“I was feeling great about our decision to start the transition process and hiring Jim to lead us in the right direction… when the pandemic hit. Even with a COVID delay, his proven process continued and enabled us to successfully conclude our search and hire someone who was highly qualified and an excellent fit.”
See how Célia Konrad, Director, and Steve Feuchter, President of ARC Manufacturing, were able to fill a pivotal role and advance their multi-generational company, even in the most challenging times.
As with many family owned and operated companies, the time had come for ARC Manufacturing’s President, Steve Feuchter, to move out of the day-to-day operations and continue in his role as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.
Steve explains, “Knowing how difficult it would be to replace myself after 20 years as President, I started the process almost two years prior. Since I am the last family member to be running the business, this transition signifies a new chapter for ARC. We initially reached out to DVIRC who made an introduction to Jim Geier of Human Capital Consulting Partners—he was already a well-known resource to other DVIRC businesses and had an excellent reputation and expertise in manufacturing. With Jim’s personal style and years of experience, it was frankly an easy choice; he understood our mindset perfectly.”
In preparation for this effort, fellow Board Member Célia Konrad and Steve had developed a profile outlining the prerequisites for this new role in terms of track record and skill set. They provided that to Jim as a starting point and asked him to revise the job description and place it into channels that he thought would best attract appropriate candidates. With Jim’s help, the new hire would become ARC’s COO, the person in charge of running the day-to-day operations of the business.
Célia adds, “Working with Jim was great. He had a process that he followed unfailingly—this would prove even more beneficial than for the obvious reasons later on. Even though we started the process in early 2020, we quickly became concerned about how COVID would hamper the process and how long the pandemic would drag on. About seven months in, we were at a point where we didn’t know how to move forward—the pandemic being the limiting factor. Candidate responses were declining, and it was a very difficult time. Furthermore, we were looking for a very specific personality type—fit was key. I didn’t know if we were ever going to get there. I give Jim a lot of credit—even with the setback, he was upbeat and focused—handling the longer timeline professionally. Then, all of a sudden we got a flurry of activity and were interviewing candidates again.”
The ideal candidate had risen through the ranks with experience in everything from the shop floor up to having a firm grasp of the finances and strategic planning. In addition, the person had to have the right education and level of expertise in machining processes, not just manufacturing. Jim helped recruit the right person and helped us put together the right package—for us and for our candidate. The ARC executives put together a transition plan that included Steve staying on through the summer to oversee the transition to the new COO.
The HCC Partners Difference
According to Célia and Steve, these were some of the best things about working with Jim:
• He was very knowledgeable and helpful—easy to deal with and easy to speak with.
• He gave us feedback as needed and challenged us with questions to think about.
• He guided us through the process, even when dealing with COVID delays.
• He had a clear picture and pointed out things to discuss/consider along the way.
As Célia and Steve transition to their new roles, they feel it was very helpful to have someone who understood their position. “Jim has an amazing talent to truly comprehend where people are coming from and also parse out what they are really looking for. I never felt we got derailed. Jim kept us on track, even during the pandemic.”
Expected Results
We want to continue to be the reliable partner to our existing customers and deliver high quality product. Bringing in someone new signifies a time to reflect, turn a new page and try new things—all with a view to help the company continue to grow and expand, building upon what we have already created.
About ARC Manufacturing
For over 50 years, ARC Manufacturing has delivered precision-machined parts and assemblies to customers in the commercial nuclear, industrial gas, pharmaceutical, food handling, and other industries. ARC delivers value by meeting its customers’ demanding specifications and drawing requirements, documenting, and assessing all manufacturing processes and procedures, and backing up its quality with state-of-the-art inspection equipment.
Isn’t it time you find—and hire—the next leaders for your company? Jim Geier has the experience, network, and process to transition your company. Contact us at 215.244.8110 or jim.geier@hccpartners.com
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