“Working with Jim to find an Operations Manager enabled my brother and I to refocus on our core competency—that of developing new products—which is allowing us to grow the company. Surprisingly, what we thought would be an arduous process, ended up being both interesting and fun.”
See how Art Newcomb, President, C&L Rivet Company, Inc., and his brother John Newcomb are transforming their company with new, young talent and a revitalized enthusiasm.
Just ask Art Newcomb. “C&L is the company to know when your product needs miniature rivets or cold formed fasteners. Our products meet 3 Sigma quality and arrive on time—anywhere in the world.” Starting in the basement of their family home in 1960, Art and John Newcomb were born with ‘cold forming’ in their blood.
Art was introduced to Jim Geier, President & Founder of HCC Partners, through DVIRC, an economic development organization that focuses exclusively on the Philadelphia region’s manufacturing community. DVIRC grows business value by providing a number of services, including executive search. As a strategic partner of DVIRC and expert in filling key roles at small and mid-sized manufacturing companies, HCC Partners was invited to participate in an initial executive search engagement to find an Operations/General Manager for C&L Rivet.
Art comments, “Jim’s expertise is clearly with smaller manufacturing companies, like ours. He tailored his search to meet our needs from our very first meeting—zeroing right in on what was important to us. His skills are first-class; he walked us through a proven process that he has executed many times before. Jim asked a lot of questions and explained his plan, step by step. It was pain free and didn’t waste one ounce of our time.”
The Operations/General Manager position was key to C&L Rivet’s future in that it would allow the brothers to ‘double down’ on product development, an essential component of growth in their industry. During the process, Jim interviewed 20-25 initial candidates over the phone from over 70 applicants. He then qualified 5 finalists who he had met face-to-face. Keith Hoffman, the candidate who was selected for the position, came from a Fortune 500 background and was looking for a new, more entrepreneurial career direction. Because Jim knew that the cultural match had to be as good of a fit as the operations experience, he spent time with Keith, explaining the transition challenges of other Fortune 500 executives. Jim guided the entire process, including negotiations and the final offer.
Jim was then engaged for a second hire, that of a new Quality Engineer. This was a challenging search because there were a very limited number of candidates. The search took about two months to find the right individual. According to Art, “We had ideas of what we thought we wanted and the job duties, as well as the salary requirements, but asked Jim to vet that for us. We told Jim what we were willing to pay and the skills necessary for the job. Jim then tailored his job description and hit the nail on the head. We couldn’t be more satisfied.”
The HCC Difference
Jim is not a headhunter. He is a professional—personal and specific about what he is looking for. He’s so well organized and has such a good demeanor that it’s a pleasure working with him. We felt very comfortable with Jim and would hire him again—an unbelievable bang for your buck.
Art Newcomb, President, C&L Rivet Company, Inc.
Results
Freedom: One of the biggest benefits for C&L Rivet was to trust their new employees to take care of operations and quality, so the Newcomb brothers could stop putting out fires. They were able to build that level of trust over a short period of time because the new employees were such high quality and a great fit.
Product Focus: While the quantifiable dollars will be realized in the next 5 years, the brothers are now able to turn their attention to developing new products, which will allow the company to grow.
Newfound Enthusiasm: According to Art, “ We are more excited about manufacturing than we’ve been in years—and now with young talent behind us!”
About C&L Rivet
Today, C&L Rivet Company, Inc. is a leader in the production of miniature parts. They pride themselves in producing high-quality custom-made products that meet any specifications from miniature to large precision parts. Their goal is to provide the highest quality of manufactured products, to continually improve and expand their products and services, and to give versatility, knowledge, and competitive pricing to all their customers.
Learn how HCC Partners can help you fulfill your talent needs. Contact us today.
This search was completed as a Strategic Alliance Partner of DVIRC.