Firm Foundations, LLC is an independent firm of experienced business, technical, engineering, human resource and change management specialists.

Our Associates have all “been there and done that,” and “done it well!” Their breadth and depth of experience provide Clients with proven low risk, results-oriented solutions that reach the bottom-line. The latest team building, leadership development, business planning and project management techniques are applied to economically solve Management’s most pressing business issues, on-time and on-budget.

About Us

Each of our acts makes a statement as to our purpose. -- Leo Buscaglia

Our Associates collaborating, elbow to elbow, with Client personnel to develop and implement pragmatic, sustainable, timely, economical, high quality, innovative solutions to the complex issues facing our Client.

Our Vision

Our Mission

Be not simply good; be good for something. -- Henry David Thoreau

To support Client efforts to Obtain Measurable Results by:• Aligning people, processes and strategies• Increasing revenue streams• Developing human resources to achieve full potential• Identifying and creating sustainable process improvements• Reducing unnecessary cost, Eliminating waste• Energizing Quality Systems and customer-supplier relations

Our services all FOCUS on Results, and are:

• ROI – focused - We understand the bottom line and work with you to create and implement a plan that achieves your business goals.

• Collaboration – focused – Our Associates augment and supplement your team.

• Process – focused - We bring wide-ranging experiences in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, IT, telecommunications, medical device and insurance. Our functional specialties include Quality and ISO certifications, Human Resource Development, Operations, Production Control, Finance and Project Management.

General Management Services

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. -- John Ruskin

Our Associates use this focus to perform engagements in the following human resource and organizational areas:

• Align operations to the strategic vision.

• Facilitate Leadership Development processes that aggressively grow people and processes to achieve results.

• Lead Executive Leadership Development, strategic thinking and team building processes.

• Develop human resources to be more effective in the areas of Sales, Customer Service, Management and Supervision.

Human Resource Services

We all have ability. The difference is how we use it. -- Stevie Wonder

Quality & Business Services

The meaning of life is to give life meaning. -- Ken Hudgins

Our Associates also use this focus to:

• Prepare Quality Systems for certification to the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

• Map business processes to identify waste, productivity improvements and reengineer manufacturing processes.

• Conduct market research to identify new product opportunities.

• Develop customer – supplier relationship strategies to build a strong supply chain.

• Manage business shutdowns and site remediation activities.

• Conduct Information System analyses, system selection studies and implementations.

General Management Services•Conducted strategic planning study and prepared systems plan for a regional hospital. Results: Client accepted I/S plan to support "physician bonding" and electronic medical record creation and access; projected major revenue increases from physician referrals and lab usage; $885,000 I/S improvement budget was approved.

•Efficiently closed a manufacturing plant in 7 months with no environmental consequences, ahead of schedule and under budget. •Performed nation-wide market research effort and developed PC-based securities tracking system for the trust services industry. Results: Product cemented banking relationships, reduced internal costs, reduced error rates and returned $300,000 investment in less than one year.

Representative Engagements

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? -- Van Gogh

Human Resources ServicesClients have written...•“As a result of the program, I am using the goal setting to drive my new business activity, and I am clearly much more comfortable in that role, as well as more effective.” •“You helped us establish our vision, our mission, and importantly, got us to roll up our sleeves and get down to the tough task of addressing our specific critical goals and the action steps we need to take.”

•“Things are different around here; People are now working together in a collaborative way I didn't see before; This place is alive all of a sudden! When I came in here two months ago the place was like a morgue! Now there's a buzz, an excitement that is permeating the place. What did you do?; The difference is palpable.”

Representative Engagements

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Jean-Baptist Moliere

Quality and Business Services•Created quality system for high-tech manufacturer that was certified to ISO 9002 standard on first attempt. Result: Returns dropped five-fold, shipment volumes increased over 350%.

•Reengineered manufacturing processes to improve delivery times. Result: Production cycle time dropped from 25 to 7 days.

•Conducted re-engineering review and implemented PC-based optical disk imaging system for wholesale drug distributor. Results: Customer response time reduced from 5 minutes to 20 seconds or less; Systems cost recovered in 6 months.

•Managed team proposal preparation to win and complete a $10 million process improvement contract.  Result:  Received $250,000 performance bonus; process improvements included reductions in cycle times and product returns.

Representative Engagements

It is not the situation. It’s your reaction to the situation. – Bob Conklin

Our president and principal consultant, Jack Frost, manages each engagement. His background and credentials include:

• Managing projects for over 25 years. He has successfully planned and managed line and staff projects as both an internal and external consultant.

• Certification as an ASQ Quality Manager since 1997.

• Degrees from Rutgers University (BA) and Seton Hall University (MBA, Organizational Management).

• Certified Affiliate of international human resource development firm, Resource Associates Corporation (RAC).

Credentials

Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.-- John Keywood

Bob McDevitt is a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC. With over 25 years of quality system development, audit and general manufacturing management experience, Bob is particularly well suited to:

• Perform ISO and documentation training and preparatory audits.

• He most recently served as an ISO Lead Auditor while working for the Stat-a-Matrix Company where he helped numerous companies achieve ISO certification on the first attempt.

• Bob holds degrees from Rutgers University (MBA, Executive MBA Program), University Of Scranton (MA, Organic Chemistry) and The Pennsylvania State University (BS, Chemistry).

