Experience - Business Opportunities Management Consulting3

Experience

BRIAN S. ZWEIG, M.B.A.
Principal

CONSULTING

Business Opportunities Management Consulting (Defreestville, NY): Founded in 1998, the firm has been helping businesses in the following areas:

Development and implementation of business plans
Securing of funding for expansion and start-ups
Development of new products and markets, including international distribution

MANAGEMENT

Certified Marketing Services (Kinderhook, NY): Provides retail merchandising and information collection services to manufacturers, retailers and the entertainment industry.

Executive Vice President (1994 - 1998)

Developed and implemented 5-year business plan. Met plan financial targets in 3 years by achieving a greater than three-fold increase in sales and profits.
Implemented state-of-the-art computer management and data collection system to assign and track projects being handled by firm’s 15,000+ people in the field. Included installation of computer hardware, networks, office software and new phone system.
Strengthened organization by hiring experienced senior-level managers in Operations, Information Systems and Human Resources. Implemented company HR policies and improved benefits program.

Garden Way Inc. (Troy, NY): Manufacturer and marketer of outdoor lawn and garden power equipment.

Acting Manager of Retail Marketing (1986 - 1987) and Product Manager (1987 - 1994)

Bottom line responsibility for $125,000,000/yr. tiller and walk-behind mower lines.
Developed and implemented marketing strategies that resulted in a ten-fold sales increase in mulching mower line (to 100,000 units/yr) and 500% increase (to 20,000 units/yr) in min-tiller sales.
Implemented cost reductions in mulching mower line for $750,000/yr savings with improved quality.
Led successful market introduction of various mower and tiller product lines, including products developed for foreign markets.
Managed retail marketing department and riding product line through corporate reorganizations.

Charles Freihofer Baking Co. (New Paltz, NY): Regional baking company manufacturing and distributing breads, cakes and cookies.

Regional Marketing Manager (1982 - 1986)

Responsible for merchandising, retail promotion and store relations in the company’s largest sales region ($11,000,000).
Used sales analysis to increase retail space, making the region the company’s fastest growing in sales.

EDUCATION

M.B.A. from AMOS TUCK SCHOOL AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE - 1982

B.S. in Applied Economics and Business Management from CORNELL UNIVERSITY - 1980

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Member: Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Global Business Network, Capital Region World Trade Center

Board Member: Tech Valley Global Business Network

Former Board Member: Schenectady County Community Business Center, Rensselaer County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board, Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy (past President), Pen & Palette Not-for-Profit Corporation (funds cancer research)

Founding Partner: Tech Valley Angel Network

32 Clearview Terrace, Rensselaer, New York 12144 - Tel.: +1 (518) 283-1120 - Fax: +1 (518) 283-1287 - E-mail: new@businessop.com