Building High-Performing Teams in Manufacturing
Workforce Leadership
Leading 85 people is different from leading 720. The scale changes everything — communication methods, training approaches, accountability systems, how culture spreads through the organization. Jeffrey Naegle has done both, and every size in between.
Over 15 years managing food manufacturing facilities, Jeffrey’s workforce leadership approach has built high-performing teams in environments ranging from small 85-person operations to large 720-employee facilities. He’s led both union and non-union workforces, developed coaching cultures where people want to improve, and turned around teams that had lost their edge. The common thread: treating people with respect, setting clear expectations, and creating systems where everyone can succeed.
Leading 720 Employees at Ore-Ida
The Kraft Heinz Ore-Ida facility in Ontario, Oregon represented Jeffrey’s largest workforce leadership challenge. Managing 720 full-time employees in a union environment, with 9 direct reports overseeing multiple production lines processing 850 million pounds annually under an $800 million brand.
At that scale, you can’t know everyone personally. Communication gets layered. Information gets filtered through supervisors and team leaders. Small cultural issues can become big problems before you hear about them. Jeffrey’s workforce leadership approach focused on systems that worked at scale.
Leader Standard Work created predictable routines from operator level to plant manager. Everyone knew their daily responsibilities. Supervisors conducted safety observations at shift start, quality checks at specific intervals, and production reviews at shift end. Consistency replaced randomness. When 720 people understand what’s expected, performance becomes predictable.
The training systems Jeffrey implemented gave operators clear procedures for every task. New hires could ramp up faster because knowledge was documented, not locked in the heads of 20-year veterans. Changeover procedures got written down and practiced until every crew could execute them consistently. The result: changeover times dropped by 50% because everyone followed the same process.
Production performance increased through better scheduling and reduced changeover times. Semi-finished goods inventory fell by more than half as production flow improved. Frozen waste decreased 60% through process improvements and operator engagement. These workforce leadership results came from 720 people executing consistently to clear standards.
Managing a union environment added complexity to workforce leadership. Contract language mattered. Labor relations required partnership, not adversarial positioning. Grievances needed handling promptly and fairly. Jeffrey’s approach balanced company needs with employee rights, building relationships with union leadership that supported operational success.
Union vs Non-Union Leadership
Jeffrey has led both union and non-union facilities across his career, understanding that each environment requires different workforce leadership approaches while maintaining the same core principles.
At McCain Foods in Othello, Washington, the 650-person facility operated in a non-union environment. The workforce leadership dynamics were different from union sites. Flexibility existed around work assignments and scheduling. Communication could be more direct. Changes could be implemented faster without contract negotiations.
But non-union doesn’t mean easier. Employees still need clear communication, fair treatment, and opportunities for growth. Jeffrey’s approach focused on building trust through consistency and transparency. Performance expectations were clear. Coaching happened regularly. Good work got recognized. Problems got addressed directly.
The McCain Foods team responded to workforce leadership that engaged them in improvement. CID (Continuous Improvement Daily) practices put problem-solving tools in operator hands. First-time quality improved because operators took ownership. OEE increased by 5% through engaged workforce efforts to reduce downtime and improve equipment performance.
Union environments like Kraft Heinz in Fremont, Ohio and Pacific Coast Producers in The Dalles required different tactics within the same workforce leadership philosophy. Contract language shaped what could be asked of employees. Union representatives needed partnership in major changes. Labor relations became part of daily leadership work.
Jeffrey managed 340 employees in a union environment at Kraft Heinz Fremont, working with 6 direct reports to improve performance while respecting contract terms. The relationship with union leadership supported operational improvements. OEE increased through changes that benefited both employees and company performance.
At Pacific Coast Producers, managing 275 employees across two union facilities, Jeffrey steered operations to their most profitable year. The workforce leadership approach included training management teams in continuous improvement methods and building cooperative relationships with union representatives. When workforce and management align on goals, results follow.
Building Coaching Cultures
The best workforce leadership develops people, not just directs them. Jeffrey’s approach at multiple facilities transformed supervisors from order-givers into coaches who develop capability.
At Idahoan in Rupert, Idaho, managing 85 employees, Jeffrey designed and implemented coaching and training programs that built workforce capability across the entire team. He trained and mentored the management team in continuous improvement methods, helping them learn to teach rather than just tell.
