General Manager

Davalyn Corporation; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Aggressive bonus/commission

Employer-paid medical coverage

Leadership growth opportunities

Job summary

Davalyn Corporation is conducting a confidential search for a General Manager to lead and grow a cutting-tool and metalworking business in Detroit. This on-site role blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution, overseeing sales, operations, inventory, and financial performance while maintaining strong customer relationships.

The successful candidate will be a player-coach with deep industry knowledge, directing the sales team, managing purchasing and inventory, and driving profitable

Qualifications

• Direct cutting-tool industry experience required.
• Know-how of metal-cutting tools and machining.
• Management experience in cutting-tool manufacturing or distribution.
• Proven leadership of sales and business operations.
• Established customer relationships in cutting-tool/metalworking markets.
• Experience with purchasing, inventory, forecasting, and planning.
• Budgeting, margins, expenses, and basic accounting knowledge.
• Familiar with ERP, inventory-management, and CRM systems.
• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on leadership.

Responsibilities

• Spend significant time in the field maintaining customer relationships and developing accounts.
• Drive profitable growth with machine shops, manufacturers, distributors, and other metalworking customers.
• Lead and develop the sales team while remaining active with customers.
• Oversee day-to-day operations, purchasing, inventory, and KPI monitoring.
• Establish priorities and performance expectations across the organization.
• Improve processes as the business grows.
• Coordinate sales, customer service, purchasing, inventory, and other functions.
• Provide hands-on leadership and accountability for results.

Skills

Leadership

Sales management

Operations management

Customer relationships

Strategic planning

Tools

ERP systems

CRM software

Inventory management systems

Job description

Davalyn Corporation has been retained to conduct a confidential search for a General Manager on behalf of an established company in the cutting-tool and metalworking industry. This key leadership position will have responsibility for driving profitable sales growth, overseeing day-to-day operations, and helping guide the continued growth and development of the business.

Reporting directly to the Company President, the General Manager will serve as a trusted on-site leader with broad responsibility across sales, operations, inventory, financial performance, and team development. This is a hands‑on position requiring someone who can balance strategic leadership with active involvement in the daily business.

The successful candidate will be a player-coach with strong cutting-tool industry knowledge and established customer relationships. This individual will remain personally engaged with key accounts and new business opportunities while leading the sales team, strengthening operational processes, managing inventory and purchasing, and maintaining appropriate financial discipline.

The ideal candidate will bring the industry credibility, leadership experience, and business judgment to earn the confidence of customers and employees while helping position the organization for continued profitable growth.

What You’ll Do:

• Spend significant time in the field maintaining customer relationships, developing accounts, and identifying new business opportunities


• Drive profitable growth with machine shops, manufacturers, distributors, and other metalworking customers.


• Leverage existing relationships and contacts within the cutting-tool and machining industry.


• Maintain direct involvement with key accounts and strategic sales opportunities


• Lead and develop the sales team while remaining personally active with customers.


• Establish sales objectives and create accountability around revenue, margin, and customer growth.


• Monitor market activity, customer needs, competitive products, and emerging opportunities.

Business & Operational Leadership

• Assume responsibility for the day-to-day operation and performance of the business.


• Coordinate sales, customer service, purchasing, inventory, and other operational functions.


• Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations across the organization.


• Improve processes and operating procedures as the business grows.


• Develop and monitor meaningful sales, inventory, customer-service, and operational KPIs.


• Identify operational challenges and implement practical improvements.


• Build a culture centered on responsiveness, accountability, teamwork, and customer service.

Inventory & Purchasing

• Oversee purchasing, ordering, inventory levels, and future inventory requirements.


• Balance product availability with the need to minimize excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.


• Use sales history, forecasts, customer demand, and supplier lead times to guide purchasing decisions.


• Maintain disciplined inventory‑control practices and accurate inventory records.


• Work with inventory‑management and business systems to improve visibility and decision-making.

Financial & Strategic Management

• Work closely with the President on business strategy, growth plans, budgeting, and annual objectives.


• Participate in budgeting, forecasting, sales planning, and inventory planning.


• Monitor revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, inventory, and overall business performance.


• Apply practical accounting and financial knowledge when evaluating business decisions.


• Maintain focus on profitable growth, not simply increased sales volume.


• Provide ownership with clear visibility into business performance, opportunities, and potential risks.


• Provide visible, hands‑on leadership across the organization.


• Coach, develop, and hold employees accountable for performance.


• Strengthen communication and coordination between sales and operations.


• Evaluate staffing needs and help recruit and retain strong employees as the company grows.


• Delegate effectively while maintaining accountability for overall results.


• Lead with integrity, sound judgment, professionalism, and a strong customer orientation.

Preferred Background:

• Direct cutting-tool industry experience is required.


• Strong knowledge of metal-cutting tools and machining applications, including products such as drills, taps, end mills, reamers, dies, counterbores, countersinks, carbide tooling, cobalt tooling, and high-speed steel cutting tools.


• Management experience within a cutting-tool manufacturer, cutting-tool distributor, CNC/machine-tool distributor, industrial tooling company, or closely related metalworking business.


• Proven experience leading both sales and business operations.


• Established relationships and strong customer contacts within the cutting-tool, CNC machining, machine-shop, metalworking, or industrial distribution markets.


• Demonstrated ability to grow accounts and develop profitable new business.


• Experience with purchasing, inventory management, forecasting, and operational planning.


• Working knowledge of budgeting, margins, expenses, and basic accounting/financial management.


• Comfortable using ERP, inventory‑management, CRM, and other business systems.


• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision‑making skills.


• Entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to remain directly involved in the business rather than managing solely from an office.


• Aggressive bonus/commission opportunity tied to performance and business growth


• 100% employer-paid medical coverage


• Opportunity to take a significant leadership role in the continued growth and development of an established cutting-tool business

This opportunity is well suited for an experienced cutting-tool professional who has progressed beyond individual sales or account management and is ready to take broader responsibility for customers, people, operations, inventory, financial performance, and overall business growth.