Plant General Manager

The Plant General Manager for the Arlington facility provides strategic leadership and operational oversight to ensure the Company meets its goals and objectives and facility KPIs. This role involves developing and executing strategic plans, managing budgets, leading the facility management team, and fostering cross-functional relationships with stakeholders to drive growth and innovation. Additionally, the Plant GM focuses on delivering exceptional customer service to maintain best-in-class relationships with the Company’s customers. 

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Plant General Manager will lead the Arlington facility and oversee approximately 130 full-time employees across a three-shift operation. Direct reports are expected to include the Operations Manager, Maintenance Manager, Warehouse Manager, and front-office/site administrative leadership. Dotted-line relationships include Customer Solutions, Food Safety & Quality Assurance, and Human Resources. 

After the initial 2-week intensive training period, early critical areas of focus will include building trust with a stable and capable team, strengthening labor-to-revenue performance, advancing continuous improvement initiatives, improving safety performance, reducing turnover, maintaining strong on-time-in-full delivery performance, and ensuring the site continues to meet contribution margin and gross margin objectives. 

This opening was created as part of the Company’s broader talent movement across the plant network, reflecting the organization’s commitment to developing and deploying strong leaders across key sites. 

The Plant GM will be deemed successful in the first twelve months if they have built credibility with the Arlington team, achieved contribution margin objectives, improved labor-to-revenue performance, strengthened gross margin, reduced turnover, improved safety performance, maintained strong customer service and OTIF performance, and continued to build a high-performing team with strong collaborative chemistry. Over the first 24 months, success will also include deeper employee retention gains, continued development of the site leadership bench, support for business development and top-line growth opportunities, stronger peer-to-peer best-practice sharing across the plant network, and sustained progress toward world-class safety, productivity, quality, and service performance. 

Leadership

Specifically, this individual will develop an organization focused on being brilliant at the basics, leading to a high-performing culture where the pursuit of excellence and a passion for winning are prevalent. 

• Provide leadership and training to accomplish Company and plant-specific goals and objectives

• Model and foster the Company culture and values

• Model and facilitate Company safety standards and initiatives

• Develop and control profits, plans, and budgets. Institute and manage relevant KPIs 

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external customers

• Maintain effective communication with stakeholders including senior management

• Professionally represent the Company while acting with fiduciary responsibility

• Collaborate actively with peer Plant General Managers across the network, sharing best practices, adopting proven approaches from other sites, and contributing to a more integrated, enterprise-wide operating culture

Operational Excellence / Continuous Improvement

• Establish immediate leadership focus on safety performance, including visible floor presence, root-cause discipline, corrective action follow-through, and reinforcement of a proactive safety culture across all shifts

• Lead the implementation and execution of the Operations Excellence roadmap leading to world-class performance

• Partner with EHS and Food Safety & Quality leadership to develop a culture of zero harm regarding compliance and performance 

  • Implement and manage food safety corrective actions

• Conduct routine process improvement

• Encourage and promote inter- and intra-departmental processes and efficiencies 

• Ensure the product is processed according to Company HACCP/HARPC standards

Site Management

• Drive labor-to-revenue performance, contribution margin, gross margin, overtime management, productivity, and staffing discipline while maintaining service, safety, quality, and employee engagement

• Establish and monitor overall plant performance for production and quality standards

• Identify issues and quickly resolve them

• Direct and manage plant operations for production, maintenance, quality, and shipping and receiving

• Coordinate plant activities to ensure the total manufacturing objectives are accomplished in a timely and cost-effective manner

• Manage key customer interactions as required to facilitate account support, growth, quality, and service levels

• Effectively manage capital, operating expenditures, manpower, wages, and salaries

• Manage the maintenance of capital assets

• Control and minimize labor overtime, premium freight, and repair expenses

• Maintain existing plant facilities and equipment; replace or adjust when necessary

• Implement and maintain preventative maintenance programs

• Incorporate shop floor organization and plant cleanliness among plant personnel

Talent and Culture

• Develop and mentor existing site leadership, including high-potential internal talent, while building bench strength and maintaining continuity across a stable, high-performing team

• Partner with the HRBP to drive organizational health, including robust talent assessment, performance management, employee development, succession planning, and appropriate management of high-level disciplinary matters

• Contribute to succession planning and employee development

• Identify, implement, and facilitate employee retention initiatives

• Provide direction, development, and leadership to local management and non-management staff

• Ensure continuous development, training, and support of reporting teams and their key subordinates in production and other functional areas

Additional Responsibilities

• Foster a healthy work environment structured around open communication and learning

• Support CI organization in developing and implementing key lean manufacturing capabilities – 5S, problem-solving, TPM, etc.

• Actively participate in activities related to employee engagement

• Provide consistent feedback to the workforce related to KPI performance

The Client, a leading middle-market, private equity-owned company, is the largest independent provider of its specialized processes and related food safety and technical services for cold-chain-oriented human and pet food customers. The Company is the partner of choice to food, beverage, and pet food manufacturers in North America and pairs its offerings with a suite of additional value-added services. Its footprint includes about 10 facilities across the United States.

The Company’s capital sponsor is a leading private equity firm managing more than $6 billion of assets across several funds and focuses principally on control investments in middle-market businesses with leading market positions, stable demand drivers, and actionable opportunities for organic and acquisition growth in partnership with strong management teams.  The firm provides unique resources to its portfolio companies through its Strategy & Operations Program and its team of experienced operating advisors.

