Resume: Eben van Tonder


Last Updated 21.1.23

WHO I AM AND WHAT I DO BEST

Creative Entrepreneur, Doer and Achiever

  • Created Woody’s Consumer Brands (https://www.woodysbrands.co.za/) and secured most of the client portfolio before leaving the company in 2018.
  • Created a unique in-store concept which was dismantled and never fully exploited due to the COVID-19 pandemic In-store Concept Spar – Van Wyngaardt Deli Meats.
  • With Richard Bosman, two unique new curing systems – Oake Woods & Co.
  • With Richard Bosman, designed unique new curing systems for hams and bacon for the catering trade, fully compliant with legislation, yielding the lowest cost products on the market – Oake Woods & Co.
  • Head up the design and commissioning of the largest meat plant in West Africa, including a complete rework of all recipes for Spar Nigeria (https://sparnigeria.com/).

Identify, investigate and exploit relevant new technologies

  • Take rib bones and re-constitute a rib from meat scraps at half the price of a regular rib using enzyme technology. (Meaty Rib Project)
  • Pioneered DCD technology, never used in the meat industry and successfully incorporated it into the production of low-cost products. (The Power of Microparticles: Disruptor (DCD) Technology)
  • Videos were developed in the United States of America to successfully launch Woody’s in South Africa despite the actual clips not showcasing bacon quality or value. (Advertising Matters)

Creative Writer, Blogger and Online Marketer

Envision, ascertain and realise

  • Working in Africa (understands Africa).
  • Think in basic terms without the availability of updated equipment within complex and unknown environments.

Global Expertise

  • Travelled widely internationally and gained extensive exposure to great manufacturing and management systems in England and New Zealand in particular.

NOTABLE CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Doubled the output per shift.
  • Formed part of a team who implemented a large-scale production system exploiting the maximum capacities of the different sets of equipment and fusing this into a simplified daily production plan.
  • Applied the marketing strategy to NPD products, resulting in the company doubling its turnover within 6 months.
  • Led Woody’s production from producing 1 ton of bacon per week to 15 tons per day, with over 70% of personally sourced customers as the main drivers responsible for the increase.
  • Facilitated the design of an effective and low-cost bacon system that the largest bacon producer in New Zealand copied.
  • Designed a low-cost, low-tech thawing system that takes a meat block from -18°C to 0°C within 24 hours with no weight loss.
  • Designed systems that reduced fat by 50%.
  • Unique ability to extend products further while complying with food legislation and without compromising food nutrition.
  • Steered a project where 14 Spar stores consolidated owned butcheries into one Processing Plant.
  • Excel in data mining and optimising Plant profitability based on analysed data.
  • Create meat and plant hybrids.

WHAT I DO DIFFERENT

  • Repurpose scrap (waste) by changing it into high-demand products that deliver excellent profit margins.
  • Create sales and distribution platforms to take those products to market.
  • Analyse company data by exploiting information and increasing production success (distribution channels, products or people).
  • Analyse equipment.
  • Produce the highest possible GP products on factory equipment.
  • Assess redundant capacity and what products should the redundant capacity be spent on.
  • Double output with the same input – establish demand KPIs and lead teams in achieving those objectives.
  • Identify raw materials and how purchasing can be restructured to reduce input costs by at least 20%.
  • Identify the company’s niche and advise on doubling profit.
  • Utilise scrap equipment and devise sales opportunities accordingly.
  • Develop and strengthen strategic partnerships by exploiting synergies with surrounding companies.
  • Stability on the production floor.
  • Create processes and systems that will enable all employees as growth and profitability partners.
  • Plan production – smaller teams contribute to implementing structures and work in synergy with other small teams to ensure positive and productive factory operations.
  • Create and implement an action plan.
  • Measure company profitability and growth.
  • Personal share in the client’s company success!

PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

Various Entities, South Africa⎟ January 2021 to February 2023

Independent Contractor

Spar, Nigeria

  • Established the largest Meat Plant in West Africa, Lagos, with full Plant commissioning in February 2023.
  • Full operational and financial management of the project, including overseeing recipes, equipment, processing lines, senior staffing, etc.

