PrideStaff is seeking an experienced Plant Manager for an exciting new operation located in the Louisville, KY area (Zipcode 40228). Our overseas client is opening a new production & produce on demand fulfillment operation that will accelerate the growth in the North American marketing by providing a source location right here.
This is new to the US operation, but our client has over 12 years of outstanding growth fulfilling product all over the world out of their Eastern European home location. So if you have successfully done a start up facility, managed a short-cycle fultillment operation, negotiated the right logistics network for fulfillment, developed a local supply chain for production materials, managed a highly seasonal business -- we want to talk to you!
Some relocation assistance is provided for candidates from outside the local Louisville KY area.
We are seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead the launch and ongoing operations of a new manufacturing facility in the United States. This role is responsible for end-to-end plant performance, including production, people management, safety, quality, cost control, and continuous improvement.
The Plant Manager will play a key role in building the organization from the ground up, establishing operational excellence, and driving sustainable growth in a high-variability, fast-paced manufacturing environment with print on demand process.
This role operates in an environment characterized by high operational variability, limited time margins, and frequent edge cases, requiring strong problem-solving capabilities and operational agility.
What will you do?
Lead the end-to-end setup of the U.S. production facility, translating our proven manufacturing model from Poland.
- Oversee equipment installation, production line layout, and operational workflow design.
- Organize the factory structure, processes, and operational standards to support high-mix, on-demand production.
- Recruit, hire, and build a high-performing production team of several dozen employees.
- Manage day-to-day on-demand production, ensuring fast turnaround and high-quality output.
- Oversee short-cycle order fulfillment and manage fluctuations due to high seasonality.
- Ensure compliance with quality standards, safety procedures, and operational KPIs.
- Supervise production equipment, machine park maintenance, and process optimization.
- Leverage MES, ERP, and WMS systems to manage production planning, inventory control, and order fulfillment.
- Collaborate with technical teams and service partners to implement and optimize operational systems.
- Build and manage a local supply chain for production materials, identifying reliable vendors and service providers.
- Establish partnerships with logistics companies to ensure timely shipping and inbound/outbound flow.
- Monitor and optimize inventory management, material planning, and vendor
- performance.
- Work closely with the Polish factory to transfer best practices, share knowledge, and align operational standards.
- Coordinate on process improvements, technology adoption, and operational scaling across sites.
- Be a visible, hands-on presence on the factory floor, directly solving operational challenges.
- Roll up sleeves and actively drive problem-solving, continuous improvement, and team performance.
A perfect candidate:
- Extensive experience in high-mix, short-cycle, customizable production, including:
- Customizable merchandise manufacturing
- Digital Print on demand will be a huge plus.
- Contract manufacturing with rapid turnaround times
- Flexible batch or made-to-order production environments
- E-commerce-driven production fulfillment
- Proficient in MES, ERP, and WMS platforms to support production planning, inventory management, and order fulfillment processes.
- Proven ability to establish and scale manufacturing operations from the ground up.
- ? Skilled in planning and executing on-demand manufacturing workflows, balancing speed, quality, and customization.
- Experienced in building high-performing production teams and leading frontline operations.
- Expertise in sourcing, negotiating, and managing supplier relationships to support fast-paced production.
- Strong track record in managing production equipment, workflows, and operational performance.
- Committed to continuous improvement, efficiency optimization, and operational excellence.
