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Charlotte, North Carolina

Executive Search in North Carolina: SnapDragon Associates Places Division Manager to Launch a New Door Division

Written by Sarah Lucas on . Posted in Results.

When a national leader in the commercial doors and hardware space set its sights on expanding into North Carolina, they needed more than just a Division Manager; they needed a builder. Someone who could launch a new division from the ground up, lead from the field, and carry the trust of both installers and executives alike.

That’s where SnapDragon Associates stepped in.

A Strategic Expansion

The client, a prominent national supplier of commercial doors, frames, and hardware, is widely known for delivering turnkey solutions and exceptional project execution. With growing demand in the Southeast, they made the strategic decision to launch a new division in North Carolina. This move would require not only operational oversight but also grassroots leadership.

The Door Division Manager would be responsible for establishing field operations, managing install projects, supporting sales teams, and hiring talent to scale a brand-new regional presence.

Finding the Right Fit

SnapDragon Associates was engaged to conduct an executive search for this Division Manager role, a critical hire that would set the tone for the division’s future. The ideal candidate required a unique blend of field experience, installation expertise, and leadership capabilities within the commercial doors industry.

SnapDragon’s headhunting efforts focused on professionals who had experience in both distribution and installation, individuals who not only understood how to manage a job from blueprint to closeout. Still, they could also mentor field crews and collaborate cross-functionally.

The final candidate checked every box.

A Holistic Leader with Ground-Level Experience

The selected hire came from a strong background in commercial doors, frames, and hardware, with experience that spanned hands-on installation, project management, and regional team leadership. They brought a unique, holistic perspective, having worked their way up from the field and earned credibility at every level.

What made this placement stand out was the alignment of vision. The opportunity to build something from the ground up energizes the candidate, especially with the backing of a well-established company and a clear runway for growth.

Success from Day One

Since stepping into the role, the new Division Manager has already made a measurable impact. They’ve led with clarity and confidence, mentoring staff, improving field execution, and driving early-stage growth. Their technical acumen, leadership style, and ability to connect across departments have all drawn praise from the client.

The company is confident that it has the right leader in place to grow its North Carolina presence and make this new division a long-term success.

Another example of how SnapDragon Associates delivers strategic, high-impact executive search results in the building materials and construction space.

About SnapDragon Associates

SnapDragon Associates is the trusted executive search partner for top building materials companies nationwide. We specialize in connecting manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and private equity-backed firms with high-impact leadership talent in sales, operations, finance, and executive management.

With a proven track record and deep industry knowledge, we don’t just fill roles, we help businesses thrive.

Learn more about our executive search solutions for the building materials industry.

To see more examples of our successful executive placements, visit our Case Studies page.

Customer Service Surprise!

Written by Mark Barnard on . Posted in News & Insights.

Is it just me, or does it surprise you when you encounter good customer service? Maybe I am off, but customer service has taken a back seat or has been somewhat forgotten since the pandemic. I know that the excuse of being “short-staffed” is growing old. I understand it is a reality, but is it OK to use it as a crutch for not doing what should be common sense? That could be why so many people seem surprised when they encounter good customer service. Sometimes I understand their surprise – stories of truly over-the-top customer service stories are seemingly rare these days. But most of the examples I hear about are simply instances of the sound, reliable customer service that people or companies should offer regularly. It is merely companies doing the right thing – ensuring the customer is happy, correcting a problem, being attentive to the customer’s needs, etc. It is not necessarily “spectacular,” but it is more than expected, and even just a little more can make a difference.

I had an experience this week with a company that genuinely wowed me. I had been looking for a specific moulding for a renovation project at home, and after going bin by bin at a big box, finding nothing that suited me, I went online and was surprised to see a client company, Next Day Moulding out of Boston. Their website was easy to use, showed the profiles, gave dimensions, and I instantly ordered the 11 pieces of moulding I needed. And, to my surprise, they scheduled delivery for the next day…not ironic, I know. The order was confirmed, and I was shocked on the day of delivery; the driver texted me that he was 30 minutes out and on the way. “Wow, who does that?” was my thought. I texted that the contractor was there and that he could drop it off in the garage. Unfortunately, one of the pieces of trim was damaged beyond use. The driver texted me, apologized, and let me know the office was notified and that a replacement piece would be shipped the next day, Saturday. Fifteen minutes later, the salesperson at the Woburn yard called, apologized again, and confirmed that they would fix the issue and deliver a replacement the following morning. 10:00 AM Saturday, I got a text message from the driver, again on his way to the house. The builder was impressed, saying, “I have to look those guys up for my next job.” That small amount of extra customer service not only won me over, but he will undoubtedly get business from a remodeling contractor who was even more impressed. I have repeated this story to several people, surprising myself at how it made me feel.

The surprising part, as I’ve said, is that people seem amazed to receive this level of customer service. Of course, some truly outstanding, “WOW” moments of service go above and beyond what should be expected. And people who receive such service are right to be surprised and to want to share the experience. But this story should not be a “WOW” moment; I would classify it as people doing their jobs the way they should. They have the right attitude, are polite, helpful, attentive to the customer, and provide quality service. They are not over the top but are consistently a little better than average. To me, it just makes sense.

Fantastic customer service – by my definition, consistently better than average – should be the norm! It should be expected, not to come as a surprise. As an Executive recruiting firm in the lumber and building materials industry, I share these stories to train our executive recruiters dealing with distributors, retailers, and manufacturers of building materials. There is no excuse today for businesses to offer anything less in terms of service. There is no reason for anyone to ignore this necessary element of good business practice. It should be expected, and customers like me should be surprised when they don’t receive fantastic service. While most customer service is not terrible, it is still just satisfactory or average, which is why the level of service that should be expected stands out as something more. These days, the average isn’t good enough. Train yourself and your employees to do more and do it regularly. The customer may be surprised and will be happier. We recruit for the lumber and building materials industry and follow “white glove service” practices.