Professional Experience:
Principal Packaging Engineer / Project Manager with a background in multiple packaging applications including: Rigid Plastic (Bottles, Jars, Closures, Cups, Pails, Lids), Flexible Laminations and Sealing, Bags/Pouches, Corrugated Cases, Folding Cartons, Thermoforming Blisters-Clamshells, Aluminum and Metal Cans, Glass, and Sustainable Packaging. Expertise in:Product Development, Project Management, Process Improvement, Packaging Equipment and Technical Sales.

Education & Associations:
B.S. Packaging, 
Awarded Eastman Kodak Scholarship by the faculty of the MSU School of Packaging

• Contributed as one of the nine founding members of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
• Propose opportunities related to Sustainable Packaging.
• Provided guidelines for marketing research initiatives on product introductions in new packaging areas.
• Technical Packaging Advisor for North America on Knorr Brands microwaveable Cup Soup Task force for global product introductions.
• Communicated customer requirements to sales, marketing and production groups, resulting in stronger relationships and increased sales of flexible packaging.
• Developed innovative solutions at customer sites to drive increased revenue.
• Recommended equipment purchases to enhance product/packaging improvements.
• Instrumental in the development of Packaging Departments at Borden Foods and Best Foods.
• Conducted glass packaging technical seminars for QA, Engineering and Operations Management, which resulted in reduced breakage and increased revenues.

Product Development

• Coordinated the design, development and implementation of innovative package designs resulting in quality improvement, cost and distribution / trade damage reductions. Incorporated all FDA, shelf life, marketing and consumer requirements.
• Responsibilities and projects included:
• First to market plastic salad dressing bottle
• Transformation from glass to plastic containers
• Modification of flexible packaging specifications
• Introduction of stand up pouch for new pasta product
• Microwaveable cups analysis
• Investigated and introduced inks for boilable film packaging
• Researched and developed linerless closures for glass bottles
• Corrugated case design, development and testing
• Designed new thermoformed blister packaging.
• Design, Develop. Test and Approve end of aisle, Pallet displays.
• Mass merchandising packaging.
• Provided technical packaging support to production facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Europe and Pacific Rim, solving breakage problems, improving production line productivity, warehouse stacking / distribution efficiency and correcting sealing issues.
• Consulted with customers to develop innovative packaging options reducing current costs, improving efficiency and meeting shelf life prerequisites.
• Technical service consulting, resulting in increased sales opportunities and increasing revenue on current projects, while reducing costs to customer.

Quality Assurance:

• Qualifying product and packaging materials prior to production.
• Monitoring arrival of materials to meet production schedules.
• Testing incoming materials to validate specification requirements.
• Validated Customer requirements.

Professional Experience:
January 2008 to December 2008 (Layoff in Diagnostics Division)
Confidential 
Principal Packaging Engineer

• Team member responsible for developing sustainable packaging matrix for packaging materials used by Abbott Laboratories.
• Determined the requirements of and provided direction to the packaging laboratory for testing required approving or eliminating the packaging alternatives recommended.
• Provide guidance to junior level packaging engineers.

2001 to 2007 (Worked on Confidential)
Packaging Development / Project Manager

• Design, Develop, Test and Approve packaging for projects including: Thermoformed Clamshell, TriFold, BiFold, Face Seal and Tray Blisters.
• Innovative corrugated cases and folding cartons, Mass Merchandising Pallet and POP Displays.
• Extrusion Blow Molded and Injection Blow Molded bottles.
• Engineering Technical recruitment for Engineers.
• Consultant on packaging quality issues.

1999 to 2001 (Confidential)

• Senior Product Development Engineer, instrumental in attaining new customers and retaining existing customer base, by introducing innovative alternatives that resolve packaging issues, and meet shelf life requirements. Responsible for development of cost effective flexible packaging with appropriate barrier.
• Developed over 20 new flexible structures that went to market, resulting in $900M in new revenue.
• Support Sales efforts by influencing customer and recommending solutions.
• Provided Standard Operating Procedures for the production of laminated structures.

1997 to 1999 (Confidential)
Confidential.

• Worldwide responsibilities for the advance of new technologies for packaging materials resulting in lower costs and improved efficiencies.
• Effectively reduced labels size, and coordinated the redesign of equipment, which resulted in $190M cost savings.
• Redesigned PVC Canister resulting in a 25% distribution damage reduction cost savings.

1995 – 1997 (Position was relocated to Corporate R&D)
Confidential
Senior Packaging Engineer

• Managed the packaging development and market introduction of a Stand-Up Pouch for a new pasta product with sales projection of $10MM.
• Implemented an innovative new barrier cup for Knorr Cup Soup resulting in enhanced product quality and $800M in packaging material cost savings.
• Redesigned a corrugated shipper reducing breakage by 40%.
• Technical Packaging Advisor representing North America and the World Cup Soup Task Force held in the United Kingdom.
• Improved capping efficiencies by 25%.