Plant Manager

THE OPPORTUNITY

• Are you a hands-on manufacturing leader who thrives on improving safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance?
• Do you enjoy leading from the floor while building strong supervisors and driving operational discipline?
• Are you motivated by the opportunity to shape plant strategy, capital planning, and long-term operational success?

ABOUT THE COMPANY

G & W Products (https://www.gandwproductsinc.com) is a leader in contract metal stamping and fabrication. Founded in 1968, areas of expertise include metal stamping, laser cutting, fabrication, manual and robotic welding, tool and die work, powder coating and assembly. With a strong operational foundation and executive leadership committed to performance and continuous improvement, the company is focused on strengthening culture, enhancing throughput, and positioning the plant for sustainable growth.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

Reporting to the VP of Operations, the Plant Manager will oversee the plant operations with 4-8 direct reports and a total team of approximately 100 non-union employees. The Plant Manager will lead safe, efficient, and profitable plant operations from receiving through shipping. This role ensures excellence in daily execution, operational flow, equipment reliability, people leadership, quality performance, and cost control.

You will use data‑driven decision‑making to improve workflow, eliminate bottlenecks, and strengthen performance. The Plant Manager provides hands‑on leadership to the floor, fosters the company’s winning values, and partners with the executive team on budgets, staffing, capital planning, and long‑term operational strategy. Additional responsibilities include:

Safety & Compliance

• Lead a proactive safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, machine safety, and PPE standards
• Conduct safety audits, training, and incident investigations
• Maintain safety as a top operational priority aligned with regulatory best practices

Production & Delivery Execution

• Support daily execution to meet customer ship dates by aligning labor, equipment, and production plans
• Drive cross-functional coordination across fabrication, stamping, welding, paint, and assembly
• Use KPIs and daily reviews to sustain predictable lead times and on-time delivery
• Manage productivity, efficiency, and cost performance against budget targets

People & Processes

• Develop and lead frontline supervisors, partner with HR on hiring, evaluation, and workforce management
• Foster a strong performance culture aligned with company values
• Improve equipment utilization, labor efficiency, and overall productivity
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives including 5S, setup reduction, flow improvement, and scrap reduction
• Standardize work, training, and visual management practices
• Coordinate maintenance activities and align resource planning with Operations leadership

Quality & Maintenance

• Ensure achievement of plant quality goals in partnership with Quality leadership
• Maintain dimensional accuracy, weld integrity, and finish quality standards
• Reduce scrap, rework, defects, and customer issues through disciplined process control
• Support audits, first articles, corrective actions, and cross-functional problem-solving
• Ensure plant equipment and facility assets operate safely and reliably
• Recommend capital investments, tooling improvements, automation, and layout enhancements

Communication & Ownership

• Serve as the senior on-floor operational leader
• Clearly communicate plant performance, risks, and resource needs to executive leadership
• Escalate issues proactively and drive timely resolution
• Maintain professional, organized, and consistent communication across the organization

IDEAL CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• High School Diploma or GED required; bachelor’s degree preferred
• 7 years of manufacturing leadership experience
• Prior Plant Manager or comparable plant-level leadership role preferred
• Proven success improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and culture
• Strong metal fabrication background preferred, including CNC laser, CNC press brake, welding, stamping, and finishing
• Experience using KPIs, data analysis, and workflow mapping to improve operations
• Proficiency with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement tools, and structured problem-solving
• Experience with Microsoft Office and ERP systems

KEY PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Hands-on leader who is visible and engaged on the production floor
• Strong communicator who can align teams and influence at all levels
• Data-driven decision maker with a continuous improvement mindset
• Accountable, organized, and decisive
• Committed to developing people and building a high-performance culture
• Proactive problem solver who escalates issues early and drives resolution

THE PAYOFF

This is an opportunity to lead a full-scale manufacturing operation with meaningful impact across safety, performance, and culture. The Plant Manager will play a key role in operational strategy, capital planning, and long-term plant success while working closely with executive leadership. This position offers strong influence, visibility, and the ability to shape the future direction of the operation.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CANDIDATES

Gilman Partners is committed to strengthening leadership teams and elevating talent in our communities—and that means all qualified applicants will receive consideration. You do not have to meet every qualification in this job description to apply. If you’re drawn to the position and believe your experience makes you a good fit, we encourage you to apply.