Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer
North Pacific


North Pacific is a $1.4 billion distributor of building materials, industrial and hardwood products, and other specialty products such as poles and pilings, and agricultural and food products. Headquartered in Portland, OR, North Pacific is an ESOP company that employs about 800 people in facilities throughout the United States.

We are searching for a Chief Operating Officer who will be accountable to the CEO for leadership/management of three business units with combined sales volume of $650 million and 400 employees. This new position will both strengthen the leadership team and provide capacity for continued, profitable growth. We are seeking candidates with senior level experience in distribution (either producer or distributor experience is of interest) with emphasis on product sourcing, customer and vendor relations, operations, logistics, transportation and supply chain management. Candidates must have records of success, offer potential for greater responsibility, and be skilled in strategic planning, negotiating, and communication.

This position is located in Portland, OR. If you qualify, please submit your complete resume to our search consultants: The Pringle Company, 6441 SW Canyon Court, Suite 200, Portland, OR, or via email to [Click here for email]. Roger Pringle is our Project Leader (503/221-0048, ext. 1).
REQUIREMENTS
North Pacific
www.northpacific.com

Executive Opportunity Profile
August 2006
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Company Overview

Founded in 1948 in Portland, OR as a trading company specialized in lumber and wood products, North Pacific has since diversified and grown dramatically. The company now has about 800 employees and annual sales approximating $1.4 billion. It is recognized as one of the largest privately-owned companies (ESOP) in the United States.

Today, North Pacific is a wholesale distributor of building materials, industrial and hardwood products, and other specialty products such as poles and pilings, agricultural and food products. The company is decentralized in organization, with six primary business units operating throughout the United States:

1.Building Materials East (BME): Operating in the Northeast United States, BME distributes building products ranging from hardwood lumber and panels to composite decking and trim, structural panels, lumber and engineered wood products. BME also offers customized programs including off-car reload, mill direct and flexible loads from full units to pieces. BME has nine locations including its base of operation in New Hampshire.

BME employs 130 people and has annual revenue approximating $150 million.

2.Building Materials Midwest (BMM): From its Michigan base and four other locations in the upper Midwest, BMM distributes panel products, lumber, engineered wood, branded specialty building materials (e.g., flooring, decking and siding), and industrial wood products.

BMM employs 145 people and has annual revenue approximating $170 million.

3.Building Materials West (BMW): With operations in California, Oregon and Tennessee, BMW is a leader in distribution of softwood plywood, oriented strand board (OSB) and lumber, particle board, and specialty laminated panels.

BMW employs 130 people and has annual sales approximating $330 million.

4.Building Materials South (BMS): BMS is a Mississippi-based, leading wholesaler of lumber, building materials and specialty products. BMS offers many products including southern yellow pine for industrial uses, Eastern and Western Spruce, Southern Pine plywood, carpet, tile, roofing products, OSB, MDF, hardwood plywood particle board and more.

BMS employs 50 people and has annual sales approximating $110 million.

5.Specialty Wood Products (SWP): Portland-based, with operations in Arkansas, Missouri, California and South America, SWP is an international manufacturer and wholesale distributor of hardwood and softwoods products for furniture, flooring, cabinet manufacturers and millwork. Products include all species of domestic hardwood lumber and imported plywood and lumber from selected overseas producers. With hardwood concentration yards in the Central United States, custom services include kiln drying, surfacing and straight line ripping.

SWP employs 215 people and has annual revenues approximating $325 million.

6.Specialty Products: Based in Portland, Specialty Products includes three unique businesses serving a broad range of customers. Products include treated wood poles and piling, composite products, food and organic products and various agricultural products such as soil amendments, feed ingredients, grain seeds and landscape products. Value-added services include product disposal, special processing, re-packaging and mixing.

Specialty Products employs 75 people and has annual revenues approximating $260 million.

North Pacific’s line organization is served by corporate staff groups located in the company’s Portland, OR headquarters location. Staff groups include IT, risk management, accounting/finance, human resources, treasury and corporate administration.

Jay Ross, CEO of North Pacific joined the company in 1999. Under his leadership the company has been modernized, re-organized and launched on a program of strategic planning-based management. The company is expected to grow aggressively as it continues to refine its operating efficiencies and performance. Acquisitions are likely and all business units are expected to innovate in search of profitable growth.

