Job Requirements The General Manager is responsible for the overall leadership and performance of our sawmill operation, including safety, people, production, quality, cost, and customer delivery. This hands-on leadership role requires an experienced professional who can drive meaningful culture change, strengthen operational accountability, and build a high-performing team. Reporting directly to the President, the General Manager will have the authority to implement improvements, develop leaders, and establish sustainable systems that support long-term operational success.
Key Responsibilities
Safety & Culture
- Lead by example and reinforce company core values, safety expectations, and accountability.
- Build a proactive safety culture through employee engagement, leadership involvement, and effective safety programs.
- Drive lasting culture change through clear communication, consistent expectations, and employee development.
- Maintain a visible presence throughout the mill and build trust with employees.
Operational Excellence
- Oversee all operations, including the log yard, sawmill, kilns, planer mill, shipping, and maintenance.
- Drive improvements in production, lumber recovery, grade yield, equipment uptime, quality, and cost per MBF.
- Establish and monitor KPIs to measure operational performance.
- Implement Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure production and shipping align with customer requirements and business priorities.
Maintenance & Reliability
- Lead improvements in preventive, predictive, and planned maintenance programs.
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- Strengthen CMMS utilization, maintenance scheduling, and work order management.
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- Reduce unplanned downtime, improve equipment reliability, and manage maintenance costs.
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- Support root cause analysis and prioritize capital and repair investments.
Business & Financial Leadership
- Manage site P&L, operating budgets, and annual business plans.
- Lead capital improvement projects and ensure effective use of resources.
- Oversee production costs, inventory, and procurement coordination.
- Maintain environmental compliance and responsible site operations.
People & Leadership Development
- Lead, coach, and develop superintendents, supervisors, and support teams.
- Establish clear performance expectations and accountability.
- Build leadership capabilities and support internal career development.
- Partner with HR on staffing, employee retention, and performance management.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including at least 5 years as a General Manager or Mill Manager with full P&L responsibility.
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- Sawmill or wood products manufacturing experience required; Southern Yellow Pine experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success leading organizational culture change with measurable, sustainable results.
- Strong maintenance and reliability background, including CMMS, preventive and predictive maintenance, and maintenance planning.
- Proven ability to improve safety, production, quality, equipment uptime, and operating costs.
- Experience managing budgets, capital projects, and operational performance.
- Working knowledge of sawmill optimization, kiln drying, planer operations, and lumber grading.
- Experience implementing Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement practices.
- Strong communication, leadership, and employee development skills.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Forestry, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
- Ability to work flexible hours based on operational needs.
Preferred Experience
- Leading manufacturing turnarounds or significant operational performance improvements.
- Developing high-performing leadership teams and strengthening organizational accountability.
- Implementing reliability programs that deliver measurable improvements in equipment performance.
Plain Dealing Lumber is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.