Plant Manager – Steel Pipe Manufacturing (Eloy, AZ)

SONORAN SALES COMPANY LLC•Eloy, AZ

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Manager will lead a greenfield steel water pipe manufacturing facility currently under construction, joining approximately six months from now to lead startup operations while construction continues on-site. At hire, the cement mortar lining and coating lines will be operational; the fabrication building and coating building will still be under construction, and the mill building (spiral weld mill and plate rolling) is not scheduled for completion until Q4 2027. This role therefore combines steady-state operational leadership with hands-on startup, commissioning, and construction coordination responsibility during the facility's buildout. Once fully built, the facility will span 20 acres, producing AWWA C200 pipe from 4" to 72" in diameter — spiral weld mill (18"–54"), plate rolling above 54", purchased seamless pipe (4"–16") processed through lining and coating, cement mortar lining (AWWA C205), coating operations (AWWA C205/C210/C214/C222), and an in-house fabrication shop for custom fittings and specials, which also lines and coats all fittings and specials. The fabrication operation has run at another company location for seven years and will relocate into the new fabrication building; all other production areas are greenfield. This role carries full P&L accountability and reports to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Principal Engineer, building and leading a non-union workforce as the facility comes online in phases.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
8–10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership, including 3–5+ years as a plant/operations manager.
Greenfield facility startup or major expansion/commissioning experience strongly preferred — comfort building teams, systems, and procedures from the ground up while construction is ongoing.
Experience coordinating with EPC firms, general contractors, or engineering teams during equipment installation and commissioning.
Steel water pipe manufacturing experience strongly preferred (spiral weld mill, plate rolling, cement mortar lining, coating).
Experience with AWWA standards and municipal/water utility customer requirements.
Experience maintaining STI/SPFA and NSF certification, including annual audits.
Track record managing single-shift, non-union operations and capital projects.
Knowledge of spiral welding, plate rolling, and pipe mill equipment.
Familiarity with cement mortar lining/coating systems and their inspection requirements.
Lean/Six Sigma/TPM experience; strong financial acumen and ERP/MRP proficiency.
Strong safety leadership and OSHA/EPA compliance knowledge.
Comfort operating with ambiguity and shifting priorities typical of a phased startup, rather than a fully established operation.

Responsibilities

Lead startup and commissioning of the straight-pipe cement mortar lining and coating operations — the first production systems on site — including hiring, training, and standing up procedures from the ground up.
Coordinate closely with the EPC/general contractor and engineering teams on construction schedule, equipment installation, and commissioning of the fabrication building, coating building, and mill building as each comes online.
Oversee the relocation of the existing fabrication operation into the new fabrication building with the Fabrication Manager — including the move plan, a short planned shutdown, build-ahead to protect customer commitments, equipment recommissioning, and a return to pre-move performance.
Develop a phased staffing and hiring plan aligned to construction milestones: lining/coating first, relocation of the existing fabrication crew and the coating building next, followed by the spiral mill and plate rolling operations targeted for Q4 2027.
Manage safety across a hybrid active-construction/active-production site, including contractor safety coordination, site access control, and clear separation of construction zones from operational areas.
Establish quality systems, SOPs, and certification processes (STI/SPFA, NSF) as each greenfield production area is commissioned, rather than inheriting an established system, and carry the relocated fabrication operation’s existing procedures and certification scope over to the new site without a lapse.
Direct daily operations of the spiral mill, plate rolling, seamless pipe intake, lining/coating lines, and fabrication shop to meet production and delivery targets.
Manage the division of lining and coating work: the Lining/Coating Manager is responsible for straight pipe, and the Fabrication Manager is responsible for lining and coating all fittings and specials. Ensure the two areas use consistent materials, procedures, and standards and coordinate on shared equipment and scheduling.
Manage production planning and scheduling with sales, engineering, and customer service across the full 4"–72" product range.
Drive continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, TPM) to reduce scrap, downtime, and cost per foot.
Oversee raw material flow — coil, plate, purchased seamless pipe, welding consumables, cement/aggregate, and coating materials — and manage yard/site logistics across the 20-acre site.
Ensure all product meets AWWA C200 and associated lining/coating standards (C205, C210, C214, C222).
Build and maintain the facility's STI/SPFA and NSF product certification from startup, expanding certification scope as fabrication, coating, and mill operations come online through 2027.
Oversee dimensional inspection, hydrostatic testing, weld NDT, and lining/coating inspection (holiday testing, DFT, adhesion, cure) across all pipe sources and fittings.
Partner with the QC/Safety Supervisor on nonconformance resolution, customer submittals, and third-party/municipal audits.
Champion a zero-incident safety culture and ensure OSHA/EHS compliance across an active construction site transitioning to full production.
Oversee safety programs for hot work, confined space entry, abrasive blasting, and coating/cement material handling, plus contractor safety coordination during buildout.
Ensure environmental compliance for welding fumes, blast media disposal, coating emissions, and wastewater.
Direct preventive/predictive maintenance, led by the Maintenance Supervisor, to maximize uptime across all production lines.
Approve capital improvement plans and manage capex budgets.
Lead and build out the plant team in phases as the facility comes online — working from day one with the existing Lining/Coating Manager, Fabrication Manager, and QC/Safety Supervisor, and adding the Spiral Mill Manager as the mill building completes in Q4 2027.
Own hiring, training, performance management, and succession planning for a single-shift, non-union workforce, including standing up onboarding and training programs from scratch.
Set clear KPIs and hold direct reports accountable.
Own the plant's operating budget; monitor linear footage shipped, line utilization, yield/scrap, on-time delivery, safety incident rate, and cost per foot.
Identify and execute cost-reduction and productivity initiatives.
Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, and Project Management on customer commitments and project scheduling.