AL Outside Sales
Birmingham, AL
CONFIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITY BRIEF
Outside Sales Representative
Greenfield Birmingham Territory | $1M Today → $6M Ceiling | 100% Employee-Owned
Industrial Automation & Fluid Power | Birmingham, AL | 65-Year Total Solutions Provider
Birmingham's industrial market is 75% untapped. You'd be walking into 800 active accounts — and a city full of plants that haven't said yes yet.
This company started in 1961 with a single manufacturer's line and $295.84 in first-month sales. Today, they do that number before lunch. Now 100% employee-owned through one of the largest ESOP structures in the country, they opened their Southern Headquarters in Alabama in 2024 specifically because this region is their next big growth chapter — and Birmingham is the center of it. The territory currently carries $1M in business. The ceiling, with the right rep in the seat, is $4–6M. The automation vertical alone is largely untouched. This is a blank canvas with existing relationships already warm and a pipeline ready to hand off.
THE ROLE AT A GLANCE
Title: Outside Sales Representative
Company: Confidential — 100% employee-owned industrial automation & fluid power distributor, 65 years in business
Industry: Industrial distribution — hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical automation, hose & connectors
Reporting To: Southern Region Sales Manager
Structure: Field-based, Birmingham, AL | 50-mile radius, ~1 overnight/month
Target Start Date: TBD — moving quickly for the right person
TERRITORY & MARKET OPPORTUNITY
This is a newly created role — there's no previous rep to recover from, no damaged relationships to repair. What you inherit is 800 active customers who are warm and receptive, an existing pipeline, and a territory that's only 25% penetrated. Three-quarters of Birmingham's addressable industrial market hasn't been touched yet. The biggest untapped vertical is automation, which aligns directly with the company's fastest-growing product lines.
800 active customers already in place — warm, active, and rated a 10/10 on relationship quality
250 named prospects in territory — 75% of the market is still available to capture
$1M current book, $4–6M ceiling — with execution, this territory multiplies 4–6x
No overnight grind — ~50-mile radius, home every night, ~1 hotel night per month
THE REAL OPPORTUNITY
In 1961 this company launched as one manufacturer's rep — a leading global fluid power brand — in a basement office. They're still the premier distribution partner for that brand in the region today. Over 65 years they've grown by acquisition, by technical depth, and by building the kind of relationships that survive plant shutdowns and management changes. Customers come back because when something breaks or changes or creates a safety concern, this company solves it — hydraulically, pneumatically, or through automation. The Southern expansion is strategic: they opened a regional HQ in Alabama in 2024, added multiple service locations across the state, and acquired new capabilities specifically to serve the Southern industrial base. Birmingham is the front line of that push.
Full product bench: hydraulic solutions, leading automation sensor lines, pneumatics, hose & connectors, motion control — one rep, complete solution set
Inside sales, application engineers, technical support, and sales coordinators all behind you — you sell, they support
Full pricing control — you negotiate on gross profit. No fixed price wall
No non-compete. If you build it here, what you build belongs to your career, not a legal agreement
The hidden gem: Every year, employee-owners receive an ESOP distribution that insiders call the "Blue Envelope." People who've never experienced an ESOP don't know what this actually means until it arrives. The company's top performers have cleared $350,000 in a single year — base, commission, and ESOP combined. That number has no ceiling, and nobody is going to sell this company to a private equity firm and cut it off.
CULTURE & OWNERSHIP
In January 2023, the company became part of one of the largest 100% employee-owned ESOP structures in the United States. Every employee is now an owner. The 401K was replaced with a profit-sharing retirement fund that grows with the company's performance. The culture distills to three words from the people inside it: Honest. Fast. Sharp. Ask any top rep why they haven't left and they'll give you the same four answers: the people, the earning potential, the product growth, and the autonomy. This is not a micromanaged role. You control your territory, your pricing, and your destiny. Monthly Birthday and Anniversary celebrations bring the whole team together — leadership stands up, gives company updates, and everyone knows where things stand. There is no information gap between the floor and the VP suite.
THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
Base Salary: $65,000 – $85,000
Stretch Base (Ideal Candidate): $120,000
Year 1 Realistic W2: $110,000 – $120,000 (base + bonus structure, Years 1–2)
Commission: Gross profit-based, paid monthly on received receivables
Upside / No Cap: Top earner in this type of role: $350,000
ESOP: Annual profit-sharing retirement fund — grows every year you're here
Health Insurance: $0/month premium achievable via Vitality wellness program (Platinum tier)
HSA Contribution: Company contributes $20/pay period when employee contributes anything
Phone + Laptop: Provided
Mileage: Reimbursed
PTO: 40 hours/year + flexible vacation
Non-Compete: None
CAREER PATH
Outside Sales Rep (where you start) → Senior Sales Rep (territory ownership & specialization) → Regional Sales Manager (leadership track)
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Technical foundation in hydraulics, pneumatics, or electrical controls — enough to walk a plant floor, spot the problem, and know which product solves it. You don't need to be an engineer; you need to earn trust from the engineers
A relationship-first seller who is also technically credible — this is both a technical sale and a relationship sale. The customers who stay are the ones who trust their rep. You get in through maintenance, you win the deal through engineering, you keep the account through both
Self-directed and hungry — this is an outbound, self-generated territory. There is no inbound funnel waiting for you. Drive, initiative, and grit are the three non-negotiables. If you need someone to hand you leads, this is not your role
Built for autonomy — the ideal candidate is frustrated by micromanagement at their current company. Here, you set your day, own your territory, and control your earnings. Nobody is standing over your shoulder
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
Step 1: Phone screen with HR Recruiter — fit, background, and what's driving you to explore a move
Step 2: Phone interview with the Southern Region Sales Manager — sales approach, territory vision, technical baseline
Step 3: Online assessments (PXT & Bennett) — emailed directly, completed on your own time
Close: In-person with the Southern Region Sales Manager + a product specialist matched to your background. VP of Sales has final authority. Full process: 2–4 weeks
READY TO OWN YOUR TERRITORY?
If the math here is interesting, let's talk — 20 minutes, no pressure, just the facts you need to decide if this is worth your time.
Contact: Michael "Sully" Sullivan, VenTech Search Group
Email: sully@ventechsearch.com | ventechsearch.com
July 8, 2026