ABOUT THE COMPANY
A privately held distributor of niche consumable brands serving the energy sector, with operations in Canada and a US facility just outside Houston. The US business has grown over 20% annually.
What sets them apart is the model rather than the product. Most competitors sell a catalog and ask what you need. This company sells supply chain solutions: guaranteed inventory, release POs delivered monthly or quarterly instead of in six-month bulk drops, and private and white labeling so OEM customers can put their own brand on the product and sell it under their name. In an industry where suppliers still expect a customer to buy a year's worth and warehouse it, that approach wins business.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The timing on this territory is unusually good. The company's largest competitor in the region recently closed its doors, leaving customers actively looking for a replacement supplier. There are open doors right now and nobody working them.
You inherit roughly $800,000 to $1 million in existing revenue across a stale but active book of accounts, all with live credit terms. The work is reactivating those customers, then building the territory out from there. Internally they believe this is a $4 million territory.
This is a hunter role. You are creating your own territory, not managing a book from a desk. There are only about four accounts producing the current revenue, so there is not much to babysit even if you wanted to.
You will not be selling on product specs. The pitch is supply chain: guaranteed inventory, release schedules that keep the customer's cash in their pocket instead of in a warehouse, and private labeling that lets an OEM sell your product under their own brand. The technical support behind you is real, and product training on strategic SKUs is provided.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
• Reactivate an existing base of dormant accounts across southwest Louisiana and east Texas.
• Open new accounts with manufacturers, OEMs, production facilities, and supply houses, with a focus on OEMs building high-pressure instrumentation equipment.
• Average 6 to 8 sales calls per day, visiting plants and production areas rather than office buildings.
• Identify the customer's pain point, which is usually supply chain rather than product, and build the solution around release POs, guaranteed inventory, and private labeling.
• Develop and present supply agreements, pricing, and delivery programs, calculating margins accurately.
• Follow up on quotes and drive conversion.
• Update the CRM daily and submit daily call reports.
• Work alongside the inside sales desk on day to day customer needs.
TERRITORY & TRAVEL
• Territory runs from Beaumont, Texas east across the western half of Louisiana.
• Home base in the Lake Charles or Lafayette area. That is where the industrial work is concentrated.
• Candidates currently in Houston with Louisiana roots, family, and school ties will be considered.
• Travel roughly 25% to 50% of the month, with a minimum of about 4 overnight stays.
• Trips to the Houston area facility monthly during onboarding, then roughly quarterly.
• As the territory develops, there is room to pursue business further east with approval.
• Pickup truck or large SUV required. No deliveries are made, everything ships.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• 3 to 5 years minimum in industrial distribution, oil and gas, or manufacturing sales.
• Track record selling B2B to manufacturers, OEMs, production facilities, or supply houses.
• Genuine cold calling and prospecting experience. This role generates its own opportunities.
• Oil and gas familiarity. The Louisiana market is relationship driven and local knowledge matters.
• Strategic and systematic. Someone whose 90 day plan holds up when you look back at it.
• CRM discipline and comfort with daily reporting and KPIs.
• Valid driver's license and a pickup truck or large SUV.
Preferred
• Existing relationships across the southwest Louisiana and east Texas industrial base.
• Background selling sealing products, consumables, fluid power, or related industrial components.
• Experience with supply agreements, consignment, or stocking programs.
• Mechanical aptitude and the ability to talk credibly on a plant floor.
WHO THRIVES HERE
Self directed people who want to build something. The company is small, moves fast, and nobody is checking your calendar.
• Go-getter mentality. Sees a full day of accounts and digs into what is actually happening at a customer.
• Values long term over short term. Wants to grow a territory rather than chase the next commission check.
• Realistic about ramp. Most reps take about 9 months to find their groove in this business.
• Fits a hard working, informal, direct culture where people genuinely like each other.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
• Base salary $80,000 to $90,000.
• Realistic total compensation of roughly $120,000 in year one, $130,000 to $140,000 in year two, and $150,000 plus thereafter.
• Everything above base splits roughly half commission and half discretionary performance bonus.
• Discretionary performance bonus runs between 8% and 40% of annual salary, paid twice yearly against KPIs that are discussed and selected as a group rather than handed down.
• Health insurance 100% covered by the company.
• 2 to 3 weeks paid time off.
• Vehicle allowance plus fuel, negotiated based on the candidate. Budget is roughly $1,000 per month.
• All business expenses covered, separate from the compensation figures above.
• 401(k) launching at the end of the year.