Plant Manager

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and daily operation of the Lavonia manufacturing facility. The Plant Manager is accountable for setting clear goals, communicating production requirements, developing plant leadership, improving manufacturing performance, advancing technology and innovation, and maintaining a safe, respectful, and high-performing workplace.Operational Leadership & Production ExecutionLead daily plant operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and customer service objectives.Establish and communicate daily, weekly, and monthly production goals based on customer demand, staffing, equipment capacity, inventory needs, and business priorities.Ensure supervisors understand production requirements, communicate expectations to employees, and are accountable for results.Monitor performance against plan and take timely corrective action when production, quality, staffing, or equipment performance is off target.Lead routine operating reviews to communicate results, identify barriers, assign actions, and establish priorities.Ensure effective shift-to-shift communication regarding production priorities, equipment conditions, staffing, quality concerns, and schedule changes.Coordinate across Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Scheduling, Supply Chain, Quality, Safety, Human Resources, and Finance to minimize downtime and remove operational barriers.Maintain strong plant-floor visibility and use KPI-driven decision making, standard work, and disciplined operating routines.Workforce Leadership & Employee RelationsLead, coach, and develop supervisors and plant leaders to build a high-performing and engaged workforce.Establish clear expectations for leadership, communication, performance, accountability, and employee development.Ensure policies, attendance expectations, work rules, safety requirements, and performance standards are applied fairly and consistently.Partner with Human Resources on employee relations, investigations, performance management, staffing, retention, succession planning, and employee engagement.Support workforce planning, scheduling, overtime management, cross-training, onboarding, job qualification, and skills certification.Address employee and leadership concerns promptly and promote respectful, proactive communication.Identify high-potential employees and leaders and support development and career progression.Encourage employee recognition, involvement, feedback, and participation in problem solving and continuous improvement.Textile Manufacturing & Technical ExcellenceMaintain strong working knowledge of textile manufacturing, including yarn preparation, twisting, beaming, weaving, inspection, finishing, material handling, and related processes.Understand how materials, machine settings, equipment condition, operating methods, and process parameters affect quality, throughput, waste, and downstream performance.Understand how textile components support conveyor belting manufacturing and customer requirements.Partner with Engineering, Quality, Production, and Maintenance to resolve technical and process issues.Ensure operating procedures, machine standards, and process parameters are established, understood, and consistently followed.Support technical training and development for supervisors, operators, and maintenance personnel.Evaluate equipment, process, and technical improvements that increase safety, reliability, quality, capacity, and efficiency.Safety & ComplianceChampion a strong safety culture focused on prevention, accountability, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, corporate standards, and plant procedures.Maintain visible safety leadership through plant-floor engagement, safety walks, incident reviews, and corrective action follow-up.Ensure supervisors consistently reinforce PPE, machine guarding, lockout/tagout, ergonomics, housekeeping, hazard identification, and safe work practices.Partner with Safety, Engineering, Maintenance, and employees to identify risks and implement sustainable corrective actions.Ensure incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions are investigated and addressed promptly.Incorporate safety considerations into production planning, staffing, equipment changes, automation, and capital projects.Quality & Customer FocusEnsure products meet customer specifications, internal quality standards, and manufacturing requirements.Reinforce that quality is owned at every level of the manufacturing process.Partner with Quality, Engineering, Production, and Maintenance to reduce defects, scrap, rework, and process variation.Champion First-Time-Right performance and long-term process stability.Ensure quality concerns are promptly contained, investigated, corrected, and communicated.Support customer audits, plant visits, complaints, corrective actions, and technical collaboration.Ensure production demands do not override safety or quality requirements.Innovation, Technology & Continuous ImprovementDrive plant-wide innovation and continuous improvement focused on safety, productivity, quality, delivery, cost, reliability, and waste reduction.Identify and evaluate new manufacturing technologies, automation, equipment, digital tools, and process improvements that can strengthen plant performance and competitiveness.Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, IT, and corporate resources to implement technology improvements and ensure effective adoption on the plant floor.Use production data, equipment performance information, and digital systems to identify trends, improve decision making, and proactively address performance gaps.Encourage supervisors and employees to challenge existing processes, test new ideas, and identify opportunities to simplify, automate, standardize, or eliminate non-value-added work.Ensure new technology and capital investments deliver measurable operational value and are effectively integrated into standard work.Establish measurable improvement goals and hold leaders accountable for results.Use structured problem-solving methods such as Root Cause Analysis, 5 Why, and PDCA to eliminate recurring issues.Implement and sustain standard work, visual management, 5S, process controls, and other operational excellence practices.Maintenance & Equipment ReliabilityPartner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, uptime, and overall asset performance.Ensure production and maintenance priorities are aligned and clearly communicated.Review recurring equipment failures, downtime, and production losses and ensure appropriate corrective actions are completed.Balance immediate production requirements with long-term equipment reliability and maintenance needs.Evaluate workflows, staffing models, equipment utilization, material movement, and manufacturing processes for improvement opportunities.Support capital planning based on safety, reliability, technology, capacity, quality, productivity, and business need.Financial & KPI ManagementOwn and manage the plant operating budget, including labor, overtime, materials, supplies, maintenance, and controllable expenses.Maintain accountability for plant financial performance and understand the operational drivers affecting plant-level P&L results.Establish and communicate performance targets for key plant KPIs, including: Safety, Production output and schedule attainment, Labor efficiency and overtime, Equipment efficiency and OEE, First-Time-Right, Scrap and rework, Downtime and equipment reliability, Inventory accuracy, On-time delivery, Customer performance, Cost performance and plant P&LConduct regular performance reviews to evaluate actual results against goals, identify gaps, assign corrective actions, and ensure follow-through.Lead cost-reduction and productivity initiatives without compromising safety, quality, customer requirements, or equipment reliability.Ensure accurate and timely daily, weekly, and monthly reporting in partnership with Finance, Supply Chain, and other functions. Translate company strategy into clear plant priorities, performance goals, and measurable operating plans.Anticipate future workforce, equipment, capacity, technology, and operational needs and develop appropriate plans.Promote a forward-thinking culture focused on innovation, operational excellence, employee development, and sustainable improvement.Represent the Lavonia facility professionally during customer visits, audits, leadership visits, and other internal or external engagements. Required QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business, or related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.Minimum 10 years of progressive manufacturing experience, including significant leadership responsibility.Experience leading supervisors, front-line leaders, and large hourly manufacturing teams.Strong experience in equipment-intensive, high-volume manufacturing operations.Demonstrated ability to establish production goals, communicate operating requirements, and hold teams accountable for results.Experience managing plant budgets, operating costs, labor performance, and plant-level financial results.Proven success improving safety, quality, productivity, delivery, cost, and workforce performance.Demonstrated experience leading process improvement, technology adoption, automation, or manufacturing modernization initiatives.Strong leadership, communication, coaching, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making skills.Experience leading operational change and partnering across Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Safety, Finance, Human Resources, and IT.Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, TPM, 5S, or similar methodologies.