Testimonial from a former colleague or client will appear here — focused on paint process turnaround work, OEE improvement, and the discipline brought to stabilizing a struggling line.
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Paint Process Consulting
De-Risk Paint Operations. Deliver Outcomes That Move Production.
Smilor Consulting helps manufacturers, OEMs, and industrial operations improve paint and powder systems, prepare for audits, solve persistent production issues, and execute complex CapEx projects — backed by 40+ years of hands-on industrial experience.
40+ Years Experience
NFPA & OSHA Aligned
PMP-Led Execution
OEM & Industrial Mfg
+10pts
Average OEE improvement after paint line stabilization
Our Impact
Documented results from a career on the floor.
Selected outcomes from prior engagements and leadership roles. These reflect Doug's documented experience across automotive, heavy equipment, and consumer manufacturing.
Career Span
40+
Years of paint, powder, automation, and CapEx experience.
Lead Time
50%
Engineering and project lead-time reduction at Trimac.
First-Pass Yield
90%
Trek paint department turnaround, from −40% baseline.
CapEx Delivery
5×
Major Deere capital projects completed during COVID.
Metrics reflect documented outcomes from Doug Smilor's prior roles at Trimac Industrial Systems, Trek Bicycle, Deere & Company, and others. Brazil project recognized with Deere's Global Environmental Impact Award (2021).
What We Do
Senior-level paint process consulting where execution can't slip.
When your paint line drives quality, throughput, audit posture, or a multi-million-dollar capital decision — Smilor Consulting brings the structure, technical depth, and disciplined execution that protects timelines, budgets, and operational continuity.
Where We Deliver Most Value
- Paint & powder system optimization: Improve OEE, throughput, yield, and finish quality on existing lines.
- Audits & compliance readiness: NFPA 33, NFPA 86, NFPA 30, and OSHA-aligned assessments with practical action plans.
- CapEx project execution: Equipment selection, vendor coordination, scope, and on-the-floor implementation.
Outcomes You Can Expect
- Stabilized lines: Disciplined root-cause analysis and standard work that holds after we leave.
- Audit-ready systems: Documented gaps, prioritized corrective actions, and clear ownership.
- Protected investments: CapEx programs that hit scope, schedule, and the operating goals behind them.
How We Engage
- Senior practitioner, not a junior team: Doug works directly on every engagement.
- Flexible scope: Single-day site visits, scoped audits, or long-term advisory.
- Industry-fluent: Automotive, heavy equipment, consumer manufacturing, and powder coating.
Our Services
Specialized consulting for paint, powder &
Specialized consulting for paint, powder &
industrial process performance.
Six service areas built around the work that actually moves throughput, quality, audit posture, and project outcomes.
Optimization
Paint & Powder Process Optimization
Improve throughput, consistency, yield, and finish quality across paint and powder operations. Diagnose drift, stabilize the line, and lock in standard work that survives shift changes and operator turnover.
- OEE improvement and cycle-time reduction
- First-pass yield and rework reduction
- Class-A finish quality and process stabilization
Audits
Paint System Audits & Assessments
Evaluate existing systems, identify compliance and performance gaps, document risks, and deliver practical action plans aligned to NFPA, OSHA, and operational priorities — built for plants, not auditors' binders.
- Comprehensive paint system assessments
- NFPA 33 / 86 / 30 readiness reviews
- Prioritized corrective action plans with ownership
CapEx
CapEx & Project Execution Support
Support planning, vendor coordination, equipment selection, scope definition, and on-the-floor implementation for high-stakes manufacturing investments. PMBOK-aligned discipline matched to your operating reality.
- Equipment selection and vendor management
- Project scope, schedule, and budget control
- Commissioning, ramp-up, and stabilization
Compliance
Compliance & Safety Readiness
Practical guidance around paint-related standards including NFPA 33, NFPA 86, NFPA 30, and OSHA — focused on operational readiness and real-world implementation, not paperwork theater.
- NFPA paint-process compliance reviews
- OSHA safety standards alignment
- Compliance training and operator readiness
Capacity
Factory Planning & Capacity Modeling
Assess production flow, capacity constraints, line balance, and operational bottlenecks. Build a plan grounded in real cycle times, real WIP, and real-world variation — not idealized takt assumptions.
