Kimo Oberloh
Business Transformation, Lean Sensei
Focus = Lean, Toyota Production System, Problem-Solving, Culture and People
Kimo Oberloh is a practical, lean-focused change agent with over 30 years of operations experience. He is a talented senior executive who has achieved EBITDA growth by leading companies through lean transformations across various industrial verticals such as: test and measurement, building products, automotive, aerospace & defense, mining, capital equipment, and energy, and across diverse geographies beyond the United States including: Germany, Mexico, Italy, Argentina, Canada, and Israel.
In each engagement, Kimo holds fast to Toyota’s golden rule of “respect for people”. He transforms the culture of an organization through coaching at every level from the “shop floor to the top floor”, by using proven concepts, systems, and methodologies that are associated with the Toyota Production System (“TPS”).
Kimo learned much of his lean TPS fundamentals while at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky, Toyota’s first wholly owned North American plant. Kimo refined his lean thinking and approach by: participating in the startup of Daimler-Benz’s first manufacturing facility in the US, increasing the flow of parts at The Boeing Company (including transitioning the 737 to a moving assembly line), and helping Delphi establish the Delphi Manufacturing Model.
Kimo has worked alongside StoneTree team members since 2012, including while serving at the initial manufacturing location of Cabinetworks (formerly known as acpi), an AIP investment which was extraordinarily successful and ultimately became the largest privately held cabinet manufacturer in North America.
Kimo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.
In his spare time, Kimo prefers to be outside feeding his sense of adventure. He participates in just about any outdoor activity but is especially fond of snow skiing and water sports.
Fun fact: prior to his manufacturing career, Kimo worked on cruise ships in Hawaii, Tahiti, the Caribbean, and the Mexican Riviera.