Rick Swanson

Experience

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  Doors & Windows Unlimited, Inc.

  Jul 1990 - Aug 2006

  COO, General Manager & Lead Estimator

  Directed operations of residential/commercial building materials firm. Drove consistent 5% to 6% YoY sales growth each year.► Managed P&L, account strategy, contract/project review, sales/labor negotiations, estimates, project bids, competitive analysis, inventory control/audits, logistics, and OSHA compliance► Managed all projects valued $100K+

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  JetHeat, LLC

  Aug 2005 - Aug 2015

  Promoted to lead global sales and service deals for major manufacturer of industrial flameless heaters. After the success of the pilot program, drove the company’s international expansion with new global systems to meet growing demand.► Led asset management and field service for 250 units and four techs► Provided pre- and post-engineering support to customer stakeholders to ensure decision-makers understood the business model, brand advantages, and value proposition at every stage of the relationship► Recruited, trained, and managed all field/outside sales reps, service personnel, and sales program resources► Conducted marketing initiatives including on-site demos and trade shows to drive brand awareness ► Directed personal product delivery across North America and traveled frequently to customer locationsKEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS► Generated $2.5M+ revenue in net new opportunities in Year One► Achieved 75%+ overall sales growth three consecutive years► Delivered $9.5M gross sales in the equipment category within four years► Wrote the first field utilization and preventative maintenance manual for continuing education classes Show less Partnered with JetHeat inventor to launch and manage a pilot program, introducing microturbine heaters to new U.S. territory and the oil and gas industry to achieve nearly 100% deployment and utilization of shipped products.► Developed new business model based on feedback from corporate stakeholders► Collaborated with engineering experts to improve machinery uptime and enable cold-weather performance► Directed all sales and service aspects for the go-to-market launch of a new niche product► Responsible for all aspects of field feedback for engineering upgrades Show less

  • Vice President of Global Sales & Service

    Nov 2011 - Aug 2015

  • Co-Owner, Manager & Investor (JetHeat Alaska, LLC)

    Aug 2005 - Nov 2011
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  Five Axis Industries/Ellstrom Manufacturing

  Feb 2008 - Jan 2010

  International Sales Director/Support Technician-Racing Propeller Division

  Initialized original contact with European/Middle East Class-1 offshore racing teams. Successfully negotiated a long term contract for exclusive supply and on race site compliance of highly proprietary 5 blade propeller design. Including personalized engineering feedback, B to B negotiations and on site quantification and compliance with integrated rule parameters. Directly responsible for 200% sales growth in 24 month time frame.Series based in Europe and the U.A.E.

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  Five Axis Industries, Inc.

  Aug 2015 - now

  Production/Account Manager and MP&L Specialist

  Oversee end-to-end supply chain operations for aerospace machining manufacturer and manage account relationships and after-sale service with portfolio of Fortune 50 clients.OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP► Key decision-maker and planner for every stage of supply chain, from raw materials and engineering to finishing, warehousing, quality control, and distribution logistics; coordinate with senior leadership in all departments► Achieved buy-in from senior leadership to replace reactive processes with fully proactive systems► Negotiated new terms with raw material suppliers to allow more flexibility in release and delivery dates, enabling the entire supply chain to work more predictably without impacting the company’s cash flowCUSTOMER FOCUS► Maintain daily contact with key customer stakeholders to provide updates on product status and delivery planning► Initiated continuous improvement program in response to customer feedback – see Career Highlights, aboveKEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS► Improved on-time delivery from ~75% to nearly 99% over four years through continuous supply chain optimization ► Increased overall sales by 50% with more robust and transparent customer communications► Managed supplier portal to give customers real-time view of process flow and approximate ship dates Show less

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  Papé Group

  Jan 2021 - now

  Territory Sales Manager

  Territory Manager specializing in Vineyard and Orchard Equipment