General Manager - Facilities Group

Hardy Corp•Birmingham, AL

18d

About The Position

The General Manager will build and lead Hardy Facilities Group, a division of Hardy Corporation, and will be responsible for financial performance, operations, people, and customer relationships. The division primarily serves manufacturing and industrial customers that depend on reliable mechanical systems, with additional opportunities in complex commercial, healthcare, and data center environments. The GM will build the team and systems needed to serve as a long-term mechanical partner to these facilities and will join Hardy Corporation’s Senior Leadership Team. Hardy Facilities Group provides preventive maintenance, emergency and scheduled repairs, HVAC and plumbing service, process and utility piping, mechanical equipment replacement, and facility upgrades. The GM will grow recurring maintenance agreements and Special Projects while coordinating with Construction to support plant reliability, planned shutdowns, production changes, and facility expansions. The role includes developing the division’s business plan, budget, staffing plan, and growth priorities with the President; owning the division’s profit and loss; establishing service and pricing practices; and overseeing forecasts and operational performance. The GM will design the organization, recruit and develop staff, establish service-delivery processes, manage capacity and resources, and lead safe work practices. The role also partners with Sales on account development and customer retention, manages customer relationships and escalations, and coordinates service and construction work, resources, and project handoffs. Success will be measured against an agreed annual scorecard covering operating profit and cash collection, recurring maintenance revenue and renewal rates, service and project gross margins, technician utilization and retention, response times and callbacks, safety performance, and coordination with Construction. The position requires travel to customer sites and company operations across served markets and support for major after-hours service escalations as needed.

Requirements

At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in mechanical service or industrial mechanical projects, including direct experience serving manufacturing facilities.
At least 5 years leading a service department, branch, or comparable operation.
Demonstrated responsibility for a service operation’s financial results, including experience managing budgets, pricing, labor productivity, job profitability, and collections.
A record of growing maintenance agreements and service revenue while maintaining customer retention, service quality, and profitability.
Experience recruiting and developing technicians and leading supervisors or managers, dispatching, and office support.
Strong working knowledge of industrial HVAC, hydronic systems, and plant mechanical utilities, with sufficient understanding of process and utility piping to evaluate technical recommendations and lead mechanical service and project delivery.
Experience with service agreements, repair estimates, equipment replacement, subcontractors, and work in operating manufacturing facilities, including shutdown planning and coordination with plant personnel.
Ability to read financial statements, interpret operational metrics, and use service management software, CRM systems, and spreadsheets.
Clear communication, sound judgment, and the ability to build trust with field employees, customers, and company leadership.
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, technical education, or an equivalent combination of field experience and business leadership.
Ability to travel to customer sites and company operations across served markets and support major after-hours service escalations as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience launching a service division or substantially growing an existing mechanical service business.
Experience building long-term manufacturing accounts and supporting plant maintenance, reliability programs, and capital improvement projects.
Experience with chillers, boilers, pumps, cooling towers, compressed air, process cooling, steam, controls, and complex equipment replacement in manufacturing environments.
Relevant trade licenses, technical certifications, or experience overseeing properly licensed service teams.
Experience coordinating service and construction operations within the same company.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the division’s business plan, annual budget, staffing plan, and growth priorities with the President.
Own the division’s profit and loss, including revenue, gross margin, operating profit, overhead, and cash collection.
Establish labor rates, maintenance agreement standards, and proposal approval practices within company authority limits.
Review results monthly, maintain reliable forecasts, and promptly address underperforming work, customers, or processes.
Design the division’s organizational structure and select the Service Operations Manager when appropriate.
Recruit, develop, and hold accountable managers, technicians, dispatchers, and support staff.
Establish dispatching, scheduling, on-call coverage, estimating, purchasing, work order, billing, and quality control processes.
Manage technician capacity, billable utilization, training, fleet, tools, and equipment to support dependable service and profitable growth.
Lead safe work practices with Hardy’s safety team, including plant safety requirements, lockout/tagout, and work planning around operating equipment and production schedules.
Set service response standards, resolve escalated issues, and reduce callbacks and repeat failures.
Coordinate shutdowns and emergency response with plant teams to minimize production disruption.
Partner with the Director of Sales on target accounts, pipeline priorities, pricing strategy, proposals, and customer retention.
Own the division’s operational capacity, technical scope, and delivery commitments.
Build relationships with plant managers, maintenance and reliability leaders, engineering teams, and purchasing.
Participate directly in major pursuits, account reviews, and service recovery.
Grow recurring maintenance revenue, agreement renewals, repair opportunities, equipment replacements, and facility improvement projects.
Work with the VP of Construction to define responsibility for service work, special projects, and larger construction opportunities based on scope, risk, staffing, and customer needs.
Create a consistent handoff from Construction to Hardy Facilities Group, including equipment information, maintenance proposals, customer introductions, and clear warranty responsibilities.
Coordinate shared labor, fabrication, BIM, safety, and other resources through agreed schedules and cost allocation practices.
Identify plant upgrades and expansion opportunities through ongoing facility relationships and coordinate them with Construction while maintaining clear customer ownership, project accountability, and financial reporting.