A VESTED PARTNERSHIP
STARTS WITH A TEAM.
For 20 years, nGROUP has been increasing workforce efficiency and building high-performing teams.
“THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.”
In 2001, David Hair, Jim Zimmerman, and Bob Duron all had that exact thought. Though they were working at separate companies, they saw the same thing:
Manufacturing and distribution operations were struggling to deal with the highs and lows of customer demand.
Some organizations would add to their payroll, increasing liability and risk. Others brought in third-party staffing providers, who provided workers, but no on-site leadership to maximize performance. This stretched management too thin in critical seasons.
It was clear that neither option was the best solution.
David owned equipment financing, staffing, and recruiting firms. Jim was on the front lines as an industrial engineer and facility manager. Bob was working with the supply chain at Amazon, trying to manage sudden swings in consumer demand.
Separately, they each saw the need to truly revolutionize operations and eliminate labor-related struggles.
In 2001, David and Jim founded nGROUP and began offering this transformational approach – an insourcing model that provided both staff and the leadership needed for success. After leveraging the nGROUP insourcing model at DHL, Walmart and Americold Logistics, Bob joined the team in 2018.
Now, together, the three leaders help leverage a more flexible, low-risk option for manufacturing and distribution operations.
nGROUP’s LEADERSHIP TEAM IS DEDICATED
TO YOUR SUCCESS.
JIM ZIMMERMAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER
As an industrial engineer by trade, Jim Zimmerman enjoys locking arms with clients and helping them apply proven processes and find new approaches to their mulit-faceted challenges. Jim is a leading expert in Lean Six Sigma Operations Process Outsourcing.
Jim co-founded nGROUP with David Hair in 2001 and since that time he has served as CFO. Jim is accountable for the administrative, financial, risk management, IT, and human resource operations of the company, including business intelligence and data-driven metrics tied to these functions.
BOB DURON
PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Warehouses and distribution centers are like Bob’s second home. He has worked in the industry since he was a teenager, and during his career he’s held nearly every role in supply chain and logistics management in companies like DHL, GAP, Walmart, Amazon, AmeriCold Logistics, and most recently a luxury e-commerce startup called The RealReal. As a result of his close personal experience with most of the jobs he oversees, Bob is able to manage people and processes like no other to drive employee satisfaction, operational efficiency, and exceed customer goals.
Before joining nGROUP as the Chief Operating Officer, Bob was actually a client who brought in nGROUP teams as his secret weapon during his time running operations at Walmart. Over Bob’s 10 years as an Executive at Walmart, he led several specialty divisions of the Walmart Stores USA Supply Chain including Reverse Logistics Network, Direct Imports Network, Print/Mail Network, Traditional Store General Merchandise, and Grocery Distribution Network.
DAVID HAIR
CO-FOUNDER
David Hair created the insourcing concept when he co-founded nGROUP with Jim Zimmerman in 2001 to take away labor management headaches for companies across the country.
Over the past 20 years, under David’s leadership, nGROUP has helped companies like Del Monte, Sony, Honda, Williams-Sonoma, Macy’s, US Auto Parts, and Taylor Farms ramp up and ramp down quickly, save costs, increase productivity and employee satisfaction, and create raving fans of customers.
DIRON RAINES
Chief Strategy Officer
Diron Raines is affectionately deemed “the scientist” of the leadership team by his peers because prior to joining nGROUP, he was a Senior Manager in Accenture’s Strategy Practice. In that role, he oversaw over 250 accelerated cost improvement projects across his clients’ supply chains from inventory and procurement through final packaging, delivery, and warehousing. True to his nickname, Diron is a scientist of engineering efficiency, but he is also all about people.
During his tenure as a Senior Manager in Accenture’s Strategy Practice, Diron implemented and managed cost reduction and tactical improvement programs for several global brands. He led the benefits case for a global supply chain redesign for a major international metals company, realizing an annual savings of $50MM. He consulted on global brands in diverse industries such as Ameren, International Paper, Corning, Bay West, Winchester, Phelps Dodge, Georgia Pacific, Wausau Mosinee, Olin Corp, Louisiana Pacific, and Unisource, among others.
