Dairy Production Supervisor
Prairie Ridge Creamery Cooperative · Madison, WI
Mar, 2020 · Present
Lead 42 operators and 4 leads across cheddar, Colby, and string-cheese lines processing 1.1M lbs of milk per day.
Raised cheese yield 2.3% (Van Slyke) by tightening vat set protocols, coagulant dosing, and curd-handling SOPs, worth ~$1.4M per year.
Cut CIP and line changeover time 27% with SMED workshops and standardized sanitation kits.
Maintained SQF Level 3 certification with zero major non-conformances across four annual audits.
Reduced OSHA recordables 58% via lockout/tagout refreshers, ammonia-awareness drills, and daily safety huddles.
Built a cross-training matrix that lifted multi-skilled operators from 35% to 80% and cut overtime 19%.
Production Lead, Cultured Dairy
Lakeshore Dairy Foods · Sheboygan, WI
Jun, 2016 · Feb, 2020
Ran second shift for yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese (6 fill lines, 18 operators).
Cut product giveaway 1.8% by recalibrating fillers and introducing hourly SPC weight checks.
Led pasteurizer HTST validation and chart reviews; zero hold-and-release events in 3 years.
Trained 30+ new hires on GMPs, allergen control, and environmental monitoring swabbing.
Cheesemaker / Vat Operator
Driftless Valley Cheese Co. · Monroe, WI
Aug, 2013 · May, 2016
Operated 50,000-lb open vats for Swiss and Muenster; logged pH, titratable acidity, and cook temperatures.
Earned Wisconsin Licensed Cheesemaker credential after 18-month apprenticeship.
Suggested whey-handling change that reduced fines loss and saved ~$90K per year.