Bob Manning

Provide specialized onsite and remote consulting for the food and beverage industry, bridging the gap between complex regulatory requirements, operational efficiency, and floor-level execution. My practice focuses on de-risking manufacturing environments through rigorous safety systems, performance optimization, and scalable digital education.

• Recall Prevention & Forensics: Lead comprehensive assessments to identify systemic vulnerabilities. Utilize forensic analysis of past incidents to build robust preventative controls and response frameworks that protect brand equity and consumer safety.

• Thought Leadership: Author of In the Midst of a Recall, a definitive guide used to help organizations navigate the technical and professional complexities of product recalls and withdrawals.

• Operational Performance Improvement: Drive bottom-line results by identifying and eliminating process bottlenecks. Apply Lean principles to streamline manufacturing workflows, ensuring that high-quality standards directly contribute to increased EBITDA and asset utilization.

• Digital Program Development: Architected and launched high-impact online training programs (such as EBITDA Starts on the Floor) designed to standardize technical competencies across quality and operations teams globally.

• Quality & Strategy Alignment: Partner with leadership to integrate food safety (SQF, BRC, FSMA) into the core operational strategy, transforming "compliance" from a hurdle into a competitive advantage for plant-floor performance.

• Regulatory & Technical Advisory: Conduct deep-dive Gap Analysis and internal audits to maintain a constant state of "audit readiness" while optimizing production throughput.

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Evolution

Architected the organizational pivot from a specialized Field Service Engineering firm to a holistic Operational Excellence model, driving client profitability and manufacturing stability.

Directed multidisciplinary teams of Field Service and Automation Engineers, specializing in the installation, commissioning, and optimization of complex thermal processors.

Defined and championed a long-term vision that moved the company beyond tactical support into high-value strategic consulting for the global beverage industry.

Responsible for day-to-day operations, which include setting goals for the sales team, managing staff and people resources, handling customer relations, and managing engineering.