Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.
Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.
We are seeking a Business Unit Leader-Converting for our First Quality Tissue Midwest facility located in Defiance, OH. This position will train in both Lock Haven, PA and Anderson, SC during the first 6-9 months to help us build and train the Converting team.
Primary responsibilities include:
Promote an action-oriented safety culture embracing safety as a core value, instilling and exemplifying a safety mindset for all team members resulting in an incident free workplace.
Manage daily operations in the Converting department with a focus on continuous improvement, ensuring production and delivery of the highest quality products at the lowest costs, consistent with customer requirements, company plans and profit objectives.
Develop, implement, and lead strategic initiatives to support the production objectives of the plant.
Effectively communicate operating plans, performance goals, and expectations to team members.
Foster an environment that supports cooperation and cohesiveness among the work team and with other functional areas within the organization. Nurture the collaborative environment by promoting transparency and communicating positively and effectively.
Lead and manage direct reports including coaching and performance feedback.
Ensures training, employee development, and work systems enable all converting team members to maximize their contribution to the plants’ success and contribute to productivity efforts.
Prioritizes and controls platform production activities to maintain high quality and efficiencies.
Leads platform in all key process and product trials to ensure the production learning curve and business product needs are met.
Support and set up maintenance priorities, outage management, any activities around reliability and preventative maintenance development.
The ideal candidate should possess the following:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Engineering, or a related operations field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of 10 years’ experience in Production and a minimum of 5 years’ Production Management experience.
Experience in a lean manufacturing environment preferred.
Experience in inventory control, scheduling, and planning (asset).
A superior knowledge of and commitment to safety.
Knowledge center lining equipment.
Knowledge of converting production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Standard knowledge of Excel and Office programs.
SAP knowledge preferred.
Possess interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and develop team members – a leader who can identify, train, develop top talent and build effective teams.
Strong problem-solving skills and the willingness to make decisions and exhibit sound, accurate judgment.
Action oriented with keen time management skills to manage, measure and prioritize work effectively.
Excellent communication skills to speak clearly and persuasively with a drive for results.
Ability to delegate to maximize safety, quality and production goals.
What We Offer You
We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:
Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
Paid time off (three-week minimum)
Medical, dental and vision starting day one
401(k) with employer match
Paid parental leave
Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
Tuition assistance
Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
...and more!
First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.
First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Engineering, or a related operations field
- Minimum of 10 years' experience in Production
- Minimum of 5 years' Production Management experience
- Experience in a lean manufacturing environment
- Knowledge of converting production processes
- Standard knowledge of Excel and Office programs
- SAP knowledge
First Quality Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about First Quality and has not been reviewed or approved by First Quality.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Compensation is described as competitive across many hourly, technical, and engineering roles, with pay often characterized as good or fair for the job. Market-aligned base rates are reflected in recent postings and salary entries across multiple functions.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Quarterly bonuses, shift differentials, and overtime opportunities are commonly cited and meaningfully boost total earnings. Bonus eligibility appears to be a consistent feature in many roles.
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Parental & Family Support — The package includes paid parental leave, a year of free diapers for new parents, and employer-matched dependent care assistance. These family-focused additions complement core offerings and signal an emphasis on supporting caregivers.
First Quality Insights
What We Do
First Quality was founded over 30 years ago and has grown to become a diversified family of companies with over 4,000 employees. Manufacturing Adult Incontinence Products, Feminine Hygiene Products, Baby Wipes, Adult Washcloths, and Consumer Paper Products, we serve institutional and retail markets throughout the world. Our trusted, household brands include Prevail®, Cuties®, Plenty®, Panda®, and Incognito® Our facilities operate independently to maintain focus on the markets they serve, but benefit from being a part of the First Quality family of companies. We may be spread out across 9 locations and 2 countries, but we are one team! With our focus on innovation, technology, and sustainability, we strive to create the best products that stand out and make a real difference in people’s lives without ever sacrificing quality for affordability. If advanced technology, innovative thinking, and a passion for challenging the status quo excite you, come join our team at First Quality! When you look at one of our job listings what you’ll find is an opportunity: to meet teams who challenge each other to improve, encounter leaders who empower you to experiment, and discover work that inspires you. As a new employee in our FQ family your training begins day one and continues throughout your career as you learn and grow with our organization. Be part of making things better – apply today to join our team at www.firstquality.com/join-us!
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