Industrial and Commercial Outside Sales Associate

Job Description

Job Description

Turtle & Hughes is seeking an experienced Industrial & Commercial Outside Salesperson to join our Gulf Coast team. This position is responsible for developing and growing profitable business across the Houston-area industrial and commercial markets, with coverage extending throughout the Gulf Coast region.   This is a salary plus unlimited commission position.

This is a field-based sales position for someone who understands how electrical contractors, industrial facilities, plants, manufacturers, refineries, and other commercial and industrial customers buy electrical products and services. The successful candidate will be comfortable developing relationships at multiple levels of an organization, finding new opportunities, managing existing accounts, working with manufacturers and suppliers, and coordinating internally to deliver the right solution at the right price.

The territory is the full Gulf Coast region with no defined geographic limitation . The role will require regular customer visits and travel throughout the market.

What You Will Do

You will manage a combination of industrial and commercial accounts , but the sales approach and customer requirements are different in each market.

Industrial Market

Industrial customers may include manufacturing facilities, refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, energy companies, terminals, process facilities, and other large industrial operations.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Develop new industrial accounts and expand existing customer relationships.
• Build relationships with plant managers, maintenance managers, electrical and instrumentation personnel, procurement teams, engineers, project managers, contractors, and other decision-makers.
• Understand the customer's operation and identify opportunities beyond individual product transactions.
• Sell electrical distribution products, project solutions, MRO support, inventory programs, and other services appropriate to the customer's requirements.
• Identify upcoming plant projects, expansions, turnarounds, maintenance requirements, capital projects, and other opportunities that can generate new business.
• Work with customers to improve product availability, reduce downtime, manage inventory, and simplify procurement.
• Develop relationships with industrial contractors and engineering firms supporting customer projects.
• Coordinate with Turtle & Hughes operations, purchasing, project management, and suppliers to support larger industrial requirements.
• Protect gross margin while developing long-term customer relationships.
• Become a trusted resource to the customer rather than simply responding to RFQs.

Commercial Market

Commercial customers will primarily include electrical contractors, general contractors, developers, facility operators, property managers, and other businesses involved in commercial construction and facility operations.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Develop relationships with electrical contractors and commercial construction customers throughout the Gulf Coast.
• Identify new construction, renovation, tenant improvement, service, maintenance, and facility opportunities.
• Develop relationships with owners, estimators, project managers, purchasing personnel, foremen, and other contractor decision-makers.
• Identify projects early and work to position Turtle & Hughes before the bid reaches the final purchasing stage.
• Support contractors with product selection, pricing, availability, lead times, and project requirements.
• Work with Turtle & Hughes project and lighting teams when opportunities require specialized project support.
• Develop opportunities for recurring business, rather than relying exclusively on one-time project purchases.
• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, customer requirements, and market conditions.
• Follow quotations and opportunities through to the sale and continue managing the relationship after the order is placed.

Sales & Business Development

Regardless of market segment, this position is expected to be an active business developer.

You will:

• Prospect for new customers and new opportunities within the Gulf Coast market.
• Maintain and grow an assigned customer base.
• Develop account plans for key customers and prospects.
• Make regular face-to-face customer visits.
• Develop relationships at multiple levels within important accounts.
• Identify opportunities before they become competitive RFQs whenever possible.
• Follow up consistently on quotations, projects, and customer opportunities.
• Develop a strong understanding of customer purchasing patterns and future requirements.
• Work with Turtle & Hughes inside sales, project management, operations, purchasing, and supplier partners to serve customers effectively.
• Maintain accurate customer, opportunity, and activity information in company systems.
• Participate in customer meetings, contractor meetings, job walks, industry events, and supplier meetings.
• Represent Turtle & Hughes professionally throughout the Gulf Coast market.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced sales professional who already understands the Houston and Gulf Coast electrical, industrial, or commercial market .

Required

• 5–7 years of outside sales experience in the industrial and/or commercial markets of the Gulf Coast.
• Established relationships with customers, contractors, industrial facilities, or other decision-makers in the Gulf Coast market.
• Demonstrated success developing new business and growing existing accounts.
• Ability to sell through relationships, technical understanding, responsiveness, and value rather than price alone.
• Strong understanding of the electrical distribution or electrical contracting environment.
• Ability to understand customer requirements and translate them into practical product or service solutions.
• Strong prospecting, presentation, negotiation, and follow-up skills.
• Ability to manage multiple customers, opportunities, and priorities independently.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn CRM and other sales systems.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Preferred

• Experience with an electrical distributor, electrical contractor, manufacturer, or manufacturer's representative.
• Existing relationships with electrical contractors, industrial customers, EPCs, engineering firms, or facility operators.
• Experience selling electrical products, MRO products, project solutions, automation, lighting, wire and cable, switchgear, controls, or related products.
• Experience selling into oil & gas, petrochemical, manufacturing, industrial, commercial construction, or other Gulf Coast markets.
• Experience managing larger strategic accounts or complex sales opportunities.
• Experience working with project-based and recurring MRO business.

What Success Looks Like

A successful salesperson in this role will:

• Build a meaningful pipeline of new industrial and commercial opportunities.
• Consistently develop new customer relationships.
• Grow revenue and gross margin within existing accounts.
• Increase Turtle & Hughes' share of business with key customers.
• Identify projects and opportunities before competitors are involved.
• Develop strong relationships with decision-makers rather than relying on a single contact.
• Work effectively with Turtle & Hughes' internal teams to deliver on customer commitments.
• Maintain accurate forecasts and opportunity information.
• Become a trusted resource for customers throughout the Gulf Coast.
• Generate profitable, sustainable business rather than chasing volume at the expense of margin.

Why Join Turtle & Hughes

Turtle & Hughes is a long-established electrical distributor with a strong presence in industrial and commercial markets. Our Gulf Coast organization is focused on expanding our customer base, strengthening strategic supplier relationships, and providing customers with more than a product at a price.

This role provides an experienced salesperson with the opportunity to build a significant book of business across one of the country's largest industrial and commercial markets.

You will have access to the resources of an established distributor while having the opportunity to make a direct impact on the growth of the Gulf Coast business.

We are looking for someone who wants to build a market, develop relationships, win business, and be accountable for results .

If you already have a strong network in the Gulf Coast industrial or commercial market and know how to turn relationships into profitable business, we would like to hear from you.

What We Offer:

We offer a competitive benefits package. Some of which include:

• 401 (k) plan
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Holidays 
• Vacation 
• Employee Negotiated Discounts.

Who We Are

Founded in 1923, Turtle is a fourth-generation, family-owned, and three-generation women-owned business, and one of the nation’s largest independent electrical and industrial distributors. Headquartered in Clark, NJ, our Electrical Distribution division operates 14 branches spanning from coast to coast. It is a significant force in the engineering and procurement of power distribution, automation, lighting, and energy projects, offering integrated services for the industrial and construction markets. Turtle Integrated division provides on-site MRO procurement, cost-saving, and spend analytics across the US and in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

What To Do Next

You can begin by filling out our application online. If you want to learn more about Turtle, please visit our website or our social medias! LinkedIn: @Turtle

Turtle is proud to be is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.