How a SoCal Packaging Distributor Hired an Experienced Warehouse Manager with Amtec

The Challenge

This is a shipping and packaging company in Fullerton, small enough that everyone knows everyone: 11 to 50 people, $10M to $50M in revenue. They don’t hire often, and they had an open Warehouse Manager seat to fill.

We’d worked with them across past searches, so they came back to us rather than guess their way through it. They wanted our read on the market and someone consultative who could show them what strong talent actually looked like for this role.

For a team this small, every hire carries more weight.

The new Warehouse Manager would need to:

• Bring proven warehouse leadership, not just floor experience
• Know shipping and packaging operations firsthand
• Manage a warehouse of their specific size and conditions
• Thrive in a small-company culture with fewer layers and more hats
• Land within the role’s salary range

Why It Was Tricky

A company that hires rarely doesn’t always have the profile fully defined at the start, and this was no exception. Part of the work was helping the owner and general manager put words to what they actually needed in a Warehouse Manager.

Small-company fit narrowed the field further. The right person had to run a warehouse of this exact size and conditions, work well with fewer resources, and match on salary, all while being someone who would strengthen the operation rather than simply keep it running.

What Amtec Did

We started by understanding the business, not just the job description. We learned how the warehouse actually ran day to day and what the owner and general manager wanted from their next manager.

From a wide sourcing and screening effort, we built a shortlist of about five candidates. Each went through our internal screen and a video interview with the client.

After every interview, we sat down with the owner and general manager to talk through where each candidate was strong and where they fell short. When we spotted a gap, we kept sourcing to bring in profiles that could fill it, so the shortlist kept improving as the process went on.

We stayed in direct contact with the owner and general manager the whole way, from first submissions through the interviews to negotiating the offer. Along the way, we helped them sharpen exactly what they were looking for, and pointed them toward a candidate who could both do the work and lift the team.

The Results

• Search opened: June 16
• Offer accepted: Under a month from kickoff
• New manager started: July 20

The new Warehouse Manager brought extensive industry experience, and was genuinely excited to join, seeing a role he could run while making a real impact for the team.

The owner gained an experienced, motivated hire and saved weeks of time in the process. The company set progress reviews at the three month and six month marks, each with the potential for a salary increase, so the new manager had a clear path to grow with them.

Why This Worked

Years of trust did the heavy lifting. This was a repeat client, and the rapport built over past searches meant we already knew their business. We could move quickly without guessing at what they needed.

We clarified the role before filling it. For a company that rarely hires, we helped the owner and general manager define what they actually wanted, then screened hard against it, in and out.

We kept sourcing through the interviews. As each interview surfaced a strength or a gap, we brought in fresh candidates to match, so the shortlist got stronger.

Fit mattered as much as capability. The final hire cleared the experience bar and the harder ones too: small-company culture, the specific warehouse conditions, and salary alignment.

Looking for a Manager Who Fits and Performs?

Amtec has been placing operations and warehouse leaders, and other specialized talent, for companies that can’t afford a mis-hire since 1959. If you have a role that matters and want a partner who takes the time to understand it before sending names, we’d be glad to talk.

Talk to our team