Sales Manager (Watseka)

Company: T&D Metals | Iroquois Industrial Group (IIG) Position Type: Full-Time Department: Sales / Heavy Equipment and Industrial Accounts Reports To: CEO, Iroquois Industrial Group Location: Watseka, IL, with customer and prospect travel Travel: Regular customer visits, including overnight travel as needed.

POSITION OVERVIEW

T&D Metals is seeking a Sales Manager to grow its heavy equipment and industrial customer base. This position will sell fabricated and stamped metal components, welded assemblies, and related manufacturing services to equipment manufacturers and industrial customers.

The role requires active prospecting and ownership of opportunities from first contact through quotation, award, and repeat production. The successful candidate will understand custom manufacturing, identify work that fits T&D capabilities, and coordinate closely with the plant to deliver profitable growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Market Development and New Customers

· Develop target accounts in heavy equipment, agricultural and construction machinery, material handling, and other suitable industrial markets.

· Generate new opportunities through direct outreach, customer visits, industry contacts, referrals, and selected trade events.

· Build relationships with purchasing, engineering, operations, and supplier development decision-makers.

· Match customer needs to T&D capabilities in laser and turret cutting, forming, stamping, welding, finishing, and assembly.

· Identify opportunities for outsourced production, supplier consolidation, capacity support, and new product introductions.

Quoting and Profitable Account Growth

· Gather drawings, specifications, forecast volumes, order quantities, inspection requirements, and delivery expectations for each opportunity.

· Coordinate estimating and engineering reviews to confirm cost, manufacturing approach, capacity, and feasible lead times.

· Present proposals, explain value, follow up on quotes, and negotiate within approved pricing and contract authority.

· Protect margins by addressing material costs, freight, tooling, setup costs, volume assumptions, and engineering changes.

· Grow existing accounts through additional parts, assemblies, services, and customer locations.

Customer Execution and Plant Coordination

· Transfer complete order and account requirements to operations at award, including approved drawings and commercial assumptions.

· Coordinate prototypes, first articles, samples, and production transitions with engineering and quality.

· Confirm delivery commitments with scheduling and communicate demand changes early enough to plan materials and labor.

· Lead customer communication on account issues and coordinate corrective actions for delivery, quality, or service concerns.

· Conduct regular account reviews to understand customer demand, performance expectations, and future sourcing plans.

Sales Planning and Reporting

· Maintain CRM records with qualified opportunities, quote status, decision-makers, next actions, and expected award dates.

· Provide realistic sales and demand forecasts that support purchasing and production planning.

· Track new accounts, bookings, realized revenue, gross margin, quote conversion, and customer retention against agreed goals.

· Coordinate account coverage with the automotive sales manager, support collection issues when needed, and perform related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

· At least five years of business-to-business sales experience in metal fabrication, stamping, contract manufacturing, or related industrial products.

· Demonstrated success winning new OEM or industrial accounts and expanding recurring customer business.

· Ability to read customer drawings and discuss materials, tolerances, finishes, weldments, and manufacturing processes.

· Experience managing requests for quote, proposals, price negotiations, and customer follow-up through award.

· Strong understanding of margin, cost drivers, order quantities, and the effect of changing requirements on pricing.

· Proficiency with CRM systems and Excel; ability to maintain a clear pipeline and dependable sales forecast.

· Ability to support the Watseka facility, travel regularly, and work effectively with plant and customer teams.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Established relationships with heavy equipment, agricultural equipment, construction machinery, or material handling manufacturers.

· Experience selling a combination of fabricated parts, stamped components, and welded or finished assemblies.

· Experience with long-term supply agreements, blanket orders, inventory programs, and supplier transitions.

· Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

We are looking for a persistent business developer who understands how manufacturers evaluate suppliers. This person should stay close to customers and the shop floor, win work the company can execute well, and earn profitable repeat business.