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Expert in Manufacturing - Refractory Products
Available for your Consulting and Expert Witness Needs
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| Summary of Expertise: |
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Primary Expertise Areas:
(links show more experts in each area)
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Expertise Description: |
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basic refractory expert |
Expert spent several years in manufacturing basic refractories for one of world's premier producers of refractory products. Basic products included direct-bonded, fired, and chemically bonded magnesite-chrome products as well as fused grain, tar-bonded and resin-bonded mag. carbon products. Intending to learn the business from "the ground up", Expert began his career by training as a line supervisor and was subsequently promoted to Plant Engineer, Assistant Plant Manager, Plant Manager and Area Production Manager with multi-plant responsibility. At one time or another during his career, Expert was responsible for twelve different manufacturing plants; producing high alumina, pressed fireclay, bottom pour shapes in fireclay and high alumina; silica and fire clay coke oven shapes, nitride-bonded silicon carbide, fired ethyl silicate bonded cast shapes, insulating firebrick and a full line of basic refractories including pitch-bonded, pitch-impregnated, and mag. carbon BOF shapes. |
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business management expert |
Expert began his career in manufacturing and held positions ranging from line supervision to multi-plant responsibility. Cost analysis and personnel management including contract negotiations were an important part of his responsibility. Expert left his original employer to take a position as Vice President-Manufacturing in a much smaller company in order to gain exposure to the financial and marketing areas of the business as well as picking up responsibility for purchasing and raw material procurement. Expert later became a part owner of this company and moved on to become owner and CEO of his own company. Expert has served on the Creditors' Committee for a refractory company in bankruptcy; demonstrating his ability to zero in on strategic weaknesses, misinformation, and underlying financial issues. He also served as Project Manager for process expansion to double the capacity of a high-fired direct-bonded plant. Project included a new building, a high-fired tunnel kiln, three presses, car moving equipment, plus auxiliary handling and support equipment. As a consultant, Expert has performed site selection studies for new manufacturing facilities as well as performing evaluations of proposed acquisitions. |
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facility management expert |
Expert became the youngest Plant Manager in his company's history with responsibility for the largest of 18 plants in terms of company sales. Upon taking over the plant, he rebuilt the salaried staff and created a manufacturing team that significantly increased plant output and sales revenue. Expert moved on to multi-plant responsibility and was able to bring about similar advances in plants making a wide variety of different products. |
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industrial engineering expert |
Expert's educational background is in Industrial Engineering. Using critical path analysis, he has been able to increase manufacturing capacity in a number of different processes including pressed basic and high alumina products, extruded bottom pour shapes, and a plastic refractory manufacturing line. Expert also has considerable experience in developing incentive wage scales for manufacturing employees. In one assignment Expert acquired used and abandoned equipment and used it to build a dry cast-able production line that returned the initial investment within 6 months. |
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magnesite refractory expert |
Expert has over eleven years of "hands on" manufacturing experience with basic products including direct-bonded, fired and chemically-bonded chrome-magnesite products, tar-bonded and tar-impregnated magnesite products as well as resin-bonded mag. carbon brick and magnesite specialties such as mortars, castables and plastic. |
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maintenance expert |
Expert trained as maintenance shift supervisor and served in a staff capacity to maintenance as Plant Engineer as well as being responsible for all plant engineering and maintenance as Assistant Plant Manager-Engineering. For the last eighteen years, he has presided over a company that provides engineering and maintenance services to the refractories industry as well as providing maintenance services to a wide variety of manufacturing companies outside of the refractories industry. Expert's company performs a wide variety of machine-related services including repairs, rebuilds, retrofits, upgrades, and scheduled preventive maintenance. |
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maintenance engineering expert |
Expert's company frequently repairs obsolete equipment, where repair parts are no longer available or when the lead-time for obtaining a replacement part is so far out that customer cannot afford the downtime. In these instances, Expert is often able to design and fabricate a substitute part or retrofit the machine with a workable modification. Expert is often called upon to re-design a machine where a specific part or assembly of a machine is subject to repetitive failures. |
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maintenance management expert |
In addition to his experience as being directly responsible for the maintenance function in a number of large manufacturing plants, Expert's company serves a number of small facilities, where there is no recognized maintenance function. Members of Expert's team provide the total maintenance capability for these companies. |
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plant management expert |
Expert became the youngest Plant Manager in the history of his company, when he assumed responsibility for the largest of the company's eighteen manufacturing plants. He rebuilt the salaried staff and instilled a new sense of pride in being part of a successful manufacturing team. Expert is adept at identifying strengths and weaknesses in an organization in such a way as to build on the strengths and shore up the weaknesses. He has also demonstrated the ability to motivate experienced employees to draw on their experience in such a way as to create new solutions to "old" problems. Expert increased plant throughput, while substantially reducing overtime, creating the ability to produce more product at a lower cost and significantly improving the morale of both hourly and salaried employees. He improved both attendance and work performance by insisting that employees adhere to company policy and by using the arbitration process judiciously and effectively. |
