You run a textile business, and the person leading your sales organization has to understand mills, converters, specifications, and the buyers who depend on all of them. At Coley Company, we provide Textile VP of Sales Recruiters who know that world, so your search starts with people already working in it. Visit our home page to see how our work across textile, apparel, and nonwoven fits together.
Why a commercial leader search in textiles needs a specialist
A vice president of sales in this industry carries more than a quota. You need someone who can talk fabric performance with a technical buyer on Monday and walk a plant floor with your operations team on Tuesday. General executive recruiters tend to screen for leadership style and stop there. Our Textile VP of Sales Recruiters screen for product knowledge, customer relationships, and the manufacturing context behind every sales conversation.
We also pay attention to the fit between a candidate’s background and your business goals. Some employers need someone to open new accounts, others need someone to protect and deepen the ones they have. We ask which one you need before we start looking. Learn more about who we are on our About page.
Roles we commonly place across our industries include:
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Vice President of Sales
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Vice President of Marketing
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President
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Product Manager
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Product Development
Follow our work and industry updates on LinkedIn.
How a retained sales leadership search moves from brief to offer
We run retained executive searches, which means we work as a dedicated partner on your opening rather than sending along resumes and hoping one sticks. Our Textile VP of Sales Recruiters begin with a detailed conversation about your products, customers, territory, and the kind of leader your team will respond to. From there we identify and approach candidates directly, including people who are not looking and would never answer a job posting.
We then present a short list of qualified candidates, support your interviews, and stay involved through offer and acceptance. Details on how we work with hiring teams are on our employers page.
Where our textile sales leadership searches focus
Textile is our starting point for this role, and we prioritize candidates with real exposure to textile manufacturing and the commercial side of it. That includes leaders who have sold woven, knit, and technical fabrics, and those who understand how product development, plant operations, and sales have to work together. Employers looking for Textile VP of Sales Recruiters often tell us this combination is the hardest thing to find.
We serve the established textile and industrial markets of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with active networks in Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, and South Carolina. Because we source from the places where the industry already operates, many of the candidates we reach are closer to your location, which helps keep relocation from derailing a search late in the process. If your needs touch adjacent segments, our nonwoven recruiting expertise covers that ground too.
What you can count on from recruiters who live in this industry
You can count on us to speak your language from the first call. We understand the difference between a sales leader who has managed a textile book of business and one who has simply managed a sales team, and we will tell you which is which. We do not promise outcomes we cannot control, and we do not dress up a weak slate to look strong.
What you get is honest feedback about the market, candidates who have been vetted against your actual requirements, and a partner who stays on the search until it is finished. Our Textile VP of Sales Recruiters put industry knowledge first because it is the thing general recruiters cannot fake.
When you work with Textile VP of Sales Recruiters who already know your customers’ language, interviews go deeper and decisions come with more confidence.
Tell us about the sales leader you need
If you are ready to talk about your opening, Coley Company is ready to listen. Fill out the form on this page, and our Textile VP of Sales Recruiters will start with your goals, your customers, and what success looks like in the role.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Textile VP of Sales Recruiters actually do?
We find and evaluate senior sales leaders for textile employers. That means identifying candidates with relevant product and customer experience, assessing their fit with your business, and guiding the search through interviews and offer. Coley Company handles this as a retained search focused on leadership roles.
Why choose a specialist over a general executive search firm?
A specialist already knows the buyers, products, and manufacturing realities behind a textile sales role. That knowledge lets us judge candidates on substance rather than resume keywords, and it gives us direct access to leaders who rarely appear on job boards.
What kind of sales leader backgrounds do you look for?
We look for leaders with hands-on textile commercial experience, strong customer relationships, and an understanding of how sales connects to product development and plant operations. The right mix depends on whether you need growth, account protection, or a rebuilt team.
Which regions does Coley Company cover?
We serve the textile and industrial markets of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with active networks in Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, and South Carolina. Sourcing close to established industry hubs helps reduce relocation friction during a search.
How should I prepare before starting a search with you?
Come with a clear picture of your customers, your sales goals, and the gaps the new leader needs to fill. You do not need a finished job description. Our Textile VP of Sales Recruiters will help shape the role during our first conversations.