Meet Elijah “Eli” Finister
Eli has spent more than twenty-five years inside manufacturing and supply chain operations, turning struggling plants and supply chains into ones that run safely, predictably, and profitably. He has done it as a plant leader on the floor and as a COO in the boardroom, and in 2026 he founded Hill-Fin Collective to bring that experience to the owners and founders who need it most.
From the plant floor to the C-suite
Eli’s career began in engineering and plant operations and grew through some of the most demanding operations in consumer products and energy: PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company, BP, and Shell Oil Products. At BP, he served as Plant Manager of the Castrol Baton Rouge facility, one of the largest packaging and motor oil plants in the country, where the operation reached best-in-class performance and 98%+ in-full, on-time delivery. He went on to serve as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain & Manufacturing at Clean Harbors, and as Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of a growing, founder-led company.
What he’s known for
- $200M+ in logistics and sourcing savings delivered
- 10x revenue growth supported through a manufacturing scale-up
- $100M+ in co-manufacturing capacity secured
How he works
Eli doesn’t work from a conference room. He starts on the floor, listens to the people closest to the problem, and finds the real constraint before proposing a fix. Then he builds the system with your team (the SOPs, KPIs, and planning rhythm the business needs) and stays until it holds without him. Colleagues describe him as transparent, candid, and principled, and as a leader who develops the people around him.
Why Hill-Fin
After years of leading operations inside large companies, Eli saw how often founder-led and family-owned manufacturers hit the same walls without access to the same depth of experience. He started Hill-Fin Collective to be the operating partner he would want in their position: someone who has run the plant, understands what’s at stake for the people who depend on it, and is ready to roll up his sleeves.
