30 years rebuilding plants where the deal model met operational reality.
Using "The EBITDA Integrity™ Framework Diagnostic"
Trusted by operators across
Most plants are designed by accident and run at the speed of tribal knowledge.
When your site misses the investment thesis, it is usually because of these "silent killers" of efficiency that never showed up in the Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM).
That doesn't show up in diligence.
It shows up in month four, when the operating partner needs answers, and the plant manager doesn't have them.
You're not the first to inherit this situation.
It happens fast. There is a way to regain control.
Underperforming equipment and unplanned downtime do more than just delay orders. They can silently destroy up to one-third of a plant's potential revenue.
20–30% of annual revenue is lost to operational friction. This loss is time wasted on changeovers and "busy work" that fails to feed the value drivers of the business deliverable.
Quality failures are rarely isolated. They are symptoms of broader efficiency friction that can consume 10–25% of total manufacturing revenue.
For a mid-sized firm, these leaks translate to $250,000–$600,000 in avoidable losses every single year.
John Ballard has spent three decades as a turnaround specialist across building materials, plastics, consumer goods, and OTC pharmaceuticals. Career highlights include 1 plant startup, 6 plant turnarounds, leadership over large capital projects up to $120 million, a sustained zero-incident recordable injury rate (RIR), and recovering plant efficiencies that PE firms and M&A teams acquire when the deal model doesn't match operational reality.
Download "The 5 Hidden Profit Leaks" Brief →Plants Don't Meet Post-Acquisition Targets Without Aligned Leadership, Transparent Plans, and Stable Systems
Most acquisitions move fast.
Operational truth lags.
That gap destroys enterprise value. Recovery Roadmap Transparency.
Operational truth surfaces before it becomes a board-level problem.
EBITDA stabilizes in the first 90 days. Leaders regain direction and control.
The Compass shows where EBITDA lives. The Clock restores rhythm, accountability, and predictable performance.
When chaos takes over, this is how control is restored.
Every service above runs on the same proven system:
Identify what's bleeding margin. Precision targeting of the operational leaks that are silently destroying your EBITDA model.
Synchronize people, process, and data. Replace tribal knowledge and fragmented systems with operational truth that leadership can act on.
Track what actually predicts EBITDA. Build the KPI architecture that gives leaders real visibility — not lagging indicators that confirm damage already done.
Lock in gains so performance sustains. Embed capability into your team so results hold when OpexAI departs.
You're not hiring a consultant; you're hiring a high-speed recovery operator. AI isn't the product; speed and clarity are. The goal isn't dependency; it's capability transfer. The metric isn't activity; it's EBITDA stabilization.
Know where EBITDA is bleeding before the numbers make it obvious.
Choose the Right Level of Force for the Deal You Bought
Every acquisition requires a different speed of intervention. The question isn't whether to act. It's how much force the situation requires.
Pre/Post-Acquisitions & Turnaround Strategy
This is where every engagement starts. Within the first 30–90 days post-close, we replace assumptions with facts:
Outcome: You know exactly where value is being lost and what to fix first.
When speed matters more than elegance.
You get:
Best for: Founders, operators, and investors who need clarity now, not a 60-page report.
When the deal's Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) thesis depends on operational discipline.
You get everything in Executive, plus:
When the cost of being wrong is measured in credibility, not just capital.
You get:
Most firms don't fail from a lack of insight. They fail because of a lack of follow-through. That's why OpexAI offers fractional leadership that bridges assessment to implementation, ensuring actions close, systems deploy, and EBITDA moves.
Closes actions. Forces operational rhythm. Moves EBITDA, not slides.
Best for: High-pressure integrations with on-site presence where credibility is on the line.
Tracks execution through the Task Swimlane system. Keeps leaders focused on what actually moves results.
Best for: Maintaining momentum without constant on-site presence.
Most consulting firms diagnose the problem, hand over a roadmap, and leave. Three months later, the deck sits in a folder while the plant still bleeds margin. OpexAI doesn't stop at the report.
Implementation support means turning the roadmap into operational reality. Systems get integrated into existing workflows. Processes get optimized without ripping out what already works. Teams get trained to sustain the gains. The plan moves from strategic intent to measurable performance.
Most plants don't fail from lack of insight. They fail because nobody bridges strategy to execution. OpexAI closes that gap. The TIME Framework™ runs through implementation, measurement, and sustained elevation, not just diagnosis.
This is how EBITDA moves from projected to realized.
See How We Implement →"John rebuilt capability, restored confidence, and protected our brand from a major quality event."
"His improvements fed directly into a $25 million EBITDA gain over budget."
Clear Priorities. Predictable Execution. Protected Value.
Most plants don't have a technology problem. They have a priority problem.
What Sets OpexAI Apart:
John's been the plant manager and fully responsible when systems fail. He's inherited broken plants, impossible timelines, and PE owners demanding results in 90 days.
Classical operational excellence compressed by AI-enabled diagnostics. What used to take weeks now happens in hours. Using Agentic AI to accelerate the process.
We rebuild capabilities so teams can execute without relying on external support indefinitely.
The TIME Framework™ delivers both the Compass (strategic clarity on where EBITDA lives) and the Clock (operational rhythm and accountability).
"Fixing one department doesn't fix the plant. To drive growth, every function, from logistics to procurement, must align with the North Star."
30 years rebuilding plants that others walked away from. John's been the one to bear responsibility when systems fail, the one to inherit impossible timelines, and the one PE owners call when the deal model hits the plant floor.
$25 million in EBITDA gains. $120 million in capital projects. Zero-incident safety records that lasted.
John didn't learn turnarounds from a textbook. He learned them by being the leader responsible when reality showed up.
Schedule a Call with John →OpexAI delivers fact-driven assessments, rapid stabilization, and predictable EBITDA gains for PE firms and M&A teams navigating post-acquisition reality.
Post-acquisition success isn't about cutting costs. It's about rebuilding capability fast enough to protect valuation and strong enough to hand full control back to the site leader.
Discover where EBITDA is bleeding in newly acquired plants and how to stop it fast.
Most PE firms and M&A teams know operational risk exists.
The difference is timing.
Some wait until the numbers force the conversation. Others obtain operational truth before it becomes a board-level problem.