APEX Management Partners

APEX Management Partners is comprised of experienced leaders with proven track records of delivering results in the areas of profitable business growth, operational performance, and talent management. We embed ourselves with organizations as player-coaches in order to ensure the achievement of the desired results. With over 50 team members we are able to support our clients with the attention and resources required to deliver positive measurable results. 

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Steve Thornton

Founding Partner

Founding Partner with over 30 years of experience driving revenue growth in demanding industrial environments.

Expertise

  • 80/20 Customer & Product Optimization
  • Double Digit Profitable Growth
  • Interim Leadership
  • Operational Excellence
  • Executive Coaching
  • AME Manufacturing Excellence Award 2010

Prior Experience

  • Served in Executive Leadership Roles in Manufacturing and Distribution Companies
  • Built High Performing Organizations – Including Award Winning Plants
  • Led Business Turnarounds In Demanding Environments
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Clyde Self

APEX CORE Team

Expertise

  • Lean Manufacturing Concepts (VSM, Kaizen, Changeover Reduction, Standardization, Mistake Proofing, Workplace Organization)
  • 80/20 Analysis
  • Six Sigma Green Belt
  • Project Management
  • TWI Job Instruction Training

Prior Experience

  • 40+ Operations Management and Performance Improvement
  • Safety Management
  • Scheduling to achieve load balance
  • 2010 Association of Manufacturing Excellence Award
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Sam White

Founding Partner

Founding Partner with over 25 years of experience in fast paced demanding manufacturing operations. 

Expertise

  • Operational Turnarounds
  • EBIT focused Operational Optimization
  • Operational Excellence Implementation
  • Interim Leadership – Boots on the ground
  • AME Manufacturing Excellence Award 2010

Prior Experience

  • Served in Executive Leadership Roles in Manufacturing (Metals and Plastics)
  • Career delivering Organizational/Plant/Departmental turnarounds
  • Served in many manufacturing capacities (Maintenance/Ops/Plant Manager/VP Ops)
  • B.S. Manufacturing Technology, MBA
  • Injection Molding, Forging, Welding, Machining, Extrusions, Stamping, Roll Forming, Assembly
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Rick Feller

APEX CORE Team

Expertise

  • Operations Excellence Transformations
  • Value Stream Optimization
  • Workplace Organization, Visual Management and Standard Work
  • Structured Problem Solving through Kaizen Events and Daily Activities
  • Policy Deployment
  • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
  • Setup Reduction (SMED)
  • Employee Engagement and Suggestion Systems

Prior Experience

  • 40+ Years of Engineering and Operations Management
  • Actively Involved in “Lean Transformations (Continuous Improvement) since 1984
  • Trained hundreds of people in the Principles and Systems of “Lean” (Toyota Production System)
  • Led and coached Manufacturing Leadership in their Operational Transformations in many companies producing a wide variety of products.
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Paul Neblock

APEX CORE Team

Breakthrough Technologies/Automation

  • High Return, Low Risk Automation
  • Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
  • Process Innovation & Breakthrough Improvement
  • Solidify Technological Foundation
  • B.S. Physics, M.S. Nuclear Engineering
  • Director Level Roles in Engineering, Maintenance
  • Manufacturing Innovation - Breakthroughs
  • High Tech Manufacturing and Automation
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Frank Murdock

APEX CORE Team

Expertise

  • Operational Excellence
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • Process Optimization
  • Quality Systems
  • Technical Coaching

Prior Experience

  • 45+ years of successful program management and consulting experience in major corporations across a variety of functions and businesses.
  • 28 years at Ford Motor Company in engineering and quality functions including heading an internal process improvement consulting practice in Ford of Europe
  • Expertise in improving diverse processes such as assembly, metal forming, injection molding, welding, commercial lending in banking, product design, etc.
  • Experience in implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards

We are “player coaches” who both coach and implement improvements at a rapid rate.
Using proven tools and experience we focus on the critical parts of your business for maximum ROI. We do not consult. We plan and implement.

APEX Management Partners