Plant Manager

Our Story:

Hood Container Corporation is a family-owned, mill-to-market company specializing in containerboard and craft paper, corrugated boxes, high graphic displays, and contract packaging. Our commitment to customer happiness, employee well-being, environmental stewardship, and operational excellence drives our business. Over the last eight years, Hood Container Corporation has grown to become one of the top ten Paper and Packaging Companies in the United States. Our integrated company resources allow for a unique dynamic that evolves with every addition to our geographic footprint. We excel at offering the benefits of a large corporation while operating as a boutique business and building close relationships with our customers.

Our Mission: Through our unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and sustainability, we passionately deliver indispensable value to our customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and stakeholders.

To learn more, visit hoodcontainer.com or check out Hood Container on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens and customers we serve. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

What We're Looking for:

At Hood Container Corporation, we are searching for a Plant Manager to provide dynamic leadership to our corrugated and converting operations in our Chicago, IL plant.

Hood Chicago's box plant is one of Hood's most comprehensive plants, with a large capacity and great production capability for a variety of products such as corrugated sheets, brown boxes, graphic packaging and displays.
To produce and deliver all these products on time with the right quality, Hood Chicago's has a state-of-the-art corrugator, Asitrade and Litho-mounting capabilities, and multiple converting assets such as rotary presses, flexos, flatbed die-cutters, folders and gluers, and more.

As a Plant Manager, you will have a high-impact, critical role within the business, supporting 220+ hourly and salaried employees. You will lead the day-to-day operations of the plant, and the team will look to you for technical guidance and alignment of operational plans to meet short and long-term goals for safety, quality, waste, production, and ultimately, our customers.

How You Will Contribute:

• Embrace and promote Hood's core values through our Guiding Principles and trust-based relationships to ultimately enhance customer satisfaction.
• Value safety as a top priority and work closely with the safety department to enhance current safety protocols and procedures.
• Manage the P&L to control manufacturing and conversion costs within budgetary limits to ensure profitable long-term growth.
• Lead teams in the implementation of continuous improvement and organizational transformation projects.
• Lead and engage the entire operation of the plant, including safety, quality, production, maintenance, shipping & receiving.
• Work with teams to identify, assess, and implement process improvements to enhance production efficiency, reduce waste, and increase overall output.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and analysis of results to ensure effective manufacturing of orders and on time delivery.
• Establishing and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and measure operational performance against established targets and industry benchmarks.
• Provide ongoing feedback on the site team's activities regarding goals and plans.
• Lead the problem-solving process of critical and/or strategical opportunities and conflicts and works through all levels of the organization to remove barriers to progress.
• Collaborate with others to ensure the applicability and effectiveness of the process and capital improvements across multiple functional areas
• Supervise the proper maintenance of machinery and the building in an effective manner, to ensure the proper use of company resources.
• Develop and execute operational strategies by working with all levels of the organization to ensure company goals in safety, quality, productivity, customer service, and cost are met.
• Must be able to adapt rapidly and multi-task multiple projects and initiatives.
• Set/adjust plant priorities and make decisions to meet fast-paced and dynamic business and customer demands.
• Provide guidance and partner with managers on staffing, training, employee relations, and performance management to develop salaried and hourly team members.
• Continuously keep up to date on current organizational and industry knowledge/practices and provide technical guidance for the corrugator, converting, and shipping operations.
• Support the "One Hood" integration initiative by working closely with business unit leaders to identify and implement improvements and advancements.

What it Takes:

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate, lead, and develop others.
• Financial management, capital management, and budget knowledge, as well as the ability to interpret and analyze P&L and financial data.
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or related field OR equivalent work experience.
• Knowledge and experience in the use of Lean Manufacturing and quality assurance tools, such as 5S, SMED, Kaizen, TPM, 6 Sigma, G8D, QC, VSM and DMAIC.
• Ten or more years of experience working in high-speed corrugated or packaging operations.
• Five or more years in a management role in corrugated or packaging operations.
• Experience leading an organization of 200+ employees (3 shift Operations)
• Experience working in a facility with ISO/AIB requirements
• Able to use computer tools such as production control systems and CMMS
• Black Belt (desirable).
• Bilingual in English & Spanish preferred