Production Manager

Midwest Star Group is a Wisconsin-based family of businesses serving the towing, transportation, automotive, truck and trailer, equipment, and service industries. Our companies work together to deliver quality service, skilled craftsmanship, and dependable solutions to customers throughout Western and Central Wisconsin.

Star Equipment Sales specializes in tow trucks, recovery equipment, truck body installations, and related equipment solutions. Our team works with specialized truck equipment, including NRC truck builds, to deliver dependable, high-quality products that meet customer specifications.

About the Position

The Production Manager is responsible for overseeing daily production and assembly operations, including truck body installation, fabrication, electrical and hydraulic systems, quality control, and final vehicle completion.

This individual will lead production employees, establish standardized processes, manage production schedules, and ensure equipment is completed safely, efficiently, and according to customer specifications.

The position requires a leader who is comfortable working directly on the production floor while also developing the processes, systems, and accountability needed to support long-term operational success.

Key Responsibilities

Production Operations

• Lead daily tow truck body installation, assembly, and production activities.
• Establish daily production priorities, employee assignments, and clear performance expectations.
• Develop and maintain production schedules based on customer commitments, chassis availability, parts, labor capacity, and equipment requirements.
• Monitor work-in-process, production milestones, and expected completion dates.
• Coordinate technicians, fabricators, installers, and other production personnel to maximize efficiency.
• Ensure completed trucks are ready for final inspection, testing, delivery, and customer acceptance.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Maintain accurate production schedules, labor forecasts, project milestones, and capacity requirements.
• Identify potential delays, staffing constraints, material shortages, and production bottlenecks.
• Develop corrective action plans to keep production projects on schedule.
• Coordinate with Sales, Purchasing, Parts, and leadership regarding production status and delivery commitments.
• Provide regular updates on production capacity, project timelines, and operational priorities.

Process Improvement & Efficiency

• Develop and implement standardized production procedures, work instructions, and repeatable build processes.
• Identify opportunities to reduce downtime, unnecessary movement, rework, and inefficient workflows.
• Improve facility layouts, material movement, production sequencing, and employee productivity.
• Implement visual management tools, production checklists, and performance tracking.
• Use continuous-improvement practices to improve quality, throughput, safety, and cost efficiency.

Quality Control

• Ensure completed trucks meet NRC specifications, customer requirements, company standards, and applicable regulations.
• Establish quality checkpoints throughout production to identify issues before final completion.
• Reduce rework, missed installation requirements, and post-delivery warranty concerns.
• Partner with employees and leadership to investigate quality issues and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain high standards for fit, finish, functionality, and customer readiness.

Parts & Materials Coordination

• Coordinate with purchasing and parts personnel to ensure materials are available when needed.
• Identify long-lead components and potential supply-related delays.
• Improve material staging, parts organization, and production readiness.
• Support inventory planning and efficient use of production materials.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide hands-on leadership, coaching, and daily direction to production employees.
• Establish expectations for quality, safety, productivity, attendance, and accountability.
• Conduct regular production meetings and communicate daily priorities.
• Identify employee training needs and develop cross-training opportunities.
• Build a culture of teamwork, ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement.

Safety & Workplace Organization

• Promote safe work practices and ensure compliance with applicable safety procedures.

• Maintain an organized, clean, and efficient production environment.

• Identify and correct unsafe conditions and behaviors.

• Incorporate safety and workplace organization into production processes and facility layouts.

• 5+ years of experience in medium- or heavy-duty trucks, specialty vehicles, truck equipment, manufacturing, fabrication, or similar production operations.

• Demonstrated experience leading technicians, fabricators, mechanics, installers, skilled trades, or production employees.

• Strong production planning, scheduling, workflow management, and capacity-planning skills.

• Experience managing multiple production projects, competing priorities, and delivery deadlines.

• Demonstrated ability to implement process improvements, standardized work procedures, and operational efficiencies.

• Strong problem-solving, root-cause analysis, and continuous-improvement skills.

• Ability to hold employees accountable while maintaining a positive, team-oriented work environment.

• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.

• Comfortable working in a hands-on production environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with tow trucks, wreckers, carriers, vocational trucks, or specialty vehicle manufacturing.
• Familiarity with medium- and heavy-duty truck chassis and truck-mounted equipment.
• Working knowledge of fabrication, welding, hydraulics, electrical systems, PTO systems, and truck body installation.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen, or similar continuous-improvement methodologies.
• Experience implementing production KPIs, visual management tools, standardized work, and scheduling systems.
• Ability to interpret engineered drawings, build sheets, bills of materials, and customer-specific equipment specifications.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation based on qualifications and experience.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employer-paid life and AD&D insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability options.
• Retirement plan with company matching.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Additional voluntary benefit options.
• Opportunity to help shape production processes and operational growth within an established Wisconsin business.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Midwest Star Group and its affiliated companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We are committed to providing employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.