General Manager

General Manager

The General Manager (GM) provides day-to-day leadership and operational oversight for a cabinetry company, ensuring safe, profitable, and high-quality delivery from sales/design through production. This role is accountable for team performance, customer experience, financial results, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate is an outstanding leader with a proven ability to drive transformative change—improving systems, developing people, and scaling operational excellence while protecting craftsmanship and company culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the business: Set clear priorities and operating rhythms (daily/weekly/monthly) that align sales, design, and production to deliver on commitments.
• Operational execution: Own on-time delivery, quality, safety, and productivity across the shop and field; remove bottlenecks and ensure smooth handoffs between functions.
• Production management: Oversee scheduling, capacity planning, shop workflow, and labor allocation; ensure drawings, cut lists, machine programs, and bills of material are accurate and released on time.
• Quality & craftsmanship: Establish and enforce quality standards, inspection points, and corrective actions; reduce rework, warranty issues, and jobsite punch lists.
• Customer experience: Ensure strong communication and issue resolution; partner with sales/project management to set expectations, manage change orders, and protect margins.
• Financial performance: Manage P&L results, job costing discipline, pricing/margin adherence, cash flow awareness, and expense control; deliver regular reporting and forecasts to ownership.
• People leadership: Hire, coach, and develop supervisors and team members; build accountability, teamwork, and a culture of safety and continuous improvement.
• Transformative change: Lead process improvement initiatives (e.g., standard work, 5S, lean flow, visual management, KPI dashboards) and implement scalable systems for growth.
• Systems & data: Improve estimating-to-production data integrity (ERP/MRP, project tracking, inventory control, CAD/CAM, scheduling tools); standardize documentation and version control.
• Vendor & material management: Strengthen supplier relationships; improve purchasing, lead times, material availability, and inventory accuracy to support reliable production.
• Safety & compliance: Ensure compliance with OSHA and applicable regulations; maintain training, incident investigation, and corrective actions; promote a proactive safety culture.
• Facility & equipment: Maintain shop equipment readiness (e.g., CNC, edgebanders, dust collection, finishing systems); plan preventative maintenance and capital improvements.
• Strategic support: Contribute to growth strategy, market positioning, and capacity expansion; provide recommendations on product offerings, lead time policy, and service model.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of leadership experience in cabinetry, millwork, woodworking manufacturing, or closely related custom fabrication environment (with responsibility for operations, production, or general management).
• Working knowledge of the product lifecycle: estimating/sales, design & engineering (CAD), material procurement, production (cut/edge/assemble/finish), delivery, and installation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, set expectations, and drive accountability in a hands-on environment.
• Strong understanding of job costing, gross margin drivers, and operational levers that impact profitability (labor, material yield, rework, throughput, schedule adherence).
• Experience implementing process improvements and/or leading change initiatives (systems, workflow, quality, safety, or organizational structure).
• Ability to read and interpret shop drawings and specifications; strong attention to detail and quality standards.
• Proficiency with common business tools (Excel/Google Sheets, email, scheduling/project tracking); ability to learn and optimize ERP/MRP and CAD/CAM-related workflows.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel locally to job sites as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years in cabinetry/millwork with experience scaling a small operation (growth, new facility, second shift, new product lines).
• Experience with lean manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, value stream mapping, or similar continuous improvement frameworks.
• Familiarity with CNC programming/workflow integration and/or production planning tools.
• Background partnering with designers, builders, and homeowners on custom projects with complex requirements and tight deadlines.
• Experience developing compensation plans, incentive programs, or performance-based KPIs in a production environment.
• Bachelor's degree in business, operations, engineering, construction management, or equivalent experience.

Leadership & Change Competencies

• Outstanding leader: Builds trust quickly, communicates clearly, and sets a high standard for behavior, safety, and quality.
• Operational ownership: Takes responsibility for outcomes; uses data and observation to diagnose issues and drive solutions.
• People developer: Coaches supervisors and team members; provides direct feedback; creates growth paths and succession plans.
• Change leader: Plans and executes change in a structured way—aligning stakeholders, managing resistance, and sustaining adoption.
• Customer-first mindset: Balances responsiveness with disciplined scope control and margin protection.
• Continuous improvement: Establishes standard work, measures performance, and runs problem-solving routines that reduce variability and rework.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Creates strong handoffs between sales, design, shop, and install; resolves conflict and clarifies decision rights.
• Business acumen: Understands how lead times, capacity, pricing, and mix drive financial results; makes tradeoffs accordingly.
• Integrity & accountability: Models ethical decision-making and follows through on commitments.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in both office and shop environments; occasional jobsite visits are required.
• Must be able to move safely through a production facility and job sites, including uneven surfaces and areas with active equipment.
• Ability to lift up to 25–50 lbs occasionally (tools, samples, materials), with reasonable accommodation as applicable.
• May require extended hours during peak workload periods, critical installations, or operational transitions.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Brewer Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status.