Imagine this: You’ve built something powerful—revenues are rising, private equity partners are pushing ahead and there are some acquisitions under your belt already. But under the surface, the cracks begin to show. Integration isn’t happening. Key leadership roles remain unfilled, or filled by legacy employees who have great institutional knowledge but can’t get you to the next level. Attrition quietly climbs. And suddenly, momentum stalls – and value creation (the all-important EBITDA) stalls too.
So here’s the question:
What if your biggest barrier to continued growth… is your talent acquisition?
At Thomas Brooke, we’ve encountered this scenario many times across the paints, coatings, polymers, and specialty materials sectors. These are industries where technical and/or domain knowledge is essential, but the people who have both that AND the vision to get your business past the constraints are hard to find.
But this isn’t a doom-and-gloom tale. This is about what happens when you recognize the bottleneck and bring in the right people to blast through it.
what if your biggest barrier to continued growth… is your talent acquisition?
The Real Story Behind Scaling
One of our clients—let’s call them a mid-cap industrial materials firm—had just pulled off a bold string of acquisitions. Four companies. Four business models. Zero integration.
The vision was clear: unify them into a single commercial engine under one brand. The reality? They were burning cash, losing focus, and tripping over legacy silos.
We were brought in to find a commercial leader—not just someone with the résumé, but someone with the emotional intelligence and change leadership chops to align cultures and drive a unified go-to-market strategy.
We found them. Fast.
Within months, the company turned the ship. Integration accelerated. Brand identity and recognition grew. Value creation clicked into gear. They exited to a strategic buyer ahead of schedule—and earned a multiple they didn’t think was possible.
Why Talent Strategy Can’t Be an Afterthought
Let’s be honest. Hiring eats bandwidth.
When you’re juggling scale, product launches, and investor updates, the last thing you want is a never-ending search cycle. For many of our clients, HR is a tactical, transactional function, not equipped to handle all the nuances of leadership talent acquisition on top of everything else on their plate.
That’s where our approach changes the game. We’re not just recruiters—we’re operators and business partners at heart. Our discovery process goes deep. We immerse ourselves in your strategy, culture, and value creation plan. We identify what winning looks like in your business, and then benchmark candidates against that specific DNA.
No outsourcing. No overseas RPO. Just a seasoned, in-house team who’s seen the trenches and knows what great looks like in this niche.
Beyond the Org Chart: Building a True Leadership Bench
In this industry, technical talent isn’t just rare—it’s retiring. Yet the future of manufacturing in the US as reshoring accelerates has not looked this strong in decades. That equates to a serious talent shortage on the way.
We’re seeing it across the board: a looming shortage of operational and manufacturing leaders. Companies that plan for succession now will win against the competition. Those that don’t… well, you know how that story ends.
We help clients get proactive—by assessing current leaders, identifying future gaps, and even benchmarking what high performers look like inside your specific business. That’s not a spreadsheet exercise. That’s strategic foresight.
Benchmark what makes people win in your organization—and hire accordingly.
Tools That Move Faster Than the Market
Hiring shouldn’t be a black box. That’s why we prioritize collaboration, communication and bring in the tools that matter. What does that actually look like?
- Audio highlights from interviews so you hear the candidate in their own voice, not just words on a page.
- Tailored submittal packages—from personality assessments to work samples, whatever you need to make the best decisions.
- Collaborative candidate reviews early in the process keep us all on track so you can adjust as needed and don’t waste time on misalignments.
It’s agile. It’s customizable. And it saves weeks (or more).
Let’s Talk Results
- From placing presidents who stabilize chaotic companies…
- To sourcing VP-level technologists who save client relationships with key accounts…
- To quietly building out functional teams under founder-led acquisitions…
We’ve helped industry players punch above their weight and unlock value they didn’t know was trapped in talent gaps. The kind of wins that turn delays into profitable early exits.
This Isn’t Just About Filling a Job
It’s about finding the right person to carry the weight of transformation. Because in high-stakes environments—where performance products need to meet tight specs, and timelines are compressed—the wrong hire doesn’t just cost time. It costs millions in lost or delayed revenue and EBITDA. You’ve come this far and likely made substantial investments in many other parts of the business. Don’t let your next growth chapter hinge on a less-than-effective talent acquisition strategy.
We’d love to partner with you and make sure you win.
