Company Overview

Arway–Long Grove Confections is a private, family-owned, Chicagoland based business that has more than 70 years of history as a customer-focused manufacturer of high-quality bulk and specialty gourmet confections. From chocolate enrobed pretzels to honey-toasted pecans…caramel cashew myrtles to double dipped peanuts…English toffee to chocolate covered raisins…Arway-Long Grove makes hundreds of items that help its customers delight consumers across North America.

Arway Confections opened in 1950 as a family-owned business with the concept of offering higher quality products than what was then available. The first product was Chocolate Pecan Caramel Patties. Sears Roebuck & Co., the largest retailer in the United States at the time, became Arway’s first customer. Arway worked closely with Sears to develop quality standards for the candy industry which are still in effect today. Arway earned four “Symbol of Excellence Awards” for superior quality and dependable service. Sears became loyal customer for the next four decades.

Arway learned early on that HIGHER QUALITY PRODUCTS + BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE + COMPETITIVE PRICING = A LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE. This formula has worked for Arway throughout its history and remains central to Arway-Long Grove’s approach today. The company has steadily grown and expanded its customer base from a single customer to serving hundreds of distributors, retailers, nut companies, baggers, catalogs, and marketing companies nationwide.

Long Grove Confectionery started as a retail business in the quaint village of Long Grove, Illinois. The original Long Grove Confectionery, a retail shop and candy kitchen, was housed in a nostalgic replica of a red schoolhouse, which opened in 1975. The quality of its candy and the ability for visitors to view production through a beveled glass window had customers coming back regularly. After a successful ten years, Long Grove Confectionery had outgrown the kitchen, and moved its production to a new facility in nearby Buffalo Grove. While the Long Grove Village still houses the retail store, the Buffalo Grove location is home to candy production, factory tours & and a factory outlet store.

In 2013 Arway Confections purchased Long Grove Confectionery, and the business celebrated 10 years together this summer. Arway-Long Grove employs 350+ associates and runs two shifts at both plants. The two plants offer a variety of production capabilities including enrobing, panning, copper kettle cooking, depositing, extruding, roasting and molding. Packaging capabilities allow for flexible assembly, bulk wrapping, flow wrapping and bagging along with a multitude of gift worthy packaging, special shapes, point-of-sale & shipper displays, and retail club packs.

Job Overview

The Sales Manager will play an integral role in partnering with the VP of Sales to transform the sales function at Arway-Long Grove Confections. There are major opportunities to enhance the way the business approaches sales including: taking a more proactive approach, increasingly leveraging data and analytics, storytelling with a strategic foundation, and planning and forecasting with a long-term view. Arway-Long Grove believes deeply in superior customer focus and this role will be a critical enabler to driving ALG’s vision to be the best possible partner for existing and prospective customers.

The ideal candidate will understand what best-in-class sales looks like and will bring functional skills, business acumen, strategic agility, and action orientation to maximize Arway-Long Grove’s sales potential. The business is looking for someone who can leverage data analytics to develop insights that drive compelling strategies and selling stories. They will need to be able to identify and appreciate the existing strengths within the function and business, but encouraged to bring external perspective to recognized opportunities for improvement and share best practices. This person should appreciate the value of working for a private company, where decision making can be with the mindset of long-term success versus short-term gain, and an entrepreneurial spirit is celebrated.

Job Responsibilities

Data Analysis & Forecasting

Conduct pricing and margin analysis to drive pricing strategy, validate new business opportunities, and establish competitive pricing on our existing profile
Collect and analyze data on a continuous basis to prepare sales forecasts, update monthly reporting, and evaluate sales performance against organization goals and past results
Collaborate with the management team as part of the annual planning process to refine and establish sales forecasts and budget

Sales Strategy, Planning & Execution

Drive new business and organic growth by using a strong understanding of Arway Long Grove’s organizational and operational capabilities to fulfill and exceed customer needs and expectations
Actively manage customer segmentation to drive and influence sales prioritization
Identify new business opportunities and the strategies and tactics to attract new customers
Leverage leads obtained through customer service and existing business relationships to pursue new opportunities
Research the latest developments and trends in the industry to recommend new ways to expand the business

Sales Process Optimization

Develop and implement sales operations processes and tools using technology and data to improve efficiency and enhance sales performance
Collaborate cross-functionally with the operations and design teams to ensure customer requirements exceed expectations

Customer Relationship Management

Cultivate lasting relationships with existing customers to grow customer loyalty
Prepare, lead, and participate in data-driven, strategic-minded, and compelling story led customer meetings and presentations
Develop an understanding of our operational capabilities and be able to leverage knowledge in customer conversations to identify business opportunities
Attend trade shows and conferences representing the Arway-Long Grove brands

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree, or equivalent
5+ years' experience in business development, sales, or related position
Exceptional communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal
Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and advanced skills in Microsoft Excel
Excellent business acumen, financial analysis, and problem-solving capabilities
Proven experience with cross-functional project management
Proven experience presenting to and partnering with customers
Experience partnering with manufacturing operations

Additional Desired Skills and Characteristics

Appreciates and exemplifies Arway-Long Grove Confections’ family values
Is self-aware, empathetic, and willing to listen and learn
Appreciates diversity and actively works to foster a culture of inclusiveness
Possesses a common-sense approach to business issues—must be proactive and adaptable
Goal-driven, confident self-starter with a willingness to continually embrace professional development and passion to excel

Work Environment

This position will be required to be onsite at our offices 5 days per week in either Chicago, or Buffalo Grove and should expect about 5-10% travel annually.

Arway-Long Grove Confections

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