North American Sales Leader

Description: Position Description: Panels Plus , a wholly owned subsidiary of Innovance, Inc. (an 100 % employee-owned company), is seeking a proven North American Sales Leader to sell and improve share of its precision building machines that produce wall panels, cassettes, and various accessories for the building/construction industry. This B2B sales role will develop and manage sales through recognized national and global distributors that resells Panels Plus machines to structural building component manufacturers and various end-user builders throughout North America. In addition, this leader may call on specific “factory accounts” designated to be a direct sale opportunity. This role specializes in B2B capital goods sales and marketing of industrial OEM machines specifically built for the building and construction industry. It is a technical sales role and is the primary “architect” of Panels Plus’s customer experience, ensuring its clients have the products, services and technical support they need to succeed. The role serves as the critical link between our customers, distributors, and our internal departments, ensuring the “voice of the customer” is clear and used to develop world-class products and services. As the North American Sales Leader, you will own the full sales and marketing lifecycle. You will be responsible for training and developing our distribution channel to successfully sell our products and services. It includes strategic planning, generating and qualifying leads, new business development, and nurturing a robust existing portfolio of customers. This role is ideal for a B2B capital equipment salesperson who: - Has successfully sold through distributors or hybrid direct/channel models - Is comfortable with long-cycle, consultative sales involving technical products - Enjoys hands-on involvement with customers, installations, and problem-solving - Wants to build a North American sales engine, not just manage a book of business Why Panel's Plus? - One of the most recognized name brands in the structural building component machine industry. - 100% ESOP-owned company with long-term wealth-building potential - High-visibility leadership role with direct influence on strategy and growth - Established brand with significant white space for expansion - Opportunity to leave a lasting sales infrastructure, not just hit a quota Key Responsibilities Strategic Sales & Growth: Directly manage and service existing accounts while aggressively pursuing new business to meet or exceed established sales goals. - Focus on understanding and fulfilling specific customer needs to obtain new orders and expand our historical sales footprint. - Lead the marketing efforts to generate demand, leads, and opportunities. Distribution Network Leadership: - Develop and maintain a robust distribution network. - Lead distributor training initiatives and work directly with their sales staff to move complex projects forward. Product Expertise & Consulting: Become a subject matter expert on all Panels Plus products, serving as a trusted resource for both long-term customers and new prospects. - Research the competition by gathering real-time marketplace intelligence on pricing, products, and delivery schedules. Operational Excellence & Reporting: Maintain high visibility with leadership by providing weekly work plans and call reports. - Leverage the Dynamics 365 CRM tool, ensuring all progress on leads, accounts, and opportunities are accurate and up to date. Customer Advocacy & Problem Solving: Function as a liaison between customers and internal departments to ensure complete satisfaction. - Resolve customer complaints by investigating issues, developing creative solutions, and collaborating with the management team to ensure a positive outcome. - Provide backup support for service, equipment installations, or other positions as needed to ensure team success. Professionalism & Versatility: Conduct all duties with diplomacy, integrity, sensitivity, and tact, ensuring the company is always portrayed in a positive light. Remain flexible and ready to pivot to market demands and changing requirements of our customers. Requirements: Position Requirements - Demonstrated success selling B2B capital equipment or industrial OEM solutions in construction or adjacent industries, preferably involving distributor or channel-based sales. - Ability to work with a high level of independence while maintaining strong collaborative ties with other departments. Must be self-starting, and capable of driving for results without daily oversight. - Professional, frequent communication skills for all levels. - Alignment with the Innovance mission and core values Desired Qualifications - Construction, Building Industry experience - Demonstrated ability to achieve results through distribution partners - Experience with marketing, planning, and promotions. Able to execute marketing plans. - Understanding of business financials necessary for quoting, pricing, and margin analysis - PC skills including Epicor Kinetics ERP, Microsoft Office 365, Dynamics 365 CRM, and various AI tools - A strong ability to set and prioritize goals - Mechanically inclined. - Excellent problem-solving skills and strong ability to multi-task. - Ability to work with the customer to solve issues in a fair & pleasant manner. - Ability to work with limited supervision and know when to bring others into customer conversations. Travel Requirements: - Travel averages 2–3 days per week during peak customer or trade show periods, with lighter travel during planning and follow-up cycles. - Remote office consideration for highly qualified candidates only. If qualified, regular travel to Albert Lea, MN HQ and Plant is required Measures of Success: - Growth in North American bookings and backlog - Distributor engagement, training effectiveness, and order velocity - CRM adoption and pipeline visibility - Customer satisfaction and repeat business - Contribution to marketing initiatives and product feedback loops This description reflects the principal functions of the job for the purpose of job evaluation. It should not be construed as a detailed description of all work requirements of the job, nor should it be construed as giving exclusive responsibility for every function described. PI552a46ed1e46-25448-40171561aa415a4b-8b21-40fc-a65c-70d2b25ca29a