Chief Operating Officer / Integrator POST NUMBER: 485225

Vaco has partnered with a wholesale plumbing company in Indianapolis, IN to hire a new Chief Operating Officer.

• Industry: Wholesale Distribution — Plumbing, HVAC, Hydronic, Mechanical & Construction Supply

• Location: Indianapolis-area HQ, with regular travel to Indiana branches (Columbus, Bloomington, Fishers)

Why This Opportunity

Our client is an employee-owned (ESOP) wholesale distributor serving the plumbing, HVAC, hydronic, mechanical, and construction supply markets across Indiana. With deep customer relationships, a loyal and experienced workforce, and a clear growth mandate — a path toward $100 million in revenue through organic growth, branch expansion, and strategic acquisition — the company is entering an exciting next chapter.

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced wholesale distribution operator to step into a true second-in-command role, working side-by-side with an entrepreneurial President who is actively investing in the leadership team needed to scale the business — while preserving the relationship-driven, employee-owned culture that has made it successful.

The Opportunity

As Chief Operating Officer / Integrator, you will serve as the President's key operating partner and thought partner, taking ownership of day-to-day execution so the President can focus on vision, growth, vendor relationships, and acquisitions. You will lead sales execution, branch performance, purchasing, inventory, warehouse operations, and customer service — building the accountability systems and operating discipline the company needs to scale without losing what makes it work today.
You will partner closely with the Director of Finance / Corporate Controller, who owns the financial side of the business, while you own the operating side — together forming the leadership infrastructure that will carry the company through its next stage of growth.

What You'll Own

• Operating Leadership — drive day-to-day execution across sales support, branch operations, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, and customer service, with clear ownership and accountability in every area.
• President Partnership — translate strategy into priorities, scorecards, and measurable outcomes; serve as a trusted, candid sounding board.
• EOS / Ninety Discipline — own and strengthen the company's EOS operating cadence (L-10s, Rocks, scorecards, IDS) so it functions as a real management tool, not a reporting exercise.
• Sales & Operations Alignment — ensure sales growth is backed by inventory availability, pricing discipline, and service execution across branches.
• Branch Performance & Leadership Development — coach branch managers into stronger, more independent leaders and build the next layer of management.
• Inventory & Purchasing Discipline — improve turns, reduce obsolete stock, and bring clearer ownership to purchasing decisions.
• Process & Documentation — build practical SOPs that reduce reliance on tribal knowledge and make the business more scalable and trainable.
• Growth & Acquisition Readiness — help build the operating platform — systems, reporting, and leadership capacity — needed to integrate future bolt-on acquisitions.

What You Bring

This role is built for a hands-on operator with real wholesale supply distribution experience — not a purely corporate operator. You know how to walk the floor, earn the trust of long-tenured employees, and translate industry knowledge into practical decisions on pricing, inventory, and warehouse flow.

• Significant operating leadership experience — as a COO, Integrator, General Manager, VP of Operations, or Division President — within the plumbing, HVAC, mechanical, construction supply, or closely related wholesale/industrial distribution industry.
• Direct, hands-on knowledge of wholesale distribution economics: pricing, purchasing, inventory turns, warehouse flow, and branch-level P&L drivers.
• Experience leading managers and operations across multiple branches or locations.
• A track record of building accountability systems and improving business performance in a distribution or branch-based environment.
• Familiarity with EOS, Ninety, Lean, KPI scorecards, or similar operating frameworks (or the ability to adopt them quickly).
• The ability to bring industry credibility and experience without being rigid — someone open to new ideas and comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial, employee-owned, relationship-driven business.
• Prior M&A integration or post-acquisition operating experience is a strong plus, given the company's acquisition-driven growth strategy.

First-Year Priorities

• Build trust with the President, leadership team, branch managers, and employees across all locations.
• Assess current operating strengths, bottlenecks, and key-person dependencies.
• Strengthen the company's EOS / Ninety cadence and bring real discipline to follow-through on priorities.
• Improve visibility into inventory, purchasing, open orders, and branch performance.
• Partner with the Director of Finance / Corporate Controller to connect operating decisions to margin, cash flow, and ESOP value.

What Makes This Role a Fit

Our client is looking for someone who wants a meaningful, long-term leadership seat — not just a title. This is a genuine second-in-command opportunity with a growth-minded owner who is actively building out his leadership bench, a clear runway to influence a $100M growth story through acquisition, and an ESOP structure that rewards long-term commitment to the business.

If you've spent your career in plumbing, HVAC, or construction/industrial wholesale supply and are ready for a role where your industry knowledge translates directly into building the next chapter of a growing, employee-owned distributor, we'd like to talk with you.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.