Outside Sales Representative
This is a rare opportunity to join an employee-owned packaging automation integrator that had a record year north of $100M and is still growing fast. The company designs and integrates full sanitary packaging lines for food, dairy, and beverage manufacturers, filler to pallet, and they’re OEM-neutral, so you’re selling what’s right for the customer, not pushing a specific brand. No territories means no ceiling. Projects run $3M to $20M, commissions pay on booking, and the top rep cleared $500K last year. Strong base salary with a draw to bridge the ramp, plus a 25% ESOP contribution that compounds annually. This is a Michigan-based role, but the right candidate can be anywhere in the Midwest with willingness to travel up to 50%.
This isn’t a transactional role. Sales cycles are long, deals are complex, and you’re working directly with plant engineers and operations leads to figure out how to scale a packaging line. You’ll use a Sandler-based process and have application engineering support once an opportunity is qualified. The culture is values-driven, with a strong emphasis on humility, ownership mentality, and playing well with a tight-knit team. If you want real ownership, financial upside, and a seat at the table in a company that genuinely shares its success with employees, this could be the right fit for you!
Responsibilities
- Build a pipeline of new business by prospecting into food, dairy, and beverage manufacturers across the Midwest and nationally
- Conduct site visits and line assessments to understand customer challenges and scope appropriate packaging automation solutions
- Develop and present technical proposals for full-line integration projects ranging from $3M to $20M
- Manage the full sales cycle from initial contact through close, leveraging internal application engineers for solution development
- Serve as the primary relationship owner for assigned accounts, with an eye toward upgrades, expansions, and referrals
Desired Skills and Experience
- 2+ years of capital equipment or industrial automation sales, with exposure to food, beverage, or dairy manufacturing environments preferred
- Background selling to plant engineers, operations managers, or packaging leads, whether from an OEM or integrator side
- Comfortable with long sales cycles, large deal sizes, and consultative selling approaches
- Self-managed and wired to hunt: this role rewards consistent prospecting and independent pipeline development
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ABOUT SKYWATER SEARCH
Start with your Short List
Led by a group of seasoned search industry professionals, SkyWater Search Partners brings new focus to a novel concept, “Short List Search.” Our purpose is to leave a lasting impression on the clients we serve by providing individuals who will make a measurable difference in their business. We strive to consistently deliver great results to our clients in a very timely manner.
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Founded on long-standing relationships and hundreds of successful placements throughout the Twin Cities business community, SkyWater Search Partners is a proven resource for clients and candidates looking to quickly and confidently explore their “short list” of best choices. Count on us to find the best people – and the best fit.
