Plant Manager

Tarter USA; Middleburg (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Tarter USA in Kentucky seeks a Plant Manager to lead a metals fabrication facility, driving safety, quality, delivery, cost performance, and a culture of accountability.

You will provide strategic and hands-on leadership to ensure efficient plant operations, workforce development, and sustainable growth while meeting customer expectations.

The role requires building cross-functional teams, delivering continuous improvement, and maintaining strong safety and compliance across all shifts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field.
• 8–10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years in plant or senior operations leadership role preferred.
• Experience in metals manufacturing, machining, fabrication, or heavy industrial environments strongly preferred.
• Experience managing manufacturing operations.
• Experience with sales of farm and ranch equipment

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations including production, maintenance, quality, shipping, safety and sales.
• Develop and implement operational strategies to support growth, productivity, and efficiency.
• Monitor KPIs including safety, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery.
• Champion a strong safety-first culture across the facility and ensure OSHA compliance.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with engineering, supply chain, and leadership teams to meet production goals.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Problem solving

Communication

Team development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field

Job description

Location: Green River Gate

Industry: Metals Fabrication

Reports To: Chief Manufacturing Officer

Facility: Day shift manufacturing plant / 5 days a week

Position Summary

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and operational success of a metals fabrication facility.. This role drives safety, quality, delivery, cost performance, and commercial sales while building a strong culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.

The Plant Manager provides strategic and hands-on leadership to ensure efficient plant operations, workforce development, and sustainable growth while meeting customer expectations and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead all plant operations including production, maintenance, quality, shipping, safety and sales.
• Ensure effective management of maintaining consistent standards across all shifts.
• Develop and implement operational strategies to support growth, productivity, and efficiency.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including safety, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery.

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety-first culture across the facility.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and company safety policies.
• Lead safety initiatives and continuous improvement efforts to reduce workplace incidents.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, managers, and hourly employees.
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement, and teamwork.
• Partner with Human Resources on hiring, workforce planning, employee relations, and training initiatives.
• Ensure strong leadership coverage and communication across all shifts.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to improve production processes, quality systems, and workflow.
• Lead problem-solving initiatives to address operational challenges.

Quality & Customer Satisfaction

• Ensure products meet quality standards and customer specifications.
• Work closely with quality teams to address defects, implement corrective actions, and drive quality improvements.

Financial Performance

• Manage plant budgets, labor costs, and operational expenses.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining product quality and delivery performance.
• Support capital planning and equipment investments to support growth.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering, supply chain, and leadership teams to meet production goals and customer demands.
• Support new product launches, process improvements, and operational scalability.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field is a plus.

Experience

• 8–10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years in plant or senior operations leadership role preferred.
• Experience in metals manufacturing, machining, fabrication, or heavy industrial environments strongly preferred.
• Experience managing manufacturing operations.
• Experience with sales of farm and ranch equipment

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Ability to lead in a hands-on, fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent communication and leadership presence.

What Success Looks Like In This Role

• A strong safety culture with proactive hazard identification.
• Consistent production performance across all shifts.
• Engaged workforce with strong frontline leadership.
• Improved efficiency, reduced scrap, and operational cost control.
• Scalable processes supporting the plant’s continued growth.

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to lead a growing manufacturing facility.
• Ability to make a visible impact on operations and culture.
• Collaborative leadership team and strong business momentum