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Category Manager

Top Management

Sales, marketing and product development professional with progressive management experience in product sourcing and branding inclusive of budget planning and revenue accountability. Ability to conceptualize platforms, strategies, product management and implementation with successful results.

Lawn and garden category, vendor negotiations, P/L, product management, private brand launches.
Increased sales 27% YoY in 2020.
Sourcing manager also and implementing global sourcing strategy and process initiative for private brand warehouse programs. 

?	Forged innovative and strategic partnerships in Vietnam which led to new category representation in outdoor patio furniture, and new direct to consumer revenue streams
?	Drove global sourcing strategy to determine best vendors across all product categories
?	Managed and led the product development and industrial design team in the development of fire pits, outdoor patio furniture, pottery, and BBQ grills
?	Set the seasonal color card, identified trends for category development, built product line extensions, developed item cost, and created technical specification sheets 
?	Developed time and action calendars for cross functional teams to ensure timely deliverables
?	Spearheaded research and development of new materials and substrates in fire pits, patio, and pottery


Senior Product Development Manager

?	Reduced the number of seasonal vendors by 20% through redundancy depletion, drove category expansion of housewares and home décor, and built seasonal general merchandise assortments
?	Aligned vendors and suppliers to raise average unit retails, lower costs, and increase margins
?	Increased overall Christmas seasonal margins by 15% via open bid negotiation and factory direct imports share of the overall private label business by 15%


Business Manager

?	Increased private label sales by double digits and achieved a 7% increase in YOY resin sales
?	Developed and rebranded SKUs for new market platforms Expert Grill, Expert Gardener, Hyper Tough and Mainstays totaling over $1Billion in sales
?	Mobilized and fostered strong relationships with cross functional teams, created a collaborative team environment, and worked with over 70 import and domestic suppliers to implement company vision
?	Travelled internationally and worked with global procurement to help develop alternative supplier sources to reduce costs, stimulate competition, and drive innovation
?	Created qualitative and quantitative reports on color, trends, design, and competition gaps offering recommendations and action plans for continuous improvement


Product Development Manager - Grills, Outdoor Heat, Yard Tools, Pottery, and Decor

?	Increased department sales by 11% YOY, identified the Gluten Free and coconut water food trends, and introduced 500+ products
?	Managed and supervised an Assistant Grocery Manager and five customer service agents
?	Evaluated vendors & product mix with SAP, managed COGS to increase margins, and provided excellent customer service


Grocery Manager

?	Marketed 350 SKU’s triggering $30 million in sales
?	Developed concepts, sourced products, and created the Digital Prism marketing platform
?	Crafted private label branding, packaging, artwork, copywriting, and advertising strategies
?	Designed and awarded three product patents for a multi-screen digital photo frame
?	Identified merchandise segments, designed marketing strategies and implementation based on market share, travelled overseas to collaborate with global procurement, and created product marketing briefs 


Product Development-Consumer Electronics

?	Managed projects including vendor bidding and tracking, project progression and timeline achievement, implementation, and communicated progress company-wide
?	Expanded POP coverage increasing product visualization and presentation within its market share
?	Reduced POP expenditures by 54% through material consolidation and redundancy depletion
?	Maximized MDF funds through sales communications with business partners and establishing seasonal promotions and/or rebates across product lines


Visual Merchandise Coordinator

?	Managed marketing channels and strategies for AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless and Tracfone SKUs
?	Implemented, presented, and rolled out three MVON handset product lines and accessories in over 800 Sears stores nationwide and 147 store-within-a-store locations
?	Increased gross margins by 15% for mobile accessories through financial and market analysis


Retail Marketing Manager

Kenneth Lucas is a Category Manager at Mid-States Distributing in Fort Worth, TX.

Kenneth Lucas — Category Manager at Mid-States Distributing

Kenneth Lucas

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