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General Manager

Houston, Texas

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Take Ownership of Strong Team & High-Potential Branch

Drive Growth through Sales & Operational Excellence

This is your opportunity to take ownership of an important and busy branch in Houston, TX. This is a prime role for a talented leader with a sales focus and operational finesse to spotlight his/her talent and build a progressive career with Trench Plate Rental Co.

As General Manager, you will make an impact as you grow and support our heavy equipment rental business via sales team development and operational oversight. This is a fast-paced, multifaceted role, especially during the heavy construction season. It requires a leader who's able to leverage a wide range of talents, including strong sales skills with the ability to lead and develop a sales team, and operational know-how to oversee everything from employee management to P&L responsibilities, equipment inventory and more. Quick question for you - click here

You will need outstanding leadership ability and interpersonal finesse to build internal and external relationships and earn credibility with the established team and strong customer base. Houston is a newer market for us and an exciting opportunity for a strong leader to drive sales, develop the branch and build a successful and progressive career with Trench Plate Rental Co.

Trench Plate Rental Co. (TPR) is multi-state construction rental corporation with over 35 years of excellent performance. We offer Trench Plates, Steel Trench Boxes, Aluminum Shoring and many other items associated with Excavation Shoring. We have locations in California, Nevada, Texas, Illinois and Florida, and our Corporate Offices are in Downey, California.

Note: We do a good deal of work on military bases, prison grounds, and other secure government locations, refineries and chemical plants. In order to be considered for this role, you must be able to pass Homeland Security Clearance to gain access to these sites. You must be a U.S. Citizen and have a clean record to pass.

The Requirements

To be a strong fit for the role of General Manager, you will have proven ability and a history of success in sales, operations and logistics. More specifically, you will have:

5+ years of management experience in sales and operations within the industry
A bachelor's degree preferred
Substantial experience in the construction equipment rental and/or sales industry (heavy construction, excavation equipment or similar) Quick question for you - click here
Understanding of yard operations, experience in trucking or fleet rental/sales management is an advantage
Knowledge of the greater Houston Area market
Proven success in sales and sales management, along with a "hunter" mentality; a service orientation and consultative sales approach; outstanding presentation skills to work with key clients
Past P&L responsibility of $5 million or greater Quick question for you - click here
The skill to maximize financial growth through thoughtful operations processes, spending frugality, and employee development
Self-motivation and a personal drive for success
A strong understanding of the market and the ability to stay up-to-date with market trends and changes
Strategic vision and tactical execution skills
Strong leadership qualities including a dynamic personality, and the skill to build and motivate strong teams
Strong attention to detail
Problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities
A dedication to safety
Computer savvy including proficiency with MS Office Suite applications, (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint); SalesForce or other CRM experience is a plus

In addition to these requirements, you must live in the region and be willing to travel throughout the local sales territory to call on customers, both with members of the Sales Team and alone. You will spend the majority of your time on sales, but will also invest a significant amount of time (perhaps 25%) overseeing operations and logistics. You may have occasional overnight travel during initial training and a few times per year for meetings.

The Role

Co-reporting to the Senior Vice President of Operations and the Senior Vice President of Sales, you will be responsible for a team of 10+ employees, including Sales, Operations, Customer Service and Yard personnel. Quick question for you - click here

You will be accountable for the organization, staffing, direction, and overall control of profitability and safe work practices via your direct responsibilities and Sales, Operations and Logistics oversight. You'll enjoy the advantage of a tenured branch team including a top-notch Operations Manager.

As General Manager, your mission will be twofold. On the one hand, you will showcase your consultative outside sales savvy as you mentor the team and drive sales to help us meet and exceed targets. The branch covers the Houston South Area, and you'll take a hands-on approach and be out in the field with your team regularly. All operations are managed on site with the exception of accounting, which will be sent to our corporate offices in Downey, CA.

As part of your specific duties, you will:

Dedicate yourself to knowledge gain to fully understand what's in place before making adjustments
Create and execute a Branch Sales Plan to meet and exceed the yearly goal
Assist in creating individual sales plans for the two Sales Representatives you will supervise
Work and travel to appointments with Sales Representatives, coaching and mentoring them on sales and closing skills, as necessary
Work directly with key clients, building relationships and selling/up-selling
Leverage your strategic planning and execution skills to actively increase sales.
Coordinate with the sales staff to ensure that what was promised is delivered
Approve customer quotes, bids, and special pricing through senior management
Maintain good customer relations with contractors and suppliers; make occasional visits to work sites to introduce products and services

On the other hand, you will oversee the day-to-day operations and ensure operational excellence while controlling expenses to maximize profitability. You will:

