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Contractor/Consutant

HIGHLIGHTS:

• 25+ years experience in Sourcing, Costing, Supply Chain, Op's, Production, PD, QA/QC

• 12+ years in Vietnam, strong relationships, solid grasp of Asian mechanics, culture, idiosyncrasies

• Extensive cross-segment experience in footwear, apparel, bags, accessories & gear

OVERVIEW:

• Extensive experience in Product Development, Commercialization, Costing, Sourcing, SupplyChain, Production, QA/QC.

• 26 cumulative years living in APAC source countries, working with & managing T1 ~ T3suppliers in footwear, apparel, accessories, protective & practice gear, & various other products

• Most recently, 13 years in Vietnam building strong supplier relationships, and a solid grasp ofAsian mechanics, culture, & idiosyncrasies.

• Field experience ranging from working solo in the 'boondocks' to collaborating/supporting/working with large teams and groups.

• Extensive cross-over experience in:
   
   1) Footwear: Low-end to high-tech; all sports; outdoor/adventure; desert, water, snow 
   2) Apparel: From T-shirts & infants wear to technical snow/cold weather wear 
   3) Accessories (Examples): 
                                 • Travel & Leisure - Bags, backpacks, hydro-packs, ‘bat-packs’, soft luggage
                                 • Head & Hands - Hats, caps, socks, gloves, helmets
                                 • Outdoor/Camping - Tents, sleeping bags, hardware, hand tools 
                                 • Snow - Snowboards, boots & bindings; Snowshoes, boots, bindings
                                 • Sports - Bats, balls, gloves, practice, & protection

Based in Da nang, Vietnam and Denver, CO
6-month contract to evaluate existing SC & sourcing and provide recommendations

• Established Global Sourcing Plan (GSP) for all proprietary brands and products
• Evaluation of internal/external impact factors; identify existing supply chain needs & opportunities
• Evaluated regional operational effectiveness in ROC; with plan for satellite operations in Vietnam
• Integration of Costing, Supplier Contract Negotiations, & Supply Chain Operations
• Created "Global Sourcing Plan" segmented by brands, alloys, price range, and organization

Contractor - Global Sourcing, Proprietary Brands Supply Chain

Based in HCMC, Vietnam
Manage suppliers in Long An, Ba Ria, Hai Phong

• Production Management
• QA/QC
• Capacity Planning
• Product Development
• Commercialization
• Cost Management

Head of Contract Manufacturing & Quality Management

Based in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Rebuild & Manage Vietnam operations & product teams in Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi:

• 26 suppliers in VN - 12 in Hanoi, 14 in HCMC regions
• Footwear - leather, casual, casual work, outdoor, waterproof, cold cement, vulcanized
• Apparel - woven, knit, down, waterproof, basic to high tech
• Gear - bags, backpacks, accessories, tents
• Routine factory-facing work; trouble shooting, problem identification & resolution, preventative solutions planning & implementation; strategic ‘forward-looking’ planning
• Rebuild, mentor & manage Hanoi & HCMC teams of QA/QC & Production Managers
• Support all product development (interactive role with USA teams)
• Monitor all commercialization, factory production planning, quality, & logistics
• Manage local (Vietnam) operating budget
• Coordinate & manage setup and evaluation of all suppliers for COC (code of conduct), compliance (C-TPAT), CI (continuous improvement)

Contractor - Regional Country Manager

Contractor working in development & sourcing on various projects & processes for footwear, bags/backpacks, protective gear, accessories, other related.

Provide support & advisory services to to various companies and organizations in related industry segments 

• Supply chain / Sourcing
• Supplier selection & vetting
• Organization & operations
• Manufacturing
• Product development
• Costing
•  Troubleshooting & problem solving

Owner / Consultant

Based in Dongguan, China & Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Managed Slugger’s supply chain in Asia with T1 & T2 suppliers. 
Supported development/testing in Asia for bats, balls, gloves, bags, protective and practice gear.

• China (Shanghai, Nanjing, Xiamen, Shenzhen)
• Taiwan (Kaohsiung)
• Vietnam (Hai Phong, HCMC)
• Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang)
• Philippines (Manila) 

Director Asian Manufacturing

HQ based in Evergreen, CO
On-site set up of operations in Korea, China, and Indonesia

• Launched a new action sports footwear brands; “FUZE” (technical performance) & “btu” (casual performance)
• Recruited and built USA & Asia orgs (50+ headcount)
• Setup supply chain and established Asia branch offices
• Led international sales & marketing, operations, finance. 
• Procured start up capital and operations/growth investment 
• Full responsibility & accountability for establishing, building and runninb a new brand 

President / Co-Founder

Based in Golden, CO
Worked in Korea, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka

• Member of senior management turnaround team
• Head of supply chain, production sourcing, product development, design, costing, & quality
• Managed Asia branch offices and organizations (100+ headcount)
• Worked with suppliers in Korea, China, Indonesia, Philippines, & Sri Lanka
• Product segments included footwear; accessories; apparel; snowboard boots, boards, & bindings.

Vice President Sourcing, Production & Development

• Based initially in Bangkok, Thailand, and later in Portland, OR
• Managed a team of 5 product developers
• Responsbile for Outdoor/Adventure, Basketball, and Court Sports categories in footwear

Sr. Product Development Manager

• Based in Stoughton, MA
• Worked with suppliers in Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and China
• Co-managed (together with Sr Design Manager) a team of 5 product developers & 6 designers
• Responsbile for SMU's, Court Sports, & Kids categories in footwear

Based in Fountain Valley, CA. 
Worked with suppliers in Korea  & Indonesia, and with ASICS teams at their head office in Kobe, Japan

• Led US teams in product development, creative/CAD, & biomechanics
• Collaboration with marketing & sales
• US-specific categories included tennis, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, & running product lines
• Recruited and managed outside technology groups (i.e., NASA engineers, pro athletes) to develop high-tech dynamic cushioning concepts

Director Product Development

Succesfully completed "Nike Management Training" program
Transferred from Nike's Exeter, NH base to Korea Liaison Office in Busan, Korea in 1982
Held various management roles in Technical, Quality, Production, Product Development, Costing,  Sourcing, Operations

• Director of Footwear Sourcing, Beaverton, OR . . .  (1988 - 1989)
• General Manager Korea Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1986 -1988)
• Director of R&D, Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  (1984 - 1985)
• Production/Tech Manager, Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  (1982 - 1983)
• NIKE Management Training Program, Exeter, NH. (1982)

Various International Management Positions

Find out detailed information about Mitch Brabson, Contractor/Consutant in Bailey, Colorado

Mitch Brabson: Contractor/Consutant in Bailey, Colorado

Mitch Brabson

Quality Bicycle Products (QBP)

Johnston and Murphy

Eddie Bauer APAC

AIM International Consulting (various locations throughout Vietnam)

Hillerich & Bradsby Co. (AKA "Louisville Slugger")

AIM (Denver, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam)

BURN LLC

Airwalk International

adidas

Reebok

ASICS America Corp

Nike, Inc.

Glen Oaks Community College

Nike Management Training, Exeter, NH