Billy Smith

Background

About Billy Smith

For over 12 years, I have been intersecting strengths in lean manufacturing, operational transformation, and leadership to drive production throughput, volume, profitability, and safety. I have spent my career in the beer brewery industry, advancing from the ground up – from an Assistant Brewer to the President of a brewing company – mastering all areas of operations. I credit many of my successes to the people I have led, inspired, and empowered, and I value my teams as partners in delivering operational excellence. LEAN MANUFACTURING I am seasoned in applying Lean and Six Sigma principles and building continuous improvement programs to steer ongoing productivity and efficiency. Widened sales margin 20%, boosted production 10%, and trimmed overhead costs 15% at Kona Brewing Hawaii. Cut production costs 10% at Kona Brewing Co. Drove production to full capacity with minimal headcount growth at Widmer Brothers Brewing, drove brewery throughput 50% and packaging throughput 30%, and reversed a margin decline. OPERATIONAL TRANSFORMATION My experience includes multiple instances of game-changing solutions for maximizing KPI performance and overcoming challenges. Managed the design/build of a sustainable, state-of-the-art, 100K barrel annual capacity brewing facility. Slashed the recordable incident rate in Hawaii and achieved zero incidents in the brewery for 6 years. Countered post-COVID inflation by modifying brewery recipes, restaurant menus, supply chains, and staffing. Expanded annual volume inexpensively by collaborating to strategize a high-gravity brewing approach. LEADERSHIP I have built and led multidisciplinary organizations and developed programs for leadership development, training, and cross-training to facilitate excellence and upward mobility. Hired Kona Brewing Company’s senior leadership team after its divestiture from Craft Brew Alliance. Scaled the workforce from 40 to 220 employees in 6 mos. after the pandemic crisis. Enabled full-capacity production by empowering key talent to become leaders. EXECUTIVE STRENGTHS Manufacturing Operations Management | Six Sigma | Continuous Improvement | Quality Control Budget Development | Total Quality Management | Project Management | OSHA | Safety Culture Process Improvement | Team Building | Team Leadership | ISO Standards OUTSIDE THE OFFICE I enjoy traveling, scuba diving, snorkeling, and soccer. I’m also involved in community fundraising and beach cleanups. CONTACT ME I am always happy to grow my network, and I am open to opportunities. Let’s connect!