If you run a textile business and your next sales or marketing leader has to understand mills, converters, and the buyers who depend on both, a general executive search usually misses the mark. Coley Company offers Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters who work only in textiles, apparel, and nonwovens, so the people we put in front of you already know the industry you sell into. You can learn more about who we are on our home page.
A commercial leader search shaped around how your mill actually sells
Every commercial leadership opening starts with a different problem. Some of you need someone to rebuild a sales organization, others need a leader who can open new accounts in a market you have never served. We spend the first conversation on that problem, not on a job description template. Our Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters ask about your products, your customers, your sales cycle, and what the last person in the seat did or did not get right.
From there we go to the market. We rely on relationships with people already working in textile and nonwoven businesses, including leaders who are not looking at job boards. Because our work centers on the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with active networks in Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, and South Carolina, many of the candidates we approach are already close to the established textile hubs. That cuts down on the relocation trouble that can undo a good search at the final stage.
How a retained commercial search runs
We work on a retained basis, which means the search gets focused attention from start to finish. Our Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters define the role with you, map the market, approach and screen candidates, and bring you only the people worth your time. We stay involved through interviews and offer discussions, so you have a recruiting partner for the whole process. If you want to see how we work with hiring teams, our employers page lays it out.
Roles we recruit on the commercial side of textiles
Our commercial searches center on leaders who carry revenue and market responsibility. Depending on your needs, that can include:
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Vice President of Sales
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VP of Marketing
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President
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Product Manager
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Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
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Chief Operating Officer (COO)
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and more!
We also recruit across manufacturing, product development, and technical functions, and commercial leaders often have to work closely with those teams. You can follow the work of our Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters and company updates on LinkedIn.
Where nonwoven and textile commercial leadership overlap
Much of our commercial work sits in textiles and nonwovens, where a sales leader needs real technical fluency. Selling a woven, knit, or engineered fabric means talking with customers about performance, specifications, and production realities, not just price. We look for leaders who can hold those conversations and who understand how product development and manufacturing shape what the sales team can promise. For searches that lean toward nonwoven materials, our nonwoven recruiting expertise adds the technical context those roles demand.
We keep our focus narrow on purpose. A recruiter who works across every industry has to learn your market from scratch on each search. Our Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters already speak the language, which saves you from explaining the basics to every candidate.
What you can expect from specialist recruiters
You can expect straight answers about who is available and what the market will bear. You can expect candidates screened by people who know the difference between a leader who has run a textile sales organization and one who has only sold alongside it. And you can expect us to say so when a search needs to change course.
We do not promise outcomes we cannot control. What we offer is deep industry focus, honest communication, and a search run by people who know your world. Hiring managers who work with Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters like ours get a partner who understands the product, the customer, and the pressure of an open revenue seat. Learn more about our people on our about page.
Start the conversation about your next commercial leader
If you have a commercial leadership opening, or you see one coming, Coley Company would like to hear about it. Fill out the form on this page and tell us what you are trying to build. Our Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters will respond with questions about your business, your customers, and the kind of leader who could move it forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters actually do?
We search for the executives who own revenue, markets, and customer relationships in textile businesses. That means defining the role with you, identifying qualified leaders, screening them against your needs, and supporting you through interviews and the offer. Coley Company handles this work within textiles, apparel, and nonwovens only.
Why choose a specialist over a general executive search firm?
A specialist already knows the products, customers, and competitors in your industry. That shortens the learning curve and improves candidate screening. A general firm may send polished leaders who have never sold into a mill or converter. Textile Commercial Leadership Recruiters focus only on textile-related industries, so our conversations start further along.
Which commercial roles does Coley Company recruit?
Our commercial work includes Vice President of Sales, VP of Marketing, President, and Product Manager, along with senior executive roles such as CEO and COO. We also recruit manufacturing, product development, and technical leaders, since commercial success in textiles depends on those teams working together.
Do you work with nonwoven companies as well as traditional textile businesses?
Yes. Textiles, apparel, nonwovens, and biofabrics are our areas of focus. When a commercial search involves nonwoven products, we look for leaders with the technical and market knowledge that segment requires, not just general sales experience.
Where does Coley Company concentrate its searches?
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. That regional focus gives us access to talent already close to the industry’s core hubs and helps limit relocation obstacles.
How do I get started with a commercial leadership search?
Fill out the form on this page and describe the role, your market, and what you need from the person who fills it. We will follow up with questions so we understand your situation before any search begins.