Sales Representative

JOSEPH SCHLAFFER

*** ********** 281-***-**** (Mobile) Houston, TX 77024 adin5e@r.postjobfree.com

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Results-driven Senior Executive with extensive knowledge in the steel industry: qualified by 12+ years’ leadership and proven track record serving the domestic/international energy sector, offering business expertise, steel product knowledge (line pipe, flat rolled, conductor casing, tubing), and technical sales experience

Exceptional success building relationships with major industry leaders: securing accounts with BP, Conoco, Chevron, and others for multimillion-dollar projects; proven ability to establish a stronghold in a tight market and expand market share for a diverse range of companies, including for startups and global enterprises

Notable record of implementing processes that maximize resources and streamline operations: key motivator working with sales and production teams to improve relationships through teamwork and collaboration, resulting in higher customer satisfaction ratios; hire, train and mentor both novice and experienced sales teams

Leadership role in managing financials and navigating downturn economic challenges: create viable actionable plans with managing partners to ensure sustainability of business; establish relationships with banking institutions to maintain revolving line of credit; implement ways to optimize working capital to meet obligations

CAREER OVERVIEW

VICE PRESIDENT

FOSTER STONE INTERNATIONAL, HOUSTON, TX 2018 TO PRESENT

Full-service distributor of API 5L steel line pipe used in the global energy and construction markets.

Provides leadership and direction to business operations to include business development, sales, and financials, working closely with partners to ensure best practices are in place to give company a competitive advantage in a tight marketplace.

Manages all financial operations for A/P, A/R, reconciliations, quarterly/year-end reporting, and audit review, as well as establishing firm relations with banking institutions to maintain a revolving line of credit.

Hired and trained novice sales team without prior industry experience in how to start and manage business relationships with customers to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Established strong working relationships with global and domestic mills to achieve competitive, yet fair pricing aligned with delivery expectations and product quality to ensure customer satisfaction.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Initiated and implemented strategic restructuring to manage financial and operational obligations during unprecedented market collapse resulting from pandemic shutdowns. Kept business moving forward with additional orders and sustaining relationships with existing customers.

During peak of business, expanded market share from Texas only into all major drilling basins in the USA and most recently finalized a $1M deal with one of the top three companies in the industry.

Improved on lean inventory cycle through continuous buying and maintaining 90-120 days of materials on hand to optimize working capital while still providing timely delivery to customers.

DIRECTOR, SALES ENGINEERING

CURTIS STEEL COMPANY, INC., HOUSTON, TX 2015 TO 2018

Stock distributor of carbon steel flat rolled products specializing in zinc coated products to service a wide array of companies in varied industries and market segment.

Facilitated and improved working relationships between sales and production teams in a newly created position designed to align production operations with sales activities in a more cohesive manner.

Served as primary point of contact with sales team, production/engineering and customer to define technical specifications of project and customer requirements in consideration of fabrication capabilities to ensure customer needs and expectations were met in the most efficient, reliable manner possible.

Re-trained sales team of seven in better ways to approach customers and identify their project needs which enabled production to reschedule work orders when necessary to accommodate rush jobs. Actively worked with both teams and management to solve difficult problems and implement programs that increased efficiency.

Additionally, reviewed all nonconformance reports relating to customer service, production, quality, and delivery issues, collaborating with cross-functional teams to resolve/mitigate problems and prevent recurrence.

Began with company as sales representative and continued to manage a portfolio of 60+ customers in a regional territory of TX, OK, LA and NM in addition to sales engineering responsibilities throughout tenure.

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JOSEPH SCHLAFFER

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CURTIS STEEL COMPANY, INC. (continued)

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Initiated inventory reporting system for one of the largest customers that tracked current usage and projected buy points to ensure timely order and delivery of materials to avoid work stoppages for them.

Opened new market on East Coast by brokering with a local fabricator to supply product which saved freight costs for Curtis and still made a favorable profit margin.

Implemented innovative distribution system that simplified and streamlined operations, allowing the largest amount of tonnage to be shipped over the shortest period of time, breaking previous records seven times over.

Developed more favorable working conditions for shop crew resulting in the highest retention ratio ever.

TECHNICAL SALES AGENT

UPC INTERPIPE, INC., HOUSTON, TX 2012 TO 2015

Represented two German steel pipe mills producing large diameter welded carbon steel pipe for specialty applications, including deep water, corrosive, high strength, high and low temperature.

Managed full sales cycle for all subsea conductor and riser accounts in North America, Canada and USA, including RFQ, order, logistics, and delivery, serving as direct liaison between German mill engineers and customers on specific technical aspects of the projects.

Organized and executed sales meetings with potential clients and answered technical questions in pre-sales activities as the mill representative.

Orchestrated and attended technical overview sessions with project and engineering leads in the USA and Germany and maintained close contact with EPC procurement managers regarding current/future projects to facilitate operations with mill partners.

Represented Eisenbau Kramer at Tube Fair Dusseldorf meeting with current and potential customers and participated in Pipeliner’s Association, PVF Roundtable, and Society for Underwater Technology meetings.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Sales lead for BP development project for its 20K psi, high pressure, and high temperature well heads.

Generated new business through industry networking resulting in securing major project with Conoco Phillips.

SALES MANAGER

HEAT TRANSFER TUBULAR PRODUCTS, LLC, CONROE, TX 2008 TO 2012

Steel tube distributor specializing in tubing, tube ferrules, and twisted tape turbulators used in heat exchangers, condensers, boilers, and feed-water heaters.

Provided leadership to company in its infancy, starting from ground up to include securing two locations, office infrastructure, hiring/training sales team, managing logistics, and developing internal reporting processes/tools.

Trained/mentored four sales direct reports and managed full sales cycle in servicing the heat exchanger industry, generating business across the USA with the majority in TX, OK, LA, CA and some in Venezuela.

Position was first introduction into steel industry and learned the fundamentals of the business side through mentoring by managing partner. Reviewed weekly sales, costs, estimates vs. actuals, inventory control, product knowledge, and day-to-day operations to understand ways to improve and optimize profitability.

Managed a multimillion-dollar inventory of steel tubes and gained extensive knowledge on various steel grades from carbon to stainless to best meet customer requirements.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Grew company market share in TX, OK and LA over 30% and played major role in creating a sustainable market share that enabled company to continue to thrive throughout its history.

Established new supply relationships and solidified existing ones with domestic and global steel tube mills.

EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE – MAJOR: COMMUNICATIONS / MINOR: BUSINESS

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY GEORGETOWN, TX

Varsity Baseball Letterman & Member All Conference Team

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Inside Sales Training; Prospecting for Results – Metal Service Center Institute; Technical skills: Word; Excel; PowerPoint; Access; QuickBooks; Salesforce

AFFILIATIONS: Houston Pipeliners Association; San Antonio Pipeliners Association; Louisiana Pipeliners Association; Society for Underwater Technology; PVF Round Table

INTERESTS: Golf, Cycling, CrossFit, Texans Football, Cooking, International Travel

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