Plant Manager

Company:
Keen Pump (A Division of Kinetiflo Company)

Reports To:

CEO

FLSA Status:
Full-Time, Exempt

Company: Keen Pump Company, 471 U.S. Highway 250 E Ashland, OH 44805

The Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing all operations within the facility, ensuring efficient production, quality control, workplace safety, cost management, and timely delivery of customer orders. This role directs and coordinates production, engineering, purchasing, and supply chain, maintenance, quality, inventory, and personnel activities while working closely with Sales to achieve company goals for safety, quality, efficiency, cost, and customer satisfaction.

• Plan, organize, and oversee daily manufacturing operations, including machining, assembly, testing, warehousing, and shipping.
• Receive sales orders from the Sales team and translate them into shop and production orders, including coordinating the purchase of required non-stock materials.
• Develop and implement production schedules to meet customer and delivery commitments.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including productivity, efficiency, downtime, quality, scrap, rework, labor utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities related to safety, quality, productivity, cost, workflow, and on-time delivery.
• Supervise and lead production, maintenance, and warehouse teams with a focus on accountability, safety, quality, teamwork, and performance.
• Train, coach, and develop supervisors and team members to strengthen technical skills, improve performance, reduce turnover, and build a strong plant culture.
• Conduct regular meetings to review production performance, safety, quality, staffing, and operational objectives.
• Ensure compliance with company safety policies and applicable OSHA/EHS requirements, including employee training, PPE, machine guarding, LOTO, forklift safety, incident reporting, and corrective actions.
• Lead investigations into production, quality, safety, and operational issues and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented and followed through.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and Engineering on materials, tooling, equipment, and production planning.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Sales, and Quality teams to resolve technical issues and meet customer requirements.
• Work closely with Supply Chain to manage lead times, capacity planning, material availability, and vendor quality.
• Oversee inventory control processes to maintain accurate stock levels of raw materials, components, work-in-process, and finished goods.
• Manage plant labor and operating costs, including staffing levels, overtime, productivity, scrap, rework, and other controllable expenses.
• Partner with HR on staffing needs, employee development, performance management, attendance, employee relations, and other workforce matters.
• Design and optimize plant layout to improve workflow, material handling efficiency, safety, and space utilization.
• Ensure the physical organization and condition of the facility support safety, efficiency, quality, and scalability for future growth.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on leadership presence throughout the manufacturing facility and proactively address operational issues.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned based on the business and operational needs.

This position works in both an office and industrial manufacturing environment. The Plant Manager is expected to spend significant time on the production floor working with employees, supervisors, equipment, and manufacturing processes.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee may be exposed to moving mechanical equipment, fumes or airborne particles, varying temperatures, industrial equipment, and moderate to high noise…