The Arlington facility is one of the Company’s higher-performing plants and represents a strong “good-to-great” leadership opportunity. The site has a stable workforce, an experienced leadership team, strong shipping and receiving capability, and a focused operating model centered on HPP services. The incoming Plant GM will inherit a well-run operation and will be expected to elevate performance further through disciplined execution, labor productivity, continuous improvement, safety leadership, team development, and cross-functional collaboration. 

At a Glance

• #1 outsourced provider of its particular specialty services in North America with a complementary suite of highly integrated and technical services

• Large and growing total addressable market ($1.5 billion+), aligned with evolving consumer preferences (e.g., organic/clean label food, reduction in food waste, etc.)

• Longstanding partnership with blue-chip customers and attractive whitespace across both new and existing industries

• Sustainable and scalable growth platform

• Resilient organization with bench strength and robust processes

• Exceptional financial performance

Compelling Differentiators 

• Industry-leading player – 2-3x larger than the next largest competitor

• Unique nationwide coverage

• Excellent market reputation and customer satisfaction scores

• Full suite of integrated solutions unmatched in the industry

• A long history of consistent market share capture

Numerous Drivers of Growth

• Organic growth

• Accelerate growth with new and existing accounts

• Drive expansion in recently expanded geographies

• Increased cross-selling of value-added services

• Accelerate major outsourced conversion projects

• Leverage automation opportunities

• Robust M&A program, including international expansion

Compelling Value Proposition 

• Extends shelf life 2-10x 

• Enhances food safety by acting as an FDA-mandated kill step

• Enables clean-label products

• Allows for higher levels of quality and nutrition without the use of chemicals or preservatives

• Processes lead to a safer, healthier, and more sustainable food system

• Maintains taste, texture, and nutritional value

• Reduces food waste

• Protects brand reputation

• Outsourcing relieves customers of the capital burden, frees up floor space, and reduces operating costs

Attractive financial profile

• Attractive growth and profitability

• Resilient performance during COVID-19

• Uninterrupted revenue growth and accelerating EBITDA growth

• Consistent investment in the business has laid a sound foundation for continued growth

• 15%+ organic 15-year revenue CAGR

• ~25% EBITDA margin

Arlington Facility at a Glance

• Approximately ~$30MM in revenue

• Roughly 130 full-time employees, plus temporary labor as needed

• Three-shift operation

• Four HPP processing machines

• Third-largest site by revenue and second-largest by gross profit within the network

• Focused primarily on HPP, with prior value-added services work recently transitioned to another site

All candidates must have a strong operational excellence track record, exceptional leadership skills, and a customer service orientation.

Education/Experience Requirements

• Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field preferred

• 10+ years of proven plant leadership experience, ideally including full plant management responsibility

• Proven experience as a Plant General Manager, Plant Manager, Site Leader, or similar manufacturing site leadership role

• Experience leading a manufacturing site with meaningful people complexity, preferably 100+ employees

• Experience leading a site of comparable operational and people complexity preferred 

• Food, beverage, nutrition, regulated CPG, pharmaceutical, medical products, or similarly regulated manufacturing experience strongly preferred

• Food and beverage manufacturing experience is strongly preferred 

• HPP experience is attractive but not required

• Prior private equity-backed experience is not required, though comfort in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment is important

• Batch manufacturing experience preferred

• Multi-site management experience preferred but not required

• Demonstrable operational excellence track record

Role Specific Requirements

• An operational career path with experience in process manufacturing, driving productivity, establishing professional processes, KPIs, lean manufacturing principles, and systems

• Strong financial acumen, with the ability to use labor-to-revenue performance, productivity, gross margin, contribution margin, overtime, staffing, and other operating metrics to make decisions and drive performance

• Demonstrated experience in engineering excellence, including managing capital projects, automation, capacity expansions, new site developments, and scale-up of new products, as well as preventive maintenance and reliability improvements

• Strong HSSE orientation, with a focus on developing a world-class safety culture and driving visible, proactive safety leadership across all shifts

• Successful and demonstrable change management track record, with the ability to elevate a strong existing operation rather than simply fix an underperforming one

• Continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to identify productivity opportunities on the floor and address them in real time

• Must be able to physically walk the production floor, having a hands-on approach to problem-solving

• Spanish language capability is helpful but not required; leadership capability, operational discipline, inclusiveness, and team-building ability are higher priorities

General Requirements

• Ability to excel in a fast-paced, demanding, lean organization. Maintain a sense of urgency and ownership

• Self-sufficient, hands-on servant leader with strong floor presence and high standards

• Results-driven and proven experience outperforming objectives

• Cultural fit, adaptability, and credibility: must be able to readily relate to, and earn credibility with, a variety of stakeholders, including manufacturing, engineering, financial and commercial professionals, customers, hourly employees, peer Plant General Managers, and the Company’s Senior Leadership Team

• Strong team developer who can mentor existing site leadership, build bench strength, and maintain continuity within a stable, high-performing team

• Customer-service orientation, with the ability to build productive relationships with customers and support strong service levels

• Articulate, well-presented, and confident with excellent communication skills

• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills; highly collaborative

• Proficient in Office including Excel and other job-related software/e-technology/cloud-based solutions; must be comfortable using data to make decisions and manage performance

• The highest standards of personal and professional integrity are assumed

• Working conditions: This role operates in a wet and cold/refrigerated environment around 35 degrees F in a manufacturing, warehousing, and production-type facility. Must be able to withstand cold temperatures for extended periods

A local commute or relocation is required.

Travel is expected to be limited, with occasional travel for onboarding, leadership meetings, customer needs, or cross-site collaboration. 

Compensation is expected to include a competitive base salary, performance-based bonus opportunity, and participation in the Company’s profits interest / equity program.