JULIE ROBERTS
EVP & Chief People Officer
At nGROUP, our people are our greatest asset. The more we grow, the more we need to invest in our people. With over 30 years of HR experience, Julie Roberts takes care of and strengthens the relationships that make it happen. As EVP & Chief People Officer, Julie guides nGROUP leadership on the strategy and processes that support the future state of the organization.
Julie has experience in employee relations, change management, leadership training and development programs with companies such as Nestlé, US Foods, Bimbo Bakeries and AmeriCold Logistics. At Nestlé she helped build a web-based compensation system supporting 3,000+ employees, expedited organizational changes through end-to-end market integration tools she developed, and received the Igniter Award for integration leadership.
RYAN CATES
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
When you contact nGROUP, Ryan Cates will be your mainstay from contact to contract. As Vice President of Sales, Ryan works closely with companies who are looking to achieve more with fewer labor management headaches. If you’re not sure if your company or facility is a good fit for an nGROUP partnership, simply schedule a call with Ryan and he can help you determine with confidence if nGROUP is for you.
Ryan has been overseeing the sales team for nGROUP since 2006. Whether you’re looking for more stability in your business or you’re looking to achieve more with your hourly workforce, Ryan can walk you through a stress-free assessment phase. Ryan will work closely with Diron Raines to design a customized plan for solving the most significant labor-related issues in your facilities.
DAVID A COOK
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY
Supply chain leaders deserve detailed, easy-to-digest data on how their teams are performing. David Cook ensures that nGROUP clients can access the performance of their workforce at the simple click of a button, in real-time on the cloud. As EVP of Technology, David is responsible for technology development for nGROUP corporate systems, as well as all onsite technology initiatives.
David led the development of nGROUP’s Labor Management System (LMS), nSITE. The technology includes sophisticated work scheduling, incentive pay payroll systems and automated real-time reports on performance by individual and location. Using the nSITE platform, nGROUP clients can make more decisions in real-time that impact the site’s performance without costly delays trying to decipher outdated or complicated reporting.
TOM GOLON
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
An entrepreneurial leader, Tom Golon’s expertise in teambuilding and his eye for detail will help nGROUP identify opportunities to drive higher success levels in AP, AR, payroll, risk, Banking, credit, FP&A, risk management, HR compliance, and M&A.
Tom’s experiences in operations, finance, and M&A, at companies such as MCG Global and Hilsmier Consulting, make him the perfect executive to help nGROUP achieve our overall growth strategy and exceed our customer’s expectations.
nGROUP’s LEADERSHIP IS SUPPORTED BY A HOST OF EXPERTS.
FRANKLIN
SOLORZANO
Executive Vice President Engineering and Solutions
JAKE
DURON
Division Vice President Operations
ADAM
THOMAS
Division Vice President Operations
JasoN
May
Vice President Operations
Eliud
Armendariz
Vice President Operations Excellence
BRITT
BROWN
Division Vice President Talent Acquisition & Sourcing
Holly
Anderson
Vice President Strategic Project and Change Management
MATT
LINDEN
Senior Director Operations
CLINTON
KENNEDY
DIRECTOR ENGINEERING
JESSICA
CRISS
DIRECTOR LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
TERESA
DEATON
HQ Director Payroll & Benefits
RAMONA
PATETE
HQ Director Accounting
YOUR PLAN TO OUTSOURCE, LEVEL UP, AND GROW
Starting your nGROUP partnership is easy, and it only takes a 15-minute phone call.
BOOK A CALL
Click the link below to schedule an introductory call with one of our experts.
GET A CUSTOM PROPOSAL
Together, we’ll find your most pressing problems and create a solution to address them.
LEVEL UP AND GROW
With a turn-key, fixed-cost solution for your warehouse operations
TRUSTED BY
DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES
AND MANUFACTURING
OPERATIONS LIKE
YOURS.
We offer proven solutions to labor recruiting and management challenges. Our clients come from all these industries, and more.
RETAIL DISTRIBUTION
REVERSE LOGISTICS
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION
FRESH FOODS PACKING
E-COMMERCE & OMNICHANNEL
