Portfolio CEO: Plastics Manufacturing
Portfolio CEO: Plastics Manufacturing
Have you spent your career driving results in small manufacturing businesses? Managing shifts, maintaining equipment, and delivering product on time for customers who depend on you? Have you led a manufacturing team where every decision from scheduling to capital planning falls on you? Are you ready to participate personally in the results you deliver in partnership with a team that is invested in your success?
ABOUT AMERICAN OPERATOR
American Operator exists to keep the American Dream alive through small-business leadership & ownership. We place experienced operators into businesses of retiring owners who want their life's work placed in capable, values-driven hands. Our mission is to ensure great businesses stay local, stay strong, and stay in the hands of leaders who care.
Operators who partner with us step into the CEO role of an established Main Street business backed by hands-on support, strategic guidance, and a community of peers. This is not a solo endeavor. American Operator is your partner from day one, investing in your success as you invest in the business. Over time, operators follow a clear pathway to earn significant equity in the business they lead.
THE ROLE
American Operator is hiring a CEO to lead an established plastics manufacturing company in the Orange County, CA metro area. The business has been operating for decades, serves a loyal base of B2B customers in the health and supplement packaging industry, and runs a multi-shift production operation with a stable, experienced team in place.
As CEO, you will have full P&L responsibility and lead the business through a leadership transition from the retiring founder with American Operator as your strategic partner throughout. This is not a corporate management position and it is not a solo operation. It is a hands-on leadership role where you will be on the production floor, with customers, and making capital decisions alongside your team, supported by a partner that provides the resources, coaching, and strategic guidance to help you succeed. The business has real operational complexity and requires a leader who welcomes that challenge. The right person will treat this business as their own and the structure is designed to reward that mindset with real equity over time.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Lead a multi-shift production operation and drive measurable results in output, quality, and on-time delivery
Own the full P&L
Retain and develop the existing production team through the leadership transition
Manage and protect key B2B customer relationships where a small number of long-tenured accounts drive the majority of revenue
Build and execute a capital equipment plan. Assess aging machinery, prioritize replacements, and invest for capacity growth
Drive organic growth through capacity expansion, product mix optimization, and customer diversification
Partner with American Operator on strategy, budgeting, and growth planning. You lead the business, and AO supports you with resources, coaching, and a network of experienced operators
WHAT YOU'VE DONE
Managed a manufacturing floor with multiple shifts and 20+ hourly employees.
Led capacity expansion initiatives and you know how to grow production output with within confined restraints and can set a vision for expanding capacity over time
Held personal P&L accountability in a small business or business unit. You have been responsible for financial outcomes, and you know how to drive financial outcomes through operations
Worked at or led a company or facility with fewer than 100 employees where there is no corporate infrastructure to fall back on
Managed key B2B account relationships where a small number of customers drive the majority of revenue. You know what it takes to protect and grow concentrated customer bases
WHAT SETS YOU APART
HDPE plastics manufacturing experience. Blow molding, packaging, or adjacent plastics processes
Equipment lifecycle and capital expenditure planning experience. You have built maintenance programs and multi-year capex budgets
Supply chain or procurement experience, particularly with import dynamics, resin pricing, or tariff management
COMPENSATION
Base salary starts at $175,000, with benefits provided by the portfolio company including health, dental, and vision insurance. The compensation package also includes distributions, performance bonuses, and equity that grows based on your ability to drive results with the potential to become a significant owner of the business you lead.
LOCATION
This opportunity is located in the Orange County, CA metro area. Relocation will be required if you are not currently in the area. The exact location will be shared during the interview process.
Ready to lead the next chapter?
Before you apply, we encourage you to visit americanoperator.com to learn more about who we are, how we work, and what our operators have to say about the experience. When you are ready, apply today to start the conversation.