Comply with all company and government regulatory programs that pertain to our business
Develop and manage the branch budget
Work closely with the Operations Manager regarding the staff and day-to-day operations
Ensure that all equipment is maintained, repaired, and ready to rent, and that proper tracking and documentation is maintained. Documentation will include branch vehicle records such as service schedules, inspections and repairs
Serve as branch Safety Supervisor handling all initial safety investigations
Purchase supplies, parts, and outsourced repairs and maintenance; sign and approve POs
Work closely with HR and recruit, hire, and train staff; actively engage in staff development; team building; discipline and rewards
Schedule work for drivers when not dispatched, as well as for other employees
Complete accurate rental product inventory counts, report counts and arrange for the return of damaged equipment and products
Review logistics and workflow for the branch, coordinating with other branches to maintain and share inventory as customer needs warrant

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Why TPR

Make a good thing even better -- this is an opportunity to make an impact at an established branch and have your contributions noticed at the executive level. We’re working in a multi-billion dollar industry, have strong products, a respected name, and a goal of strong expansion.

Professional and career growth -- while this role offers plenty of challenges and enough to keep you interested for a long time to come, you could also choose to pursue advancement opportunities. TPR has been experiencing tremendous growth in multiple regions and growth equals opportunity! We anticipate advancement opportunities for our proven performers. From this role, you could move to a Regional Manager or other leadership position.

Stability -- under the leadership of a seasoned senior management team, we have achieved a record of financial stability, consistent growth, and business success.

Service -- it's not just about getting the rental or sales contract, it's about providing ongoing service. TPR has a reputation as the "go-to" company for contractors and is ranked #1 in service!

Great work environment -- if integrity and honesty are "old school," then within Underground Rental Construction and Trench Plate Rental Co., there's no school like the old school. We'll look to you to promote our culture of high ethics, respect, congeniality, and high standards, in part by modeling those qualities yourself and insisting on the same from your employees.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive salary and an uncapped bonus program, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including all you'd expect and a few surprises, such as a company provided pick-up truck.

Keys to Success

Upon joining us it will be important to really learn the people, operations, and what's in place. While the tendency is to want to make an impact in short order, the strategic move will be to earn credibility and respect and then look for improvements. There is a lot that's working, so change for change's sake doesn't make sense. At the same time, we know that once you gain an understanding of the business in its current state, you'll see ways to make it even better.

This is your branch and you'll take full ownership of sales and operations, infusing your efforts with the pride and passion for helping it thrive. You will be responsible 24/7. For example, if there is an alarm call, you won’t manage it directly, but will ensure that it is being handled correctly. While the Operations Manager will take care of most of the day-to-day fleet responsibilities, you are ultimately responsible, so must always be aware of what is happening within the branch. You will be accountable for the P&L, legal responsibilities, safety practices – for everything related to the branch.

We’re in the business of service sales, so you will be interacting constantly with customers, providing consultative expertise, as well as guiding employees. We have a great team in place, and as noted, many are tenured so a heavy hand won't work here. You should be an approachable leader who respects individual skills and talents but can also mentor employees and help them continue to develop professionally. That's not to say you won't aggressively pursue sales or operational goals, just that you'll do so as a team where everyone's contributions are appreciated and valued.

Our best General Managers hit the ground running, prove themselves and gain the respect of their employees and customers. They take ownership of their responsibilities, but also take advantage of resources and put their hand up when they need help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but demonstrates a dedication to learning and perfecting needed skills. There is a great deal to learn when you begin, so being dedicated to knowledge gain will be key to your success.

About TPR

Trench Plate® Rental Co (TPR) has grown substantially since its early days of only providing "Trench Plates®" from which we derived our name. Now we provide a myriad of products including, Steel and Aluminum Boxes, Hydraulic Shoring, Shoring Beams, Slide Rail Shoring Systems, Pipe Plugs, Confined Space Products and Competent Person and Flagger Training, and we have in excess of 3000 products that we routinely provide to customers.

We provide Products and Services to thousands of job sites every year all over the United States, meeting the tough requirements of contractors, for both safety and productivity. With locations throughout California, Nevada, Texas, Illinois, and Florida, we provide equipment for contractors across the United States.

Through our subsidiary manufacturing company, Quik-Shor®, TPR has developed a full line of Hydraulic Shoring, Aluminum Boxes, Steel Boxes and other products as well. The company's extensive product development program has ensured reliability and safety for our customers for a number of decades. In addition, TPR provides, "Competent Person Training Courses" and "Trench Rescue Training" to contractors and municipalities.

Our shoring product lines have withstood the test of time and use. Fulfilling the requirements of Contractors, Municipalities and OSHA on over one hundred thousand job sites throughout the world. Our employees are experts at providing the right equipment, delivered to your job site on your schedule, and assisting you with what you need to be successful. TPR focuses on providing solutions to contractors for both standard and challenging situations encountered by our customers through our experience and the very highest quality of equipment.