Portfolio CEO: Powder Coating Shop

About the role

We're actively interviewing CEO candidates for current and future acquisition opportunities. Selected candidates enter our CEO network and may be matched with opportunities as they become available.

This is an opportunity to step into a profitable, established Powder Coating business with a strong reputation, loyal customer base, and an experienced team already in place. As CEO, you'll assume full responsibility for day-to-day operations, team leadership, and P&L performance.

Responsibilities

• Grow the business with a focus on key performance metrics as you lead day-to-day plant operations
• Develop and lead the production team, including line leads and applicators, with a culture of high accountability and performance
• Oversee production on the finishing line (pretreatment, booths, and cure ovens) with discipline on throughput, quality, and on-time delivery
• Build upon existing customer relationships and grow into new end markets to reduce industry concentration
• Own company compliance for hazardous waste, and other regulations
• Manage equipment upkeep and capex
• Partner with American Operator on strategy, budgeting, and growth planning

Requirements

• 7+ years of relevant industry experience, with at least 3 years of P&L ownership over a department or entire plant
• Experience building high performance team hourly team with accountability for hiring and performance improvement
• You have led operations with a focus on batch production runs on tight timelines
• Track record of profitably growing sales for job shops that rely on reputation and service quality
• Currently located in or a willingness to relocate to one of our target markets (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, or Wisconsin)

What sets you apart

• Direct experience within powder coating, liquid paint, metal finishing, and metal fabrication
• Owned responsibility for the compliance and record-keeping that comes with a permitted facility (air permits, VOC logs, hazardous waste)
• Diversified a customer base across end markets to reduce concentration, and you bring direct powder coating, liquid paint, or metal-finishing experience as a strong plus

Pay

Base salary: $130,000–$190,000, plus performance-based bonus opportunities, distributions, and meaningful equity participation beginning at 10% ownership, with the potential to increase based on performance and value creation.

Schedule

Relocation will be required if you are not currently in or near the market of the opportunity.

Benefits

A comprehensive benefits package is included in total compensation, which varies by portfolio company, individual performance, and deal structure.