Operations to balance capacity, inventory, and customer demand.
- Oversee inventory management practices to minimize stockouts, improve turns, and control operating costs.
Manufacturing Operations Leadership
- Develop and maintain production schedules and staffing plans to meet business objectives and customer commitments.
- Use production metrics and operational data to drive decision-making, improve productivity, and develop frontline leadership capabilities.
- Evaluate manufacturing workflows, organizational structure, and operating processes to support scalability and long-term growth.
- Review job costing and production performance to ensure estimating accuracy and identify margin improvement opportunities.
- Provide strategic direction to Maintenance to maximize equipment reliability, uptime, and production output.
- Identify, prioritize, and execute capital investment opportunities that improve capacity, efficiency, quality, and cost performance.
- Champion automation initiatives and operational technologies that enhance plant performance.
Continuous Improvement & Business Optimization
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, quality, cost reduction, lead time, and customer experience.
- Drive root cause problem solving and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Identify opportunities to improve operating models, increase efficiency, and support long-term business growth.
Systems & Data Analytics (Label Traxx)
- Serve as a key operational partner in maximizing utilization of Label Traxx and related manufacturing systems.
- Develop reporting and KPI dashboards that improve operational visibility and decision-making.
- Partner with Label Traxx champions to align system functionality with business processes and establish best practices.
- Leverage operational data and analytics to improve performance, develop talent, and support strategic planning.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent business/work experience
- 8-10 years operational experience, including 2 years leading a successful production area within a manufacturing facility
- Servant leader mindset with active management style
- Process driven
- Strong organization and planning skills
- Negotiation skills
- Strong communication skills
- Demonstrative proficiency in spreadsheet software