Plant Manager

Location: Damascus, VA, US, 24236

Company Overview

Our client is a private business formed from the legacy electric chain hoist plants of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, with the first Lodestar® hoist made in the 1950s. With long-standing operations in Damascus, VA and Lexington, TN, the company builds on a legacy of quality in chain and hoist manufacturing. They value its employees as the foundation of its success and is committed to fostering a strong, supportive and resilient workplace. The company is dedicated to delivering reliable products and earning customer trust through consistent performance while building a strong future for its people and customers.

Job Summary/Overview

We are seeking a hands-on Plant Manager for our legacy Virginia hoist manufacturing operations that leads all aspects of production, assembly, and plant strategy. This role will focus on strengthening operational execution, improving coordination across functions, and establishing consistent production planning and delivery performance in a complex, high-mix manufacturing environment. We expect this leader to build a culture of accountability, engagement, and excellence across the plant, while creating a positive environment for all associates.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead a plant of ~150 personnel to deliver quality electric chain hoist products consistently on time and in full.
• Plan, implement and oversee manufacturing plant organizational policies and goals to ensure safety and compliance with regulations.
• Leverage KPIs, such as productivity and on-time delivery, to ensure effective daily management of operations inclusive of materials, quality, machining, assembly, and shipping/receiving.
• Direct and coordinate activities of departments such as manufacturing, engineering, production control, materials management, quality, service, and maintenance to ensure customer service excellence, high quality, cost control, and operational efficiency.
• Strengthen production planning, scheduling, and cross-functional coordination to improve delivery performance and reduce operational variability.
• Drive meaningful change throughout the plant in coordination with business strategies, company goals, and plant plans.
• Work with the plant management team to continuously improve manufacturing and other plant processes through Lean, Six-Sigma, and other similar metric-driven methods to deliver practical results.
• Provide leadership and guidance to coach, motivate, and support team members in achieving strong, consistent performance by assisting them with developing and fulfilling their career goals.
• Lead effectively within a union environment through clear communication, consistency, and accountability. Foster a respectful, team-oriented environment that values the experience and contributions of our valued workforce.
• Communicate the vision from senior leadership and set and communicate business objectives for your team that align with this vision.
• Manage the day-to-day activities and motivate team members to succeed in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Guide and support plant resources in capital investments, material management, and labor & overhead performance plans.
• Confer with administrative personnel and review business activity, including related operating and sales reports to ensure customer service excellence, quality, and operational efficiency.

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities

• Demonstrated expertise in adding value through leadership by building strong high- performing teams and achieving successful outcomes on complicated programs.
• Proven ability to improve execution and alignment in complex, cross-functional manufacturing environments.
• Solid financial knowledge and experience managing budgets and controlling costs in a manufacturing environment.
• Exceptional understanding of manufacturing processes and production systems.
• Demonstrated success in a high mix ETO manufacturing environment of products with complex BOM structure.
• A team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and reliable attention to detail.
• Ability to think abstractly to deal with ambiguous problems and make sound decisions.
• Must possess a very strong background in Lean Manufacturing. Requires good people management, motivational and leadership skills.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from a four-year college or university; or 10 years of related plant management experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10 years of experience in manufacturing environments involving materials management, machining, manufacturing engineering, quality, production, and warehousing.
• 5 years proven track record of Plant Manager experience and/or progressive experiences in plant management to include operations, production, and/or factory floor management.
• Proficiency working with modern ERPs to achieve the above objectives

Benefits

Our client values employees and are committed to offering a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, paid time off, and a market-leading 401(k) plan.