Before the search started, a Virginia peanut processor operated under a Plant Manager without a general management layer above the production floor. The position was new to the company and involved work in the company's core operation as well as a related entity.
The Client
The factory in Suffolk, Virginia, processes peanuts for commercial distribution in accordance with FSMA and HACCP regulations as a Tier 2 food manufacturer. There are about thirty full-time staff working around the facility, plus a temporary workforce. Five department managers report directly to the General Manager. An associated entity, also under the same mandate, had to be aligned across production and distribution in a way that no previous role had before.
The Challenge
It was a new role, so the person who filled it would have to set the standard rather than inherit one. The baseline was eight to ten years of progressive manufacturing experience, with P&L ownership and full SAP proficiency among the core requirements.
The company also wanted someone who would be seen working on the plant floor; a working manager as much as an administrator. HACCP, GMP, FSMA, OSHA, and USDA food safety compliance was a primary requirement, and bilingualism and familiarity with SQF were considered advantages. The education requirements were also relaxed partway through the search to avoid excluding candidates with deep hands-on experience over a formal degree.
The Solution
Direct outreach was used to find individuals with the right operational profile, and professional networks in the food manufacturing and peanut processing industries were used as the main source. Multiple candidates submitted video introductions, which the client team used to assess their presence and communication skills before holding in-person interviews.
Three interviewers conducted in-person panel discussions after the initial remote screening before the final selection was made.
The Results
An offer was made and, after the candidate had some time to review it, the letter was returned signed. Pre-employment background and drug screening were conducted before the appointment was confirmed, as well as credit and education verification.
Keller Executive Search placed the company’s first General Manager, who now provides the plant with unified leadership over its five reporting managers for the first time.
The Impact
Before this hire, the plant had run with no general management layer; now five department managers have unified leadership above them, and P&L accountability is at that level for the first time in the company’s history. In a food production setting, the newly created General Manager role had the extra burden of establishing the function’s standards rather than inheriting them across both the primary plant and the related entity that fell within the same mandate. The company has moved from a production floor with no general management layer to one with a working leader who has the full operational brief, and the business is better placed to grow from that base than it was before.
Inquiry Sent
Latest Insights