We are launching an executive search for a Chief Operating Officer-Distribution (COO) for North Pacific. The COO position and our selection criteria are discussed below.


Chief Operating Officer – Distribution (COO)


Position Title:Chief Operating Officer – Distribution

Accountable To: Chief Executive Officer (Jay Ross)

Direct Reports:Sr. VP, Building Materials East (Pat Heffernan)
Sr. VP, Building Materials Midwest (Tom Levere)
Sr. VP, Building Materials West (Gregg Wilkinson)

Total COO staff accountability: 400

COO Job Summary:

The Chief Operating Officer-Distribution (COO) is a new position accountable directly to the CEO. The COO will be accountable for all business operations in three North Pacific business units (each with a Senior Vice President in place) generating about $650 million in annual revenue and employing 400 people in various locations across the United States.

In addition to operating responsibilities, the COO will work closely with the CEO on business strategy and overall corporate business. Customer and supplier relationships, and product sourcing and mix are major strategic issues the COO will embrace.

Key job responsibilities include:

1.Working as part of the executive team to set North Pacific business strategy and direction, and to assist the CEO on wide-ranging business issues and challenges.
2.Developing strategic and operating plans and budgets for assigned distribution business units.
3.Leading and managing assigned distribution business unit managers. Attracting, motivating and retaining high quality people for the distribution team.
4.Building and nurturing positive and productive relationships with suppliers and customers, particularly those considered national accounts and those serving multiple distribution business units.
5.Develop, implement and monitor distribution service metrics for improved customer service productivity.
6.Oversee and ensure control of product inventory to balance risk, turn goals and customer service.
7.Oversee and ensure performance of accounts receivable. Work with Corporate Risk Management to balance collections risk with sales growth.
8.Oversee and improve logistics and supply chain processes within the distribution network, including trucking and rail.
9.Oversee capital planning and expenditures control.
10.Ensure distribution business unit management of operating budgets, ensuring on-budget performance.
11.Ensure that all safety and regulatory compliance is achieved.

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Qualifications & Selection Criteria:

1.Education: Candidates should have bachelor’s degrees in business or a related field, and graduate degrees (i.e., MBA) are preferred. Candidates should also present experience in post-degree executive/management/leadership training to indicate current knowledge of these subjects.

2.Experience, Knowledge & Skills: Candidates must offer the following qualifications:

a.Extensive building materials industry experience in senior management/leadership positions. This experience must be extensive relative to distribution of “value added” building materials, such as engineered wood, connectors, synthetic decking, etc. Special emphasis is on product sourcing, customer and vendor relations, marketing, selling and providing the service that typically accompanies these specialty products. We will consider candidates with such experience gained either from the supplier side or the customer side. This must be successful, progressively more responsible experience.

b.Strategic orientation and planning skills. As an Executive Team member and as leader of a major portion of the company, the COO will participate in setting corporate direction and strategy. Candidates should have planning experience and current knowledge of industry trends, directions and structure evidenced by success in developing successful new business initiatives. Strategic thinking and planning experience is essential.

c.Negotiation skills. Ability and experience in negotiating major business agreements with customers and suppliers is essential.

d.Communication skills. Candidates must be highly effective communicators and leaders with well developed presentation and mentoring skills. North Pacific is an employee-owned company so accountability is immediate and high with associates, the board of directors, and external stakeholders.

3.Other Requirements:

a.Character. Candidates must be people of high integrity with unblemished backgrounds. They must lead by example in this regard.

b.Energy/pace. North Pacific is a fast-paced, customer- and sales-driven organization that competes by being quick and decisive. The COO will help set the pace in terms of creative thinking and decisive action, while ensuring that effective processes, controls and systems are in place.

c.Upward mobility: A key COO selection criterion will be the candidate’s potential for taking on greater responsibility. North Pacific will continue to grow, both organically and via M&A activity, and its senior executives must be capable of growing with the company. The COO must have interest in and capacity (potential) for increased responsibility, including long-term consideration as a candidate for the CEO position.

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For Additional Information, Please Contact:

The Pringle Company
(Executive Search Consultants)
6441 SW Canyon Court, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97221
503/221-0048

Our Project Leader is Roger Pringle
([Click here for email])...503/789-9401 (cell)
Please submit resumes to [Click here for email]