Fractional CFO  ·  Manufacturing

The Fractional CFO
Manufacturing Companies
Have Been Missing.

Anthony Pichelli brings 30+ years of manufacturing finance expertise — including the standard costing infrastructure most manufacturers never build — to companies between $5M and $250M. Without the full-time CFO cost.

Request a Consultation The Standard Costing Gap
Anthony Pichelli Fractional CFO Manufacturing
Anthony Pichelli
Fractional CFO  ·  Manufacturing
CFO Program — Columbia Business School
CPA & CMA — Dual Designation
30+ Years Manufacturing Finance
Standard Costing — Core Specialization
30+
Years Experience
1%→18%
Net Income Growth, Telxon Canada
$1M+
Cash Improvements, Single Engagement
14 mo.
M&A Payback, Weston Hardwood
Columbia
Business School CFO Program

The Core Problem

The Standard Costing Gap —
And What It’s Costing You

Standard costing is the single most neglected financial control mechanism in manufacturing. Most companies between $5M and $250M in revenue have never built a proper standard costing system — and they are paying for that gap in ways that rarely show up as a line item.

Without standard costs, your gross margin figures are estimates. Your pricing is based on assumptions rather than validated cost data. Overhead is pooled in ways that hide which products, plants, or divisions are actually contributing — and which are being subsidized. Variance analysis is impossible because there is no standard to compare against.

The result is a business that looks profitable at the top line but cannot explain where the margin went, cannot price confidently, and cannot give leadership — or investors — a trustworthy picture of operational performance.

What Anthony Builds

Anthony Pichelli has spent 30+ years implementing standard costing systems in manufacturing environments. His work connects raw material costs, labor standards, and overhead allocation into a coherent cost model that gives plant leadership and executive management the visibility they need to make decisions based on reality — not assumptions.

01
Standard cost development. Establishing predetermined material, labor, and overhead costs per unit — the foundation every manufacturing financial system requires.
02
Overhead allocation. Splitting direct from indirect overhead by product line, plant, or division — so contribution margin reflects reality, not pooled accounting.
03
Variance analysis. Building the reporting architecture that identifies where actual costs deviate from standard — and gives operations the data to act on it.
04
Inventory valuation. Ensuring WIP and finished goods are accurately valued using validated standard costs — not estimates or outdated averages.
05
Pricing correction. Rebuilding pricing models from markup to gross margin — eliminating the systematic underpricing that costs manufacturers hundreds of thousands annually.
06
ERP implementation. Hands-on experience with JustFood, Dynamics, Great Plains, and Sage — deploying the system infrastructure that makes standard costing operational at scale.

Fractional CFO Services

Full-Spectrum Manufacturing Finance Leadership

01
Standard Costing & Cost Accounting
Standard cost development, overhead allocation, WIP accounting, variance analysis, and inventory valuation. The financial infrastructure manufacturing companies need to price confidently and manage margin.
02
Financial Planning & FP&A
Budgets, forecasts, scenario analysis, and KPI frameworks that connect plant-level performance to the P&L. Board-ready reporting built for manufacturing leadership and PE ownership.
03
Contribution Margin Analysis
Product-level, customer-level, and plant-level margin analysis that identifies exactly where profitability is coming from — and where it is being lost.
04
Cash Flow & Working Capital
Cash management, inventory optimization, supplier negotiations, and banking relationships built to keep manufacturing operations funded and growing.
05
M&A & PE Support
Due diligence, financial model integrity, post-acquisition integration, and the 100-day CFO buildout that PE-backed manufacturers need from day one.
06
ERP Implementation
System selection and plant-level deployment across JustFood, Dynamics, Great Plains, Sage, and QuickBooks — turning manufacturing data into a decision-making asset.

Manufacturing Track Record

Results in Manufacturing —
Not Projections.

