Production Manager

About Berkley Berkley is a family-owned national packaging manufacturer, distributor, co-packer, and design house. Our Nashville, IL plant is a 76,960 sq ft corrugated converting facility with a seasoned production team averaging 10+ years of tenure. We are making significant investments in new leadership and equipment to grow our Nashville plant. Plant Equipment You will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and scheduling of the following equipment. Deep familiarity with corrugated converting machinery is essential. Rotary Die-Cutter

• primary converting line; handles RSCs, die-cut trays, and specialty work Rotary upgrade planned
• the plant is investing in a higher-speed rotary with improved print capabilities for display-grade graphics; the Production Manager will be involved in the transition and operator training Flexo Folder-Gluer (FFG)
• high-volume RSC gluing and folding Flexo Folder-Gluer (FFG)
• additional FFG capacity for production flexibility Large format bandsaw
• cutting dies and trim work Laminator
• build-up pads and laminated structures Stitcher, taper, hand-fed gluer, slitter
• finishing and ancillary converting Two cutting tables
• sample-making (managed by the design team, but Production Manager coordinates scheduling) Job Summary We are hiring a Production Manager to run the day-to-day production operations at our Nashville corrugated plant.

You will report to the GM (Pat Whitener) and be responsible for production scheduling, shift management, crew leadership, equipment uptime, quality control, and on-time delivery. This role is being created so that Pat can focus on broader GM responsibilities as the plant scales, and the Production Manager owns the floor. This is a hands-on leadership role. You will be on the production floor daily — scheduling jobs, solving problems, managing operators, and ensuring the plant runs efficiently. Duties & Responsibilities Own the daily production schedule: sequence jobs across the Rotary, FFGs, flatbed diecutter, and finishing equipment to maximize throughput and on-time delivery Lead the daily production meeting every morning: review prior day performance (actual vs. projected cost), today's schedule, tomorrow's schedule, upcoming large jobs, and paper/ink/supply ordering status Review open quotes in Amtech to verify routing, machine run times, board specs, and cost assumptions are accurate before jobs hit the floor Manage and develop production crew — operators, helpers, shipping/receiving staff. The current team is seasoned (10+ year average tenure); your job is to maintain their expertise while building capacity for higher volume Monitor production against projected costs using Amtech job cost reporting. Identify jobs that ran over budget and determine root cause (machine speed, setup time, waste, material issues) Ensure on-time delivery performance stays at 99%+ — this is the single most important metric for retaining broker and trade accounts Coordinate paper and board ordering with suppliers to ensure material is on-hand for scheduled jobs without overstocking Manage equipment maintenance schedules in coordination with the maintenance team; minimize unplanned downtime Support the integration of new equipment (rotary upgrade, flatbed diecutter) including installation, operator training, and production workflow changes Work closely with customer service and sales on order timing, rush jobs, and capacity constraints Enforce safety protocols and maintain a clean, organized production floor Report production KPIs weekly to the

GM:

throughput, waste, on-time delivery, labor hours, equipment utilization Minimum Qualifications 5+ years of production experience in corrugated converting, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role Hands-on knowledge of corrugated converting equipment: rotary die-cutters, flexo folder-gluers, flatbed die-cutters, and finishing equipment Experience with production scheduling in a job-shop or short-run converting environment (not just long-run commodity production) Ability to read and interpret die-lines, job tickets, and production specifications Comfortable with ERP systems for scheduling, job costing, and production reporting (Amtech experience is a plus; training provided) Strong people management skills — ability to lead a tenured production crew with respect while driving accountability Understanding of corrugated board types, flute structures, print processes, and converting tolerances Preferred Qualifications Experience in an independent sheet plant or converter (not just integrated/national account production) Familiarity with Amtech or similar corrugated-specific ERP software Experience integrating new converting equipment into an existing production workflow Background in display or POP packaging production (higher print quality standards, more complex die-cut work) Knowledge of lean manufacturing, waste reduction, and continuous improvement methodologies What We Offer $60,000

• $70,000
• Competitive salary based on experience Opportunity to shape the production operation at a plant that is actively investing in growth Direct involvement in major equipment decisions (rotary upgrade, flatbed diecutter integration) A seasoned, stable production crew — you are not inheriting a turnover problem A family-owned company with national reach and major retail relationships Medical, dental, and vision benefits 401(k) with company match Paid time off and holidays

Pay:

$60,000.00

• $70,000.

00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance On-the-job training Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person