JOHN HERBSTStreamwood, IL 60107

www.linkedin.com/in/creativeproductdevelopmentjohneherbst@wowway.com 630-401-5056

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT / PROJECT MANAGEMENTProduct Development Engineer with Extensive Retail and Commercial Experience

Demonstrated success developing ground-breaking products that help companies enter new markets and strengthen existing sales relationships. Manage product development from ideation through concept refinement, design, prototyping,

engineering, tooling, production startup, certification and on-going product maintenance. Achieve cost savings in product and manufacturing processes. Inventor of 9+ patents. International experience in Asia.Product Experience:

Electronics Electrical Certifications Mechanical Plastics Metal Sewn Goods Motors Wood Corrugated Paper Microprocessor Machinery

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GKI / BETHLEHEM LIGHTS, Aurora, IL 2014 – 2016Holiday + LED Candle ProductsProduct Development EngineerManaged the quick development of technically complex price-sensitive holiday items. Oversaw budgets, timelines, design, engineering (using Pro-E CAD), prototyping, tooling, certification, production startup and vendor communication. Interacted directly with corporate management, division management, product managers, inventors, vendors, Asia based QA / QC team, operations and supply chain. Developed Christmas tree project with investment of $80K, resulting in 20 SKUs in 6 months. Managed outdoor lighting project with $33K investment, 4 SKUs, completing development in 7 months. Resolved quality and design issues in many existing products, enabling continued product sales. Implemented quality program and necessary supporting business processes. Created product

specifications and quality plans for all products (none existed), enabling Asian-based quality team to inspect product to specification.

Brought all projects in on time and under budget.

KACELIA, Bannockburn, IL 2013 – 2014Chiropractic ProductsDirector, Product Development for Startup CompanyDeveloped all products and internal business processes. Managed design, engineering, materials selection, tooling, costing / budgeting, time line, specifications, quality, bills of material (BOM), and production startup. Implemented and managed purchasing system that included vendor selection and all vendor

communication, bringing 1 product to market in 6 months. Reported to managing partners and regularly presented progress to board of directors (company

owners).

HEATHROW SCIENTIFIC, Vernon Hills, IL 2010 – 2013Laboratory ProductsSenior Product Development Project ManagerManaged complete project process for development of electronic pipettors, centrifuges, mixers, and other equipment. Oversaw ideation, development, design, engineering (using SolidWorks CAD), prototyping, tooling, certification, launch and vendor related activities for product development projects. Maintained all project documentation, including dashboards, meeting minutes, timelines, product

requirements, technical files, product specifications, and quality plans.

JOHN HERBST johneherbst@wowway.com PAGE TWO

HEATHROW SCIENTIFIC (Continued) Presented project updates at stakeholder gate meetings, obtaining consensus to move the project

forward. Projects included:o Pipettor: Investment of $65K in 8-month development, resulting in 4 SKUs, resulting in #4 top-

selling SKU.o Midrange Centrifuge: Investment of $95K, 1 SKU in 12-month development, resulting in #9 top-

selling SKU.o Added features to mature centrifuge, thus extending product life, resulting in #12 top-selling SKU.o Created and documented many processes for product development. This provided a method and

reference for all team members to follow.o Developed electronic reference library, providing common location for product documents.o Standardized documents needed for vendor to quote a product by creating a quote package.

FOCUS PRODUCTS GROUP, Vernon Hills, IL 2010Hotel Room Hardware and AccessoriesProduct Manager, Focus Bath DivisionManaged product lines, including: Shower Rods, Makeup Mirrors, Hair Dryers and Coffee Makers. Responsible for pricing, adds / deletes, product development and sales support. Reported to division President. Completed and implemented a full product line Adds / Deletes analysis. Also developed a plan-o-gram

for Lowes. Improved a curved shower rod mechanism that enabled further sales of the product.

FELLOWES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Itasca, ILOffice ProductsSenior Product Development Project Manager, Office Team 2005 – 2009Managed new product design and engineering. Product lines included Desk, Partition and Ergonomic accessories. Reduced product costs on mature product lines by $1M+. Co-developed new product development (NPD) communication process, reducing development lead

time 3 months. Rewrote NPD process documentation for use as team teaching tool and reference guide. Developed 25+ new-to-the-world products from ideation through market launch, adding $7M in annual

sales.o Developed deep-dive competitive comparison; managed IP and consumer testing.o Managed design, engineering, specifications, packaging, testing, budgets, timelines (MS Project),

communication, and risk. Prepared presentation materials for stakeholder Stage-Gate meetings.Senior Product Engineer, Consumer Electronics Team 1998 – 2005Product lines include mice and keyboards, touch pads, USB hubs, surge suppressors, UPS, cables and PDA accessories. Supervised Engineer and Engineering Assistant. Developed 44+ products from ideation through market launch adding well over $6M in annual sales. Managed 125 active finished goods and identified and implemented $250K in cost savings.

ADDITIONAL RELATED EXPERIENCE

FELLOWES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Itasca, ILProduct Engineer, Records Storage Business TeamDeveloped 500+ new products and managed 340 active finished goods. Managed 5 employees. Managed project that resulted in cost savings of more than $1M.

LESTER B. KNIGHT AND ASSOCIATES, Chicago, ILManagement Consultant

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bachelor of Science (BS), Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Champaign, Urbana, IL

Six Sigma – Green Belt

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Served on local church business council | Served on local School Board of Directors