Newark Group Formalizes Operational Excellence Team

The Newark Group, a Cranford, N.J.-based collector of secondary fibers and manufacturer and converter of 100-percent-recycled paperboard, has formalized its Operational Excellence Team (OpEx). The company reports that the OpEx team’s focus already is yielding improvements in both operations and cost efficiency.

The new group is headed by Vice President Jeff Masciadrelli and team members Tim Benningfield and Tracy Willis. It will operate under the direction of Newark’s senior management.

The goal of the company’s OpEx team is to drive significant operational improvements and lower costs across the North American businesses of The Newark Group using concepts and principles of the Toyota Production System, LEAN and Six Sigma.

According to Frank Papa, president and CEO of The Newark Group, “The speed at which this team has already been operating bodes exceptionally well for the future of our efforts and of our company.”

Masciadrelli joined The Newark Group in February 2012 and previously was director of the Global Enterprise Lean Sigma program at Avery-Dennison Corp.

Benningfield joined The Newark Group in March with experience in-plant management, LEAN, TPS and Akebono Production System implementations with companies such as Fruit of the Loom, Toyota Tsusho, Akebono and Tomkins Building Products.

Willis is a certified LSS Master Black Belt with experience in process excellence, quality systems and production management. Prior to joining The Newark Group, Willis operated his own consulting group focusing on Six Sigma, LEAN and Apollo Root Cause Analysis, and was a National Examiner for both the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence.

“This is the right team, and this is the right time,” says Papa. “If the small but significant gains we have already seen are any indication, this team has the ability to transform our company and our effectiveness on just about every level.”