If you run a textile operation and need someone to open new accounts, grow existing ones, and carry your story into the market, you need a recruiter who already understands the trade. At Coley Company, we provide Textile Business Development Recruiters who focus on leadership-level commercial hires for textile employers. Our work starts from the idea that the best growth leaders have usually spent years around fibers, fabrics, mills, and the buyers who depend on them.
How we handle a commercial growth search for textile employers
We begin by learning your business, not by posting a job. What do you make, who buys it, and where do you want the next customer to come from? Those answers shape the profile of the person we go find. With Textile Business Development Recruiters who work inside this industry every day, you spend less time explaining basic terminology and more time talking about strategy.
Coley Company is a specialist in textile, apparel, nonwoven, and biofabrics leadership searches, and our approach reflects that focus. We look for candidates who combine technical fluency with commercial instinct: people who can talk construction and performance specs with an engineer one day and negotiate a program with a sourcing executive the next. You can learn more about who we are and how we work on our About page.
Business development searches often sit alongside other leadership needs. Roles we commonly place include:
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President
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Vice President of Sales
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VP of Marketing
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Product Manager
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Product Development
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And more!
You can also follow our work and industry conversations on LinkedIn.
How the search runs once you bring it to us
Our searches are retained, which means we commit to your opening and work it with focus. We define the role with you, approach people in our network who are already in the industry, and speak with them directly before anyone reaches your desk. Your team then meets a short list of candidates we believe fit, and we stay involved through the offer. If you want to see how our Textile Business Development Recruiters work with hiring teams, our employer services are laid out in more detail.
Where our growth searches concentrate
Most of our commercial leadership work lands in textiles and nonwovens, where technical knowledge and customer relationships carry equal weight. In nonwovens especially, a business development leader has to understand end-use applications, converting, and how a material performs once it leaves your line.
Geography matters too. Coley Company operates with a significant multi-state footprint, primarily serving the established textile and industrial markets of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. Our active presence and deep networks span key states including Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, and South Carolina. This regional concentration allows us to source executive talent already embedded in the industry’s core geographic hubs. By focusing on these areas, we minimize the relocation friction that often derails promising executive searches at the final stages, giving you a more accessible and stable pool of qualified candidates.
Textile Business Development Recruiters also need to understand the functions that surround a sales leader: manufacturing operations, product development, and research and development. A commercial hire who respects what the plant can deliver tends to build better customer relationships than one who has never stood on a production floor.
What you can count on from recruiters who know your industry
A general executive search firm can fill a seat. A specialist can tell you whether a candidate’s experience actually transfers to your products and customers. With Coley Company, you get conversations grounded in textile reality, candidates screened by people who understand the work, and straight answers about what the market looks like. Our Textile Business Development Recruiters do not promise miracles, and we do not pad a short list. We aim to put the right few people in front of you.
Start a conversation about your next growth leader
If you are weighing a hire to drive new business in textiles, we would like to hear about it. Tell Coley Company about your products, your customers, and the kind of leader you have in mind by filling out the form on this page. From there, our Textile Business Development Recruiters will talk through how a search could work for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Textile Business Development Recruiters actually do?
Textile Business Development Recruiters find and evaluate leaders who can grow revenue for textile employers. At Coley Company, that means identifying candidates with real industry experience, assessing their commercial and technical strengths, and presenting a focused short list that fits your products, customers, and growth plans.
Why choose a specialized recruiter over a general executive search firm?
A specialist already knows the industry’s vocabulary, customers, and talent. That shortens the learning curve and improves screening quality. A general firm may find capable executives, but may not recognize whether their background translates to textile manufacturing or the buyers you serve.
What leadership roles does Coley Company recruit for in textiles?
We recruit for senior commercial, technical, and operational roles, including President, Vice President of Sales, VP of Marketing, Product Manager, and product development leadership. Business development searches often connect to several of these positions, so we plan with your wider leadership team in mind.
How does a retained search differ from other recruiting approaches?
In a retained search, we commit dedicated attention to your opening from start to finish. We define the role with you, approach candidates directly, and manage the process through the offer. It suits leadership roles where discretion, fit, and market knowledge matter most.
Does Coley Company cover nonwovens as well as textiles?
Yes. We recruit across textile, apparel, nonwoven, and biofabrics. Business development leaders in nonwovens need a strong grasp of materials, applications, and customer needs, and our nonwoven recruiting work is built around those requirements.
What should employers look for in a textile executive search partner?
Look for demonstrated industry focus, a clear search process, and honest communication. Ask how the recruiter finds candidates, how they judge technical and commercial fit, and whether they know the regional markets where your talent is likely to be working.