Success is just a matter of attitude. -- Darcy E. Gibbons

Credentials

Jack Stillwaggon is a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC. His background and credentials include:

• Over 25 years of business unit leadership, venture capital start-up, strategic planning and sales development experience with domestic and foreign industrial automation, medical device and sales organizations.

• He has planned, negotiated, organized and managed multi-million dollar joint ventures.

• Jack earned his BS in Marketing/Psychology from Seton Hall University.

You can't run a business without taking risks. -- Millard Drexler

Credentials

Jack Doblosky, a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC, has a background that includes: 

• Certification as a Six Sigma Blackbelt, with twenty years experience helping companies achieve World Class performance utilizing Kaizen events, Continual Improvement training and process improvement activities.

• Extensive Managerial and Training experience in multi-site international manufacturing, quality and engineering firms.

• Profound experience in reliability engineering and test. Direct experience in general machine shop, extrusion, foundry, etc.

• A degree from Upsala College (BS, Chemistry).

Confidence awakens confidence. -- Friedrich Von Sachsen

Credentials

Angyne Schrock-Smith is a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC. Her background and credentials include:

• Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Baldrige Award Examiner.

• Designing, developing, and delivering customized project management training for major corporate clients.

• Over 17 years experience managing line and staff projects in corporate telecommunication and manufacturing environments.

• Degrees from University of Pittsburgh (MS, Statistics and BS, Mathematics), achieving Magna Cum Laude honors at both levels.

If you can DREAM it, you can DO it. -- Walt Disney

Credentials

Paulina Yick is a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC.  Her background and credentials include:

• More than 10 years experience in sales, marketing, product management, business development and strategic planning.

• Sales and marketing management positions in high-tech industries. Consistently won contracts from major carriers.

• Successfully marketed optical access, photonic cross-connect, operation support systems and jet engines.

• MBA in Marketing from Columbia University, BS in Information Systems from New Jersey Institute of Technologies.

  Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. – Helen

Keller

Credentials

Jayesh Dalal is a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC. His background and credentials include:

• Management, internal consultant and trainer positions with major firms in the electronics, manufacturing, integrated iron and steel, and telecommunication industries.

• Developing and delivering Baldrige Award process, ISO 9000 standard, and statistical process control training sessions. Baldrige and NJQA Awards Examiner and NJ-AQP Team Excellence Award judge.

• Ph.D. in ME from University of Wisconsin. ASQ Fellow and CSQE. Past Chair of the ASQ Software Division. Over 15 technical publications and presentations.

All things are possible to him who believes. – Mark 9:23

Credentials

Senior Consultant Jo-Anne Sutton is a Human Resources professional with over 18 years experience specializing in developing strong service cultures in the hospitality industry. She has:

• Guided and mentored hotel managers in the Asia Pacific region to establish consistency in service and customer satisfaction within the group.

• Conducted pre-opening management and supervisory training for international hotels and resorts.

• Conducted post-opening management, supervisory and line staff training for international 4- and 5-star hotels with multi-cultural environments.

• Been certified as an Affiliate of international human resource development firm, Resource Associates Corporation (RAC).

Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan. -- Norman

Vincent Peale

Credentials

Senior consultant John Graham has over 20 years information technology management, and business and systems process auditing experience. He has successfully planned and managed projects for clients such as JP Morgan, Schering Plough, Lucent and Merrill Lynch. His credentials include:

• Certification as an ISO 9000 Auditor.

• BA degree from St. John’s University.

• Certified Affiliate of international human resource development firm, Resource Associates Corporation (RAC).

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. – Ralph Waldo

Emerson

Credentials

Art Busch is a Senior Consultant with Firm Foundations, LLC. His background and credentials include:

• Held senior management positions in telecommunications’ marketing research and customer service where he developed a methodology to provide customers with world class service and top quality products.

• Key role on the team that led AT&T to win the Baldrige Quality Award.

• Degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University (MBA, Marketing/Finance and BS, Economics/Finance).

• Certified Affiliate of international human resource development firm, Resource Associates Corporation (RAC).

Enthusiasm moves the world. -- Arthur James Balfour

Credentials

A partial list of businesses and government agencies who have benefited from our FOCUSED approach include:

• II-VI, Incorporated• Crum & Forster Insurance Companies• Neuman Wholesale Drug Company • USAF, Title III Office • Litton Airtron – Electronic Materials Group• Griffin Health Services Corporation • Wang Laboratories • AT&T Information Systems • NJ Department of Community Affairs• LAN Microsystems • Atlantic Telecom • NJ Division on Women • Bankers Trust Company • The Prudential Insurance Co.

Client List

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.-- Walter Elliott

We hereby pledge that Firm Foundations, LLC will:

• Promote and encourage the highest level of ethics in all that we do and represent.

• Maintain the highest standards of professionalism and personal conduct in all our business dealings.

• Treat others with friendship, dignity, and professional courtesy.

• Accurately represent our qualifications and experience in all business relationships.

Code of Professional Ethics

Chase your passion, not your pension. -- Denis Waitley

Firm Foundations, LLC48 Crestview Drive Bernardsville, NJ 07924Phone: 908-766-7736Fax: 908-766-8928 Web Address: firmfound.comE-mail: info@firmfound.com

Contact Information

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. --  Goethe