Samworth Brothers, United Kingdom

  • Solve and perform an onsite presentation of unique processing systems. Details are subject to NDA.

Russel Stone Group, South Africa

  • Demonstrate low-cost/high-margin catering products and use of the bacon-grid system.

Van Wyngaardt Deli Meats (owned by Etlin International), South Africa⎟ January 2019 to December 2020 https://vwg.co.za/

  • Created a Food Science Department in support of selling MDM (main commodity) at the start of the COVID-19 epidemic – all core projects were cancelled.
  • Created a unique distribution system which would have seen the company double its turnover. It was unfortunately dismantled due to Covid.

Woodys Consumer Brands (Pty) Ltd – Cape Town, South Africa⎟ January 2008 to August 2018 https://woodysbrands.co.za/

Company Founder

Head of Production

Factory Manager/Production Manager/New Product Development Manager

  • Oversaw the production output of 15 tons of bacon per day.
  • Led daily factory and manufacturing operations, including supervising, coaching, training and mentoring employees across departments.
  • Designed and implemented successful systems to increase and support production processes, including integrated batch control and thawing systems.
  • Developed a bacon processing system around stainless steel grids and the effective use of transglutaminase technology – the system was developed over many years and is
  • I am able to produce exceptional bacon at unusually low input costs – the system is currently used by several companies globally.

KEY SKILLS

  • Entrepreneur, Doer and Achiever
  • Team Supervision, Management and Development
  • Creative Online Marketing
  • Research and Development Oversight
  • Deal Structuring
  • Product and Process Innovation
  • Factory/Production Management
  • Project Management
  • Cost (Waste) Management
  • Revenue Generation
  • Strategy Development and Implementation
  • Global Business Partnerships
  • Business Acumen and Commercial Awareness
  • New Business Development
  • Continuous Process and Systems Improvements
  • Stakeholder Relationship Management
  • Microsoft Office Suite

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Accounting Science (BCompt) in Accounting (not completed) and B. Sc Chemistry (not completed)

1993

University of South Africa (UNISA), South Africa

Matriculated: National Senior Certificate – Grade 12

1987

High School Driehoek, South Africa

KEY SERVICES I OFFER CLIENTS

  • Lead a complete turnaround strategy.
  • Apply chemistry as the tool to engineer products with high GPs to satisfy investor gross profit requirements, consumer quality and taste demand and legislative restrictions – this includes using old technology, which is highly effective and novel inventions.
  • Use process engineering to optimise equipment, flows and output.
  • Replace e-numbers and change everyday products to superfoods with microorganisms, enzymes and unprocessed plant matter as a viable client strategy.
  • Developed well-established relationships with suppliers in China, Europe and other countries to reduce input costs dramatically – buy directly from the largest factories at the best prices.
  • Mine company data using AI and Excel to optimise production and clients’ contributions to revenue.
  • Comprehensive arsenal of sales strategies, linking sales into the stores with targets selling OUT of the stores – well-tested and managed “through the line” strategies.
  • Utilise a well-tested strategy to structure production staff into teams to take company profitability ownership, leading to high personal investment, ownership and motivation from every employee.
  • Deliver dry-cured and wet-cured products (mass market and speciality).

This approach works!

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Goosebumps – Johannesburg, South Africa

September 2006 to December 2007

Branch Manager

http://www.goosebumps.co.za/

Stocks Meat Market (Pty) Ltd – Cape Town, South Africa

November 2005 to August 2006

Sales Manager

Immediate Response Marketing – Johannesburg, South Africa

October 2004 to October 2005

Owner

Consumer Promotions – Johannesburg, South Africa

April 2004 to September 2004

Consumer Promotions Sales Manager

Grafoplast, South Africa

February 2002 to December 2003

Sales Director

Millennium Marketing (Pty) Ltd, South Africa

November 1998 to January 2002

Sales Director

D & K Business Consultants (Pty) Ltd, South Africa

March 1996 to October 1998

Partner

Harvard Chemical’s Industries (Pty) Ltd, South Africa

January 1993 to February 1996

Sales Manager

Van Sitters Auditors, South Africa

January 1992 to December 1992

Accounting Clerk (Student Accountant)


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