I have spent the last decade in manufacturing, and my entire career in small, privately held businesses. For the past six years I have been at a manufacturing company that specializes in open-cast polyurethane with a complex woodshop component and in-house tool-making. Since I started I have been responsible for a team that has grown to be about a dozen employees and a manufacturing floor of about 20,000 square feet that includes three main production lines along with some warehouse space and a small shipping team. I do the HR, material purchasing, production mapping, process and product development, oversee R&D, and drive most operations outside of sales/marketing. I have been responsible for spec’ing, sourcing, and implementing all capital expenditures regarding manufacturing and facilities from hand tools to $200k special ordered equipment. I have been training in a production manager and building up the systems so he can take over my current role and ensure a seamless transition.

I have a proven track record of being able to hire and manage a team of employees, while having the technical knowledge to solve problems and lead engineers. Our product lines are not something I understood well before joining the team; however, I have put in the time and learned the markets along the way to understand our customers and deliver to or above their expectations consistently.

My current employer is aware of, and supportive of my entrepreneurial ambitions. We have been working on my succession planning over the last twelve months, giving me the flexibility to prioritize my business search going forward.

-Chase Korth