JOB TITLE: Plant Manager

LOCATION: Benton Harbor, MI

Job Summary

The Plant Manager provides strategic and hands-on leadership for the successful day-to-day operation of the manufacturing facility. This role is accountable for all aspects of plant performance, including production, finishing, logistics, inventory management, quality control, safety, maintenance, and talent development.

This individual will be responsible for leading front-line leaders across multiple shifts and coordinating closely with cross-functional departments such as Sales, Pre-press & Design, Customer Service, Inventory, and others. The role is central to aligning plant capacity and operations with the company’s revenue growth strategy, ensuring the facility is optimized for evolving product mix, throughput efficiency, and customer service standards. This includes managing headcount and physical plant capabilities to support a targeted growth trajectory, with a strong emphasis on operational readiness, continuous improvement, and EBITDA contribution.

The ideal candidate will exhibit a warm, approachable leadership style that fosters trust and open communication across all levels of the plant team. They should be respectful, steady, and highly knowledgeable—serving as a mentor and role model within the operation. While empathy and relational strength are critical, the new leader must also bring a focus on developing front-line leaders, instilling a culture of accountability, and improving team feedback loops to ensure individuals clearly understand performance expectations and progress. The ability to lead through others, rather than shoulder every task personally, will be essential to building long-term leadership depth and scalable performance.

Primary Responsibilities

· Lead, plan, and oversee daily plant operations across production, finishing, logistics, and maintenance to meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets.

· Lead and coach front-line leadership across all production shifts, with an emphasis on performance development and communication.

· Align facility performance with corporate growth objectives, optimizing production and staffing based on demonstrated and forecasted product mix.

· Partner with sales, customer service, and planning teams to ensure smooth execution of fulfillment commitments, and service-level expectations.

· Oversee raw material and finished goods inventory levels, balancing customer service with financial risk tied to internal stocking decisions.

· Support accurate budgeting and forecasting; monitor and control operational expenditures to drive profitability and resource efficiency.

· Lead a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement through Lean Manufacturing principles and performance-based coaching.

· Actively engage in capital improvement planning, equipment justification, and long-term facility development to support revenue targets.

· Serve as a leadership example for all hourly and salaried plant staff; foster a results-oriented, team-based environment rooted in approachability and respect.

Required Qualifications

· 7+ years in plant operations or manufacturing leadership, preferably in a graphics, print, or custom manufacturing environment.

· Proven ability to lead teams in scaling operations to support multi-year revenue growth and evolving product types.

· Experience in capacity planning, labor forecasting, and aligning operations to strategic business plans.

· Understanding of manufacturing financials, including EBITDA impact drivers, expense controls, and productivity metrics.

· Hands-on experience implementing Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement tools.

· Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and production management systems.

· Exceptional planning, analytical, and decision-making skills.

· Demonstrated success in team building, cross-functional leadership, and coaching for performance.

Preferred Attributes

· Warm, steady leadership presence with high emotional intelligence

· Experience in commercial/fleet graphics or custom production environments

· Familiarity with ERP systems used in job-shop or digital print environments

· Ability to manage competing priorities in a high-variation, deadline-driven setting

· Entrepreneurial mindset with a high degree of ownership and adaptability

Express Employment - Southwest Michigan

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Plant Manager