Manufacturing · Technology
Telxon Canada Limited
Boosted net income from 1% to 18% by restructuring sales compensation to gross margin, rationalizing the product line to reduce manufacturing complexity, and establishing technician productivity standards. Supported the company’s sale to PE.
Manufacturing
Grande Cheese Inc.
Improved cash position by over $1 million. Reduced group insurance costs by 17%. Deployed ERP that unlocked real product mix optimization and validated margin reporting for the first time.
Manufacturing
Weston Hardwood
Generated full M&A payback in 14 months post-acquisition. Increased profits by 8%, gross margin by 15%, and saved over $300,000 through pricing and cost restructure.
Healthcare · Manufacturing
Dolomite Home Care Products
Increased company profits by 10%. Reduced inventory by 55% through replenishment system overhaul. Developed process improvements that reduced operating costs by $20,000.
Environmental · Manufacturing
Blue Flame Heating & AC
Increased profits by over 400%. Improved working capital by $1M+. Negotiated product buy-back with suppliers, restructured overhead allocation, and rebuilt cash management.
Environmental
Ozz Corporation
Recovered $800,000 through business analysis and warranty claim management. Improved profitability and supported the company’s successful sale.

Common Questions

Fractional CFO Manufacturing — FAQ

What does a Fractional CFO do for manufacturing companies?
A Fractional CFO for manufacturing builds the standard costing infrastructure, variance reporting, and overhead allocation that manufacturers need to manage margin and make confident pricing decisions — without the cost of a full-time hire.
What is standard costing and why does it matter?
Standard costing establishes predetermined costs for materials, labor, and overhead for each product. Without it, gross margin figures are estimates, pricing is based on assumptions, and leadership cannot identify where profitability is leaking. It is the financial foundation manufacturing companies need to scale.
When does a manufacturing company need a Fractional CFO?
When revenue exceeds $5M and the company needs standard costing, proper overhead allocation, plant-level performance reporting, or is preparing for a capital raise, M&A transaction, or PE investment. Most manufacturers at this stage are flying blind without one.
How much does a Fractional CFO cost for a manufacturer?
Manufacturing Fractional CFO engagements typically range from $8,000 to $15,000 per month — a fraction of the $250,000+ annual cost of a full-time CFO, with the same strategic impact at the executive level.
What ERP systems does Anthony Pichelli support?
Anthony has hands-on implementation experience with JustFood, Microsoft Dynamics, Great Plains, Sage 50 Quantum, and QuickBooks — all common in manufacturing environments — and can work at both the strategic and system level.
Does Anthony Pichelli work with PE-backed manufacturers?
Yes. Anthony has supported multiple PE-backed transactions as the CFO responsible for financial model integrity, due diligence preparation, and post-acquisition integration. He is experienced with board reporting, lender packages, and PE ownership expectations.
Anthony Pichelli Fractional CFO Manufacturing

Manufacturing’s Fractional CFO — Anthony Pichelli

Anthony Pichelli is a Fractional CFO with 30+ years of financial leadership in manufacturing, construction, technology, and healthcare. His signature expertise is standard costing — building the cost accounting infrastructure that gives manufacturing companies real margin visibility for the first time. CPA, CMA, and Columbia Business School CFO Program. Based in Miami, serving manufacturers across the United States.

CFO Program — Columbia Business School
CPA — Chartered Professional Accountant
CMA — Certified Management Accountant
Miami, FL — Available Nationwide

Ready to build the financial infrastructure
your manufacturing company needs?

Schedule a free 20-minute strategy call. No obligation — just a direct conversation about your cost structure and whether there’s a fit.

Request a Consultation
Start the Conversation

Let's find the margin
your plant is hiding.

Tell Anthony a bit about your operation and the challenge you're facing. He personally reviews every inquiry and follows up directly — usually within one business day.

Prefer to book a time directly?
Schedule a call on Calendly →

Your information goes directly to Anthony Pichelli and is never shared. See our Privacy Policy.