You are here: Home › Who We Are › Our Lean Team › Sepp Gmeiner, Project Manager

Sepp Gmeiner, Project Manager

Sepp specializes in business transformations combining technology solutions with processing to maximize results.

Education

  • Engineer, Advanced Wood Processing [Holzingenieur, Dipl.Ing.(FH) - German designation],
  • University of Applied Sciences, Rosenheim, Germany – 4 years (1976-1980)
  • Business Administration/Business Engineer [Wirtschaftsingenieur, Dipl.Ing.(FH) – German designation]
  • University of Applied Sciences, Pforzheim, Germany – 1½ years (1980-1982)
  • Apprenticeship in cabinet making, Germany - 3 years (1972-1974)

Experience

Lignum Consulting Corp. Toronto, Ont. (since 2010)

Partner and shareholder

  • Hands on management consulting, change management and training, facilitating culture and methodology changes in companies.

  • Planning and executing new manufacturing facilities or upgrading existing facilities with significant technology improvements.

  • Implementing Lean Manufacturing by training methodology, coaching and, if required, leading the change.

  • Coaching key management /owners on strategy decisions

Lignum Consulting Inc. Charlotte, NC (since 2004)

Project Manager & Partner

  • Analysis of current situation and providing roadmaps to achieve company goals

  • Factory planning

  • Lean implementation

Schuler Associates Inc., Charlotte, NC (1995 – 2004)

Project Manager

Reff / The Knoll Group, Toronto (9 years)

  • Management positions including Production Manager and Manager of Engineering and Manufacturing, responsible for up to 800 employees on shop floor; 5 plants - product engineering and plant engineering.

Schuler Consulting (Germany),

  • Field engineer for 5 years with emphasis on engineering, time studies, layout, logistics and organization in wood and panel processing, with projects in Germany and South Africa.

Koeck & Brummer Custom shop (Germany)

  • Apprentice in custom cabinet making, extensive shop-floor experience in traditional woodworking skills for 3 years.

Special Skills

  • Highly familiar with modern, leading-edge European wood and panel processing technologies, including finishing systems.

  • Detailed and practical knowledge of North American manufacturing environment and business approach

  • Experience in implementing complex operations and manufacturing business processes, including software.

  • Experience in implementing Lean Manufacturing and Quality Systems

  • Experience in turn-around and start-up operations

  • Experience in “Industry 4.0” assessment

Additional Activities

Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario

(formerly Bluewater Wood Alliance (BWA))

Canada’s only formal cluster organization within the wood industry.

Provided the initial infrastructure study in Bruce and Grey county to find countermeasures to help the disappearing wood industry.

The forming of the cluster organization, financially supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, has grown all over southwestern Ontario and has now over 125 manufacturing members. The BWA focuses its activity on training, export development and continuous improvement.

Co-managed the start-up on an interim basis for the first two years (2010-2012).

Provide classroom and on-site training in Lean Manufacturing for BWA members (2018 – current).

  • Lean Manufacturing – introduction

  • Lean Manufacturing – advanced

  • Lean Manufacturing for Leaders

 

Guest Lecturer at University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC (1998 – 2001)

Instructor for two courses including content development:

Wood 481 – Facility design,

Wood 401 – Engineering economics and job costing

 

National Education Initiative – NEI (1994 – 2001)

Member of this wood industry initiative with the purpose to establish and build post-secondary education in Advanced Wood Technology at a Canadian University. The group achieved its objective with the start of the CAWP (Centre of Advanced Wood Processioning) at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

 

Wood Manufacturing Council, Canada (2001 – 2007 and again since 2020)

Member of the Board of Directors.

WMC is an industry-driven organization advising the Canadian

Federal Government (HRDC) on infrastructure support and promoting training and skills development within the secondary wood industry.

 

PAC Member

Past and/or current Program Advisory Committee Member of woodworking programs at

  • Conestoga College, Kitchener, ON

  • George Brown College, Toronto, ON

  • Georgian College, Barrie, ON

 

Technology Roadmap (2008)

Provide technology roadmap/ Baseline for Canadian Woodworking Industry for the Canadian Federal Government (Industry Canada and HRDC)

 

Columnist on operations efficiency for the Wood Industry Magazine and Woodworking Magazine.

http://www.woodworkingcanada.com/r5/showkiosk.asp?listing_id=4231570

http://woodworking.dgtlpub.com/2011/2011-08-31/home.php

 

CKCA-Certification team member

Update the product quality certification standard and certification process for the Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association.

 

Speaker and Presenter

at Wood Industry events meetings of industry associations, domestic and international industry tradeshows.
US Site Canada Site