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plant operations management expert |
Expert was fortunate enough to be extremely well-trained in all aspects of refractory manufacturing as a result of his company's insistence that college graduates should start at the "bottom" in line supervision with an opportunity to assume greater responsibility as their performance merited such advancement. Consequently, Expert is, not only well-versed in manufacturing refractory products, but he has "hands on" experience in Crushing & Grinding, Metal Casing, Maintenance, and Engineering as well. At one time or another during his career, Expert was responsible for manufacturing operations at twelve different manufacturing facilities; producing a wide variety of refractory products. While being responsible for multi-plant operations, he coordinated the efforts of three plants and a network of die-making facilities; all of which were involved in the simultaneous production of refractory material for four major coke oven rebuilds. |
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preventive maintenance expert |
Expert directly managed the Preventive Maintenance Functions for two large manufacturing facilities. In addition, his company now provides preventive maintenance services for a wide variety of manufacturing and machine shop operations. |
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production cost expert |
Expert has experience with a highly sophisticated standard cost system that served as the "eyes and ears" of the manufacturing process. He is knowledgeable in cost analysis and is adept at identifying and extracting benefit from cost-cutting opportunities. |
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production engineering expert |
Expert has consulted on a number of projects involving the engineering of production processes. These include process layout for the production of slide gates and nozzles, process layout for the production of wet and dry specialties, the design and construction of a plant to manufacture precast shapes, design and fabrication of retrofitted hydraulic quick-clamping for the rapid changing of refractory presses, design and fabrication of a machine for testing modulus of rupture on a 100 percent sampling basis as part of a production process, design and fabrication of custom dryers for precast shapes. He has designed and built robotic handling devices for refractory shapes as well as custom handling and processing equipment to increase production output of an extruded fireclay/high alumina plastic line. Expert has designed custom process equipment for IFB's. Serving as an expert witness, Expert provided pivotal testimony in product liability case involving prototype refractory press that failed to meet reasonable standards of performance. |
| Show Secondary and Basic Areas of Expertise |
Localities:
Expert may consult nationally and internationally, and is also local to the following cities: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Reading, Pennsylvania; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Frederick, Maryland; Camden, New Jersey; Vineland, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; and Alexandria, Virginia.
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Degree |
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Subject |
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Institution |
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1967
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Bachelor of Science
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Industrial Management
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Carnegie Institute of Technology
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| Years |
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Title |
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Responsibilities |
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1987 to
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(Undisclosed)
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Engineering/Management
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President/COO
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Expert is chiefly responsible for engineering and operations. He has specific responsibility for consulting and other services to the refractories industry.
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1985 to 1987
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Zedmark, Inc.
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Vice President - Manufacturing
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Plant operations, production planning, purchasing, engineering, industrial relations and mining
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1967 to 1985
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Dresser Ind, Inc.
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Harbison Walker Refractories Co.
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Area Production Manager
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Plant Manager to Area Prod. Mgr. w/ resp. for manufacturing operations, engineering and industrial relations in 10 different refractory plants
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Associations/Societies
During his manufacturing career with Harbison Walker Refractories Company, Div. of Dresser Ind., Inc. Expert became the youngest Plant Manager in company history, when he was assigned to the company's flagship plant at Baltimore, MD.
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| Government Experience: |
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Agency |
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Description |
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2006 to 2007
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Department of Energy
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consultant
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Expert was part of a team that conducted communications training, team-building seminars and facilitated an interagency meeting on the subject of cyber security.
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In Israel, Expert led a team of the clients manufacturing, engineering, and QC managers in the development of a manufacturing process for slide gate refractories.
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In China, Expert advised a refractory manufacturer on establishing revised manufacturing protocols for pitch-bonded refractory products.
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In Canada, Expert assessed the condition of a friction press and provided information used by client to determine the feasibility of upgrading the press in such a way as to improve its reliability.
