By Catherine Landgraf
•
January 14, 2025
Group President ABOUT THE COMPANY Founded in 1937, Columbia Machine is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of concrete products equipment, serving customers in over 100 countries. From mixing and batching to automatic cubing and splitting, Columbia builds a complete line of equipment to outfit your entire concrete products plant. Columbia is driven by the belief that innovation can transform industries, empower communities, and create a more efficient, sustainable world. With operations spanning five continents and a commitment to excellence in service and support, their purpose extends beyond engineering advanced equipment. They are pioneering innovation and paving a better tomorrow with factory automation solutions worldwide. ABOUT THE ROLE Reporting to the CEO, the Group President, will oversee operations within the United States, encompassing all aspects of the three lines of business: Concrete Products (CP), Molds, and Palletizing (PD). This leadership role is pivotal in driving the strategic direction and operational excellence across the U.S. including the Smithsburg, MD, Ontario, CA, Orlando, FL, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia based service centers, ensuring alignment with the Company’s strategic objectives and fostering a collaborative culture among the teams. The successful candidate will be responsible for integrating various functions including manufacturing, engineering, sales, procurement, production control, and maintenance and enhancing overall performance with a strong focus on quality and innovation. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Leadership Provide strategic vision and leadership for U.S. Operations, aligning all functions - CP, Molds, and PD - with the Company's overall objectives. Collaborate closely with the CEO, CFO and executive team to define and execute the strategic objectives for the U.S. business unit. Implement programs and processes to meet operational and financial requirements, evaluate and report results. Operational Oversight Oversee all operational activities within the U.S. business unit, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in CP, Mold, and PD processes. Foster an environment of innovation and continuous improvement across all lines of business. Lead and facilitate department continuous improvement goals and objectives. Integrate corporate efforts, monitor and evaluate results, provide necessary resources, and develop strategic partnerships. Ensure that cost targets and delivery schedules are maintained, and profitability is achieved. Team Management Lead, mentor, and develop the management teams across CP, Mold, and PD, ensuring accountability and high performance. Establish clear performance metrics and KPIs for all areas of the business to drive results and enhance team collaboration. Maintain good communication, promote problem-solving, assign responsibilities, and provide training and mentoring to employees. Select and develop key operational executives and successors, assign accountabilities, set objectives, and establish priorities. Collaboration & Communication Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and communication to ensure alignment among teams and integration of efforts across all business areas. Act as the primary point of contact for all U.S. Operations business matters with the CEO, CFO and global executive leaders. Drive collaboration with all Columbia Group businesses, promoting U.S. product offerings sold and serviced in the Western Hemisphere. Provide board-level oversight and strategic direction as required. Serve our Customers Collaborate with the sales and marketing teams to implement effective sales initiatives, ensuring alignment with overall business goals and customer needs. Foster strong relationships with key customers and stakeholders, identifying new market opportunities and expanding the customer base. Represent the Company to major customers within the U.S.; can include up to 25% domestic and international travel to build customer relationships. Responsible for driving and improving sales and marketing efforts across the U.S. business units. Establish critical service operations and productivity criteria for operations. Maintain cutting-edge operational processes by benchmarking leading practices, exploiting market channels, and ensuring quality service. Financial Management Drive the financial performance of the U.S. business unit by developing and implementing strategies to enhance profitability across all lines of business. Monitor financial metrics, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions to achieve profitability targets while optimizing operational efficiency. Forecast operational requirements, prepare an annual budget, schedule expenditures, analyze variances, and initiate corrective actions. Identify cost-saving opportunities and drive financial performance while maintaining high-quality standards across all operations. Quality Management Establish and maintain a culture of quality throughout the U.S business unit, implementing quality assurance and control measures to meet or exceed customer expectations. Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations related to product quality. Innovation Drive innovation initiatives across the three U.S. lines of business, promoting a culture of creativity and forward-thinking solutions. Collaborate with engineering and teams to introduce new technologies and processes that enhance product offerings and operational efficiency. Risk Management Maintain the Company's reputation by enforcing ethical business practices, complying with or influencing the development of laws and regulations. Identify and mitigate operational and financial risks across the U.S. business unit, ensuring business continuity and compliance with relevant regulations. Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and excellence in all aspects of the business. EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred. 10+ years of experience in a senior leadership role within a multinational engineering or manufacturing environment, with a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence. Extensive experience in capital equipment sales, preferably in a similar industry, to effectively lead sales initiatives and support business growth. Extensive experience with ERP systems, CRM (Customer Relationship Management Software) required. Experience with CAD a plus. Interested in Learning More? 180one is a retained search firm and has been engaged by Columbia Machine to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley /503.334.1350/ tom@180one.com