Andy Andrews

About Andy Andrews

Engineering and operations leader specializing in large-scale manufacturing, automation, and enterprise transformation. Known for driving safety, reliability, AI-enabled automation, and capital programs with high forecast accuracy that improve productivity and operational efficiency.I lead organizations through clarity, coaching, and operational discipline—building strong technical cultures, elevating excellence, and developing leaders who scale with the business. Experienced in transforming underperforming systems into high-reliability operations and creating repeatable frameworks for automation, capital deployment, and Smart Factory execution.Former Founder, Board Chair & EVP of Engineering & Operations, VP of Operations with full P&L responsibility, Senior Engineering Manager, Plant Engineering Manager, Plant Engineer, and R&D Manager with enterprise capital strategy ownership. Proven ability to scale engineering organizations, modernize legacy platforms, and drive tangible business outcomes.Earlier in my career, I founded and scaled a manufacturing startup, commercialized patented technologies, achieved national distribution, and earned recognition in a major U.S. publication. I also helped lead a 1M sq. ft. greenfield manufacturing startup—building teams, systems, and processes from the ground up to reach operational readiness and scalable growth.Technical Domains & Expertise- Engineering: process, packaging, machine, tooling, materials- Machine Design (from scratch to validation): high‑speed continuous motion/indexing systems, sanitary designs- Automation: AI-enabled automation, robotics (ISO 10218/RIA 15.06), collaborative, AMRs, deltas- Reliability Engineering: Weibull, MTTR/MTBF, Stops, line balancing- Mechanical Systems: hydraulics, pneumatics, cams, gears, mechanisms, linkages- Plant Process: pumps, piping, valves, dust collection, boilers, chillers, ammonia refrigeration, pressure vessels - Material Handling: conveyors, sorters, feeders- Controls: electrical/controls, sensors, drives, motors, NFPA/NEC- Modeling & Simulation: SolidWorks, Inventor, Motion Analyzer, ANSYS- Capital projects, maintenance, Lean MFG/TPM- Equipment Safety: AMEC/CAT 3+ PLd machine guarding- Materials: metallurgy, tool steels, carbides, composites, ceramics, extrusions, forgingsIndustries include CPG, food manufacturing, material handling, aerospace, and sheet metal. Focused on enabling growth through engineering excellence, AI-driven automation, capital-efficient innovation, and building high-performance teams with operational rigor.

Experience

1. Sr Principal Engineering Manager - Process & Packaging Automation

   Rich Products Corporation

   Apr 2024 — Present

   Hands-on senior engineering leader driving design, development, and deployment of advanced process and packaging automation systems across global multi-sites manufacturing. • Lead design and execution of custom automation systems across 18 manufacturing sites, focusing on high-speed packaging & material handling automation. • Serve as technical authority for automation, equipment selection, OEM development, and factory acceptance testing.• Lead front-end engineering (FEE), including concept development, 2D & 3D layout design, and technical readiness (e.g, GTRO, FMEAs) while collaborating with OEMs, Operations, Safety, Quality, R&D, and Packaging Development to ensure systems meet performance, reliability, and maintainability requirements.• Develop best in-class engineering standards and technical core competency programs to build high-performance teams & organizational capabilities in robotics, automation, RE & line balancing, modeling & simulation, TPM (AM/PM), MFG Excellence, and problem-solving to drive vertical startups. • Own scope, cost/schedule, technical readiness, construction, and CQV delivery of high-impact technically driven automation projects with vertical startups.

Education

• Continuing Education

  Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Various Studies

  1993 — 2015

• Chattanooga State Community College

  Transfer, Mechanical Engineering

  1990 — 1993

• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

  Bachelor’s Degree, Mechanical Engineering

  1993 — 1996