The coaching culture started with supervisors learning to observe performance, identify improvement opportunities, and guide people toward better methods. Instead of “you’re doing it wrong,” the conversation became “let me show you a technique that might work better.” The difference in tone created differences in results.
Workforce leadership through coaching meant developing people to handle more responsibility. At Ore-Ida, operators learned to perform basic maintenance tasks that previously required maintenance techs. Supervisors learned to lead improvement projects that used to need engineering support. Managers learned to develop business cases that demonstrated financial thinking.
The Kraft Heinz facilities benefited from coaching approaches that engaged people in solving problems. Performance boards showed metrics, but the conversations at those boards mattered more. “Why do you think quality dipped yesterday?” generates more learning than “quality was down yesterday.” Asking good questions develops thinking.
At McCain Foods, the CID approach was fundamentally about coaching — teaching operators to identify problems, analyze root causes, and implement countermeasures. Jeffrey didn’t solve all the problems; he built workforce capability to solve problems continuously.
Developing Management Teams
Workforce leadership extends beyond frontline employees to developing management capability. Jeffrey has trained and mentored management teams at multiple facilities, building their skills in operations, continuous improvement, and people leadership.
At Pacific Coast Producers, Jeffrey trained the entire management team in Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM methodologies. The training wasn’t classroom theory — it was hands-on application solving real operational problems. Managers learned by doing, with Jeffrey coaching their application of tools and methods.
The management team development included teaching managers how to conduct effective Gemba walks, facilitate improvement projects, and coach their own teams. Building leadership capability at the management level multiplies impact because those managers develop their supervisors, who develop their operators.
At Idahoan, Jeffrey’s mentoring of the management team focused on continuous improvement method application that improved production throughput and inventory control. The managers learned structured problem-solving that they could apply independently after Jeffrey’s tenure.
Workforce leadership at the management level means creating leaders who can lead after you’re gone. The test isn’t how well a facility performs with you there — it’s how well it performs after you leave. Jeffrey’s approach builds capability that lasts.
Small Team vs Large Team Leadership
The Idahoan facility’s 85 employees required different workforce leadership approaches than Ore-Ida’s 720. Small teams allow more direct relationships. You can know everyone personally. Communication can be face-to-face rather than cascaded. Changes can be discussed with the entire group.
At Idahoan, Jeffrey managed 10 direct reports overseeing 85 exempt and non-exempt employees. The scale allowed personal coaching relationships and direct involvement in developing each person. Training programs could be customized to individual needs. Performance conversations happened regularly and specifically.
The $90 million annual revenue from 85 people demonstrated workforce leadership that optimized productivity through training, clear expectations, and capability development. Small teams can deliver big results when leadership removes barriers and provides direction.
Large teams like the 720 at Ore-Ida or 650 at McCain Foods require systematic workforce leadership. You can’t personally coach everyone, so you build systems and develop supervisors who coach their teams. Communication gets structured through shift meetings, performance boards, and standard work. Culture spreads through consistency in how supervisors treat people and execute processes.
Both scales require the same fundamental workforce leadership approach: treat people with respect, set clear expectations, provide training and tools to succeed, hold everyone accountable, and recognize good performance. The tactics adjust to scale, but the principles remain constant.
Workforce Leadership Results
The outcomes of strong workforce leadership appear in multiple metrics: OEE improvements, quality gains, safety records, reduced turnover, and engaged teams that solve problems proactively.
At Ore-Ida, workforce leadership delivered 50% changeover reduction, 60% waste decrease, and inventory cuts exceeding 50%. Those numbers came from 720 people executing consistently to improved standards.
McCain Foods saw 5% OEE improvement and first-time quality gains through engaged workforce efforts. The 650 employees responded to leadership that included them in improvement.
Idahoan achieved two years without OSHA recordable injuries through workforce leadership that made safety genuinely the top priority — not just words on posters, but daily practices where everyone looked out for each other.
50%
Changeover Reduction
60%
waste decrease
50%
Exceeding Inventory Cuts
720
People Executing Consistently
5%
OEE Improvement
650
Employees Responded to Leadership
Pacific Coast Producers reached their most profitable year with 275 employees who had clear direction, good training, and supportive management. Workforce leadership that develops people delivers business results.