Gough Engineering

The client

Gough & Co (Engineering) Ltd is a privately owned engineering company based in Stoke-on-Trent and is recognised as a global supplier of product handling solutions.

The company has over 60 years experience and is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of screening, feeding, conveying and elevating equipment and controls.

From its manufacturing base in Stoke-on-Trent the company supplies an extensive and diverse UK, European and world-wide customer base including key players within the pharmaceutical, ceramic, brewing, food, paint, chemical, printing, paper, recycling, energy, utilities, plastics and rubber sectors.

The situation

In order to achieve new growth targets over the next 5 – 8 years Gough Engineering assigned Fidelis Resourcing to identify a shortlist of high calibre sales professional from within the materials handling sector to join the management team in the UK. The brief was to recruit a candidate with a proven track record in the sale of high value materials handling solutions to varied customers in the UK. The successful candidate would also have experience of managing and motivating a team of external sales engineers and developing and implementing the ongoing sales strategy with a view to becoming Sales Director within 2 years of joining the company. On joining the board the candidate would be expected to spend more time in the office in Stoke on Trent and take responsibility for UK and International sales, the customer service function and the internal sales team. As a result the candidate would need to be based within commutable distance of the office or prepared to relocate.

The solution

Fidelis Resourcing spent time researching the market in which Gough operate and drew up a list of 35 target companies that we felt would be a good breeding ground for the skills and experience we were looking to attract. Fidelis then developed an organogram of the sales structure of these target companies and made a very discreet approach to the candidates we felt had the best fit to our requirements. From there we conducted 1.5hr detailed face to face interviews with all interested candidates and presented a shortlist of 5 who all had the skills and experience required coupled with a desire to join Gough Engineering. Of these 5, 2 progressed to final interview with the principal decision makers and 1 was offered the role and accepted straight away. This campaign was conducted in 5 weeks from sign off to presentation of the shortlist.

The outcome

Fidelis remain Gough Engineering’s recruitment partner of choice and continue to support the candidate in his new position. The campaign also provided Gough Engineering a valuable insight into how they are perceived in the market place and allowed Fidelis to reinforce a positive message of Gough Engineering.