As V.P. of Manufacturing, Chuck Evans—who joined Newell in August of 2012—heads up Newell’s production team. This is no small feat! After Newell engineers have helped the client create their dream coach on paper, Chuck oversees all aspects of the coach’s creation—from the welding of its chassis through the delivery of the coach some five months later. Chuck’s coordination of 12 work stations and over 100 highly specialized craftspeople requires great skill and a thorough understanding of what it takes to keep teams working together efficiently, productively and harmoniously.
Fast facts
- Born and raised in Tulsa, OK.
- Took undergraduate courses in business administration at Tulsa Community College.
- Certified as a mediator by the Oklahoma State Supreme Court through the Tulsa Municipal Court Early Settlement Division. Conducted mediations for Tulsa Municipal Court.
- Certified in Emotional Intelligence training/consulting.
- Lives near Joplin, MO, with wife Gretchen. Grown children Charles, Charity, and Erinn live in Springfield, MO; Tulsa, OK; and Republic of Ghana, West Africa; respectively.
Training, coaching, leadership development
Chuck’s strengths include extensive experience in manufacturing and systems development. He also has a passion for helping others develop their skills. “Before coming to Newell, I spent 14 years at Kimberly-Clark where I taught, consulted and coached performance and leadership,” he says. “I also helped set up an experimental prototype manufacturing plant based on fully autonomous self-managing teams. This taught me a great deal about how to use high-performance work systems and Total Quality Management effectively.”
Focus at Newell
Chuck’s current focus at Newell involves working with the engineering and procurement teams to ensure the quality and on-time delivery of every coach the company builds. “My projects include supporting our Quality System effort, developing a world-class delivery process, and working with our purchasing department to ensure that our vendors align with Newell’s quality and cost goals. I also try to foster a work environment that promotes high performance and fun.”
Although Chuck is a relative newcomer to Newell Coach, his positive influence is already being felt. “Chuck has an uncanny ability to unite a team around a common purpose,” says Grant Kernan, Newell’s Executive V.P. and General Manager. “He’s also helping improve the quality of our coaches and the efficiency of our processes. We expect to see many more good things from Chuck in the years to come.”
‘It’s a delight to come to work’
When asked what he likes best about working at Newell Coach, Chuck is unabashedly enthusiastic. “It’s a delight to come to work every day and see the most outrageously gorgeous and sophisticated coaches in the world,” he says. “Plus, the Newell production leaders are the most committed I’ve ever seen. Without prompting, they work holidays, evenings and weekends, doing whatever it takes to delight our customers. When I think about Newell’s business leadership and commitment to customers and imagine adding a few new twists of my own, the word ‘excited’ is an understatement!”
The post Chuck Evans, Newell V.P. of Manufacturing:
‘Excited Is an Understatement’ appeared first on Newell Coach.