- Production flow and bottleneck analysis
- Line balancing and capacity modeling
- Layout and gap closure planning
Turnaround
Root Cause & Turnaround Support
Help teams diagnose recurring defects, stabilize unpredictable lines, and build disciplined corrective action plans that actually hold. Built on RCA, PFMEA, and decades of pattern recognition.
- Root cause analysis and PFMEA
- Production stabilization and standard work
- Turnaround leadership for stalled operations
Founder
Douglas Smilor, PMP
Founder · Senior Paint Process Consultant
About the Founder
Built by a paint systems leader who has been inside the plants, the projects, and the problems.
Smilor Consulting is led by Douglas Smilor, PMP — a Senior Technical Operations and Paint Systems leader with 40 years of experience delivering global CapEx programs, paint and powder system optimization, and large-scale manufacturing transformations.
Tesla — GFTX
Staff Engineer, Paint on the Cybertruck body paint program and structural battery paint cell launch.
Deere & Company
Staff Engineer leading global paint equipment standards and five major capital project completions.
Trimac Industrial
VP of Operations — 50% engineering lead-time reduction, ERP and SolidWorks/PDM transition.
Industry Leadership
Chairman, CCAI NFPA 33 Safety Training Committee. PMI QC Director-at-Large.
Smilor Consulting was built to give manufacturers access to senior-level paint process expertise — without the overhead, delays, or complexity of building that capability internally. — Doug Smilor, PMP · Founder
Experience Across
Some of the most demanding manufacturing environments in North America.
Names reflect Doug's prior engagements and employment history — not current client claims or endorsements.
How We Work
A practical consulting process
A practical consulting process
built for industrial reality.
Four stages, each with clear deliverables. Designed to scale from a single-day site visit into a long-term audit and improvement program.
01
Assess
Understand the process, equipment, standards, constraints, and business goals. Walk the line. Read the data. Listen to the operators.
02
Diagnose
Identify root causes, compliance gaps, bottlenecks, and risks. Separate symptoms from systemic issues. Quantify the cost of doing nothing.
03
Plan
Build a clear action plan with priorities, owners, milestones, and budget awareness. Aligned to PMBOK, paced to your operating reality.
04
Execute & Track
Support implementation, follow-up, documentation, and corrective actions. Build durability into the work — so the gains hold after we leave.
Real Stories, Real Results
Trusted by teams where quality, safety,
Trusted by teams where quality, safety,
and execution matter.
Quotes below are placeholders during outreach to former colleagues and clients. Final endorsements will be posted once approved by their authors.
Testimonial from a former colleague or client will appear here — focused on global CapEx project execution, vendor management, and disciplined delivery of capital programs through difficult conditions.
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Testimonial from a former colleague or client will appear here — focused on audit readiness, NFPA standards alignment, and the practical compliance work that protects both safety and operations.
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Testimonial from a former colleague or client will appear here — focused on factory planning, capacity modeling, and the kind of operations leadership that converts plans into measurable performance gains.
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Where We Work
Serving paint-driven manufacturing environments.
If your operation depends on paint or powder system performance, audit posture, or the disciplined execution of complex capital projects — Smilor Consulting is built for that work.
01Automotive OEMs
02Heavy Equipment
03Industrial Manufacturing
04Consumer Products
05Powder Coating Operations
06Paint System Integrators
07Manufacturing Plants
08Engineering & Operations Teams
Field Notes
Insights for paint process leaders.
Practical perspectives from inside the booth, the boardroom, and the budget conversation. Built for engineering, operations, and EHS leaders.
Audits
What Manufacturers Often Miss in Paint Process Audits
The findings that show up on every clipboard — and the systemic gaps that show up only after a serious incident or failed launch.
Process
Why Paint System Issues Are Usually Process Problems, Not Just Equipment Problems
Why replacing the booth rarely fixes the issue — and how to diagnose what's actually driving the variation.
Compliance
Preparing for NFPA & OSHA Readiness in Paint Operations
A practical readiness framework grounded in NFPA 33, NFPA 86, and OSHA — built for plants, not auditors' binders.
Get In Touch
Need a senior paint process expert on your side?
Schedule a 30 or 60-minute consultation to discuss your paint system, audit needs, project risks, or operational challenges. Initial calls are direct, technical, and time-respectful.