Director of Sales —
Material Handling · Western U.S.
A Player-Coach Search for a Family-Owned Industrial Services Company
Precision Sales Recruiting placed a Director of Sales for an established industrial service and material handling business with a strong western footprint across Texas, Arizona, and California. The company is family-owned, not private equity, and the search was not a turnaround. They wanted a field-first sales leader who could ride alongside reps, coach in the field, run a clean weekly cadence, and push a strong region toward its ceiling.
The hire stepped into a region with 10 to 11 Territory Sales Representatives already in seat. The role combined hands-on territory coverage during onboarding with full regional director responsibilities, giving the new leader direct field credibility from day one. This search was conducted confidentially by Precision Sales Recruiting, a firm specializing in sales leadership recruiting for manufacturing and industrial B2B businesses.
What the Right Candidate Was Walking Into
The team was already built.10 to 11 Territory Sales Reps in seat across the West, a mix of newer reps and reps with five-plus years in territory. No rebuilding required.
Service-led revenue model.Inspection contracts open the door. Repair work, parts, and equipment pull through findings. 93 to 94% of all work orders tied to a service agreement.
Family-owned, multi-generational.One of the last national players in the industry not private equity controlled. Direct, weekly engagement with executive leadership.
Real growth runway.Aggressive multi-year expansion plan with upward mobility at the director level as the company's western footprint grows.
Strong compensation package.$175K base, 30% performance bonus with accelerators, $800 monthly vehicle stipend, fuel card, and a full benefits package.
Win from day one.A stable customer base, a functioning team, and a clear system. The mandate was retention plus net-new growth, not a rebuild.
What the Role Required
- Own regional service revenue attainment across the western region
- Drive consistent weekly growth of the inspection contract base
- Partner with service operations to convert inspection findings into repair revenue
- Champion the renewal process as the foundation of recurring regional revenue
- Conduct regular field ride-alongs with Territory Sales Representatives across the region
- Deliver real-time, specific feedback that drives consistent improvement
- Quote alongside reps when needed and work uncovered territory when there is a gap
- Build written improvement plans for underperformers with defined milestones
- Develop newer reps with hands-on mentoring and tenured reps with strategic coaching
- Set and enforce the standard for real-time NetSuite documentation: visits, calls, emails, tasks, and quotes logged the same day
- Run weekly pipeline scrubs, activity reviews, and an honest regional forecast
- Audit Territory Sales Representative activity for quality, not just volume
- Track weekly KPIs per rep and use the data to coach and recognize performance
- Stay actively engaged on strategic accounts as a direct partner to the Territory Sales Representative
- Conduct regular customer business reviews on-site
- Build relationships with regional and OEM or vendor partners
- Support high-value contract, modernization, and new equipment opportunities alongside the team
What the Client Required
- 7 to 10 years of service-related sales management experience with documented direct-report leadership
- Currently or recently managing 5 or more direct sales reps, with hiring, performance management, and termination experience
- Sales forecasting discipline at the rep and territory level
- CRM proficiency with NetSuite preferred, Salesforce or comparable enterprise platform acceptable
- Player-coach mindset. Develops people, coaches in the field, and leads from the front
- Process-disciplined. Implements and reinforces a defined sales playbook
- Forecast-honest. Produces a defensible regional forecast and builds funnel discipline at the rep level
- Comfortable in a flat, family-business culture with high executive engagement
- Industrial B2B sales background with credibility on plant floors, refineries, chemical plants, and similar environments
- Service-led selling experience: maintenance contracts, inspections, repair, and renewals
- Sells with a defined process, not an order-taker
- Comfortable with 60 to 75 percent regional travel
What the Role Paid
Additional benefits included an $800 monthly vehicle stipend with fuel card, 401(k) plan, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, and paid time off and holidays.
Looking for a Similar Role?
This position has been filled, but we work on searches like it regularly. If you have a background in industrial service sales management, material handling, or field-based regional leadership, join our candidate network and we will reach out when a matching role opens.
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