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In Indiana, Expert located and evaluated prospective sites for a new manufacturing installation and developed preliminary plans for installing the process in the most desirable site.
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In Pennsylvania and Ohio, Expert looked at three possible options for locatiing a manufacturing process and made a recommendation to the client. Expert then planned the new installation, supervised the construction and directed the start-up.
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As a member of the Intota consultant network,
Expert is a specialist who provides technical consulting to corporate, legal and government clients. Expert provides professional consulting as a Manufacturing - Refractory Products Consultant. Expert may consult as an independent consultant or as a member of a consultancy, consulting company,
or consulting firm. Consultants service will be covered by a consulting contract.
Ask an expert initial screening questions and ask the experts services particulars, by simply submitting
an expert request.
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Expert testified as an expert witness in General Refractories of Canada v. Venturedyne, Ltd.. Case involved product liability claim against manufacturer of refractory press that failed to meet acceptable standards of performance. As a part of his pre-trial preparation, Expert reviewed "reams" of documents and reports and conducted his own personal interviews; before preparing a comprehensive written report detailing his analysis and his findings. His testimony was described as "compelling" by trial judge and a significant portion of Expert's findings were cited in the Judge's decision.
Intota experts can serve as expert witnesses or litigation consultants offering expert testimony, expert advice, litigation support,
forensic services, and related expert witness services. Expert can serve as an expert witness or litigation consultant in intellectual property (patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright),
product liability, and insurance matters. Expert may provide forensic expert witness testimony, litigation consulting services, forensic investigation,
and forensic testing if appropriate in litigation areas as a Manufacturing - Refractory Products Expert Witness.
Intota provides attorneys and legal professionals the opportunity to ask an expert initial screening questions and
ask the experts services particulars by submitting an expert request.
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| International Experience: |
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Country / Region |
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Summary |
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2003 to 2003
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China
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Expert advised refractory company on developing revised manufacturing protocols for pitch-bonded refractory products.
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1999 to 1999
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Israel
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Expert worked with a team of client's manufacturing, engineering, and QC managers to develop process for slide gate refractories.
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1996 to 2001
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Canada
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Expert was retained as expert witness for the Plaintiff in General Refractories Co. of Canada v. Venturedyne, Ltd. Expert testified at trial and his testimony coupled with his extensive reporting proved instrumental in the outcome.
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Expert has developed manufacturing protocols for new products in the refractories industry as well as in the food industry.
Expert serves as a resource to
Intota Market Research Services
for customized marketing research in industries or areas related to
Manufacturing - Refractory Products.
Experts are an invaluable source of overall industry insight as well as insight into specific companies and firms for
custom business to business (b2b) and industrial market research. Intota uses analyst and
consultant resources from Guideline whose Research Directors manage the research and analysis of the qualitative
and quantitative data as well as report writing for the custom studies. The methods and tools
used by Intota market research combine the insights of technical experts and industry insiders with secondary
research to provide the custom b2b and industrial market research you need.
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| Additional Skills and Services: |
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Training/Seminars
In addition to his extensive technical background, Expert is a proven communicator. For the past year he has consulted regularly as part of a team that engages in conflict resolution, team-building, and motivational training. He has assisted in preparing for and facilitating meetings between adversarial parties, having separate and distinct responsibilities, while sharing a common goal. As a member of this team, Expert provides training and instruction in communications, goal-setting, interpersonal dynamics and what it means to be a "team player". Expert's work as a Trainer have afforded him a continuing opportunity to practice and hone these same skills. Expert has also served on the Creditors Committeee in a bankruptcy case involving a company that manufactured refractory products. In this capacity, Expert demonstrated his ability to identify strategic weaknesses, misinformation, and financial discrepancies, while assisting the Committee and it's Legal Representative to develop a strategy of their own. Serving as an Expert Witness, a member of a Creditors Committee, and a Trainer provide diverse evidence of Expert's ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
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Supplier and Vendor Location and Selection Expert has had responsibility for raw material procurement and purchasing functions with emphasis on securing, qualifying and directing the activities of sub-contractors. While serving as Vice President- Manufacturing, he recognized the value of clay deposits held on company "books" for several years and arranged to mine the clay,ship it, and truck it to the plant to use in place of a higher cost material that the company was buying locally.
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Other Skills and Services
Expert has consulted on the development of manufacturing processes, turnaround situations , and team-building. He has served on the Board of Directors of various companies including serving as Chairman of the Board and Executive Advisor to the President of a manufacturer of dairy products.
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Expertise
