Position Summary

Seeking a results-driven Plant Manager to lead its Cambridge, OH facility, a vertically integrated site with blown film extrusion, flexographic printing, and bag-making capabilities. This plant serves as a strategic hub for film, wrap, and converted products, including compostable offerings. The site operates with a long-tenured workforce and has demonstrated strong financial performance. The Plant Manager will be responsible for driving operational efficiency, building daily execution discipline, and implementing the Excellence (CPEX) operating system across the plant while fostering a culture of accountability, performance, and engagement.

Key Responsibilities

· Lead all plant operations including extrusion, printing, converting, maintenance, and scheduling to meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.

· Deploy CPEX methodology: implement tiered daily management, visual controls, Gemba routines, and KPI tracking aligned with business goals.

· Develop, coach, and mentor supervisors and team leads to take ownership of metrics and solve problems at the root level.

· Champion lean manufacturing tools such as standard work, kaizens, 5S, and waste elimination to improve throughput and reduce scrap.

· Foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability throughout the workforce.

· Hire new staff (as needed) within the appropriate department and ensure appropriate training/onboarding of each new hire.

· Work with the executive team to create and implement strategies to double the business over the next 2-3 years

· Oversee operational budgets, labor planning, and plant-level financial performance including contribution margins and cost control.

· Support capital investment projects, and upgrades to plant infrastructure.

· Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory standards, driving proactive safety leadership across all shifts.

Qualifications

· +10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, preferably in flexible packaging, plastics, or related industries.

· Proven success implementing lean manufacturing, daily management systems, or structured CI frameworks.

· Track record of leading operational or cultural transformations in a nonunion, legacy workforce environment.

· Strong knowledge of extrusion, flexographic printing, and converting processes.

· Experience with ERP systems (Radius or similar) and plant-level financial accountability.

· Exceptional communication, coaching, and leadership skills; capable of building trust while introducing new standards and routines.

· Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

· Competitive base salary range: based on experience.

· Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and paid time off.

· Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.

Appleton Finn

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