Regional Sales Manager - Fume Extraction

Regional Sales Manager – Midwest

Orion Group is delighted to have been retained by a leading international manufacturer of welding-fume extraction and clean-air solutions as it expands its sales team across the Midwest.

Position Summary
Our client is seeking an experienced Regional Sales Manager to lead sales and business development across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

The successful candidate will ideally have direct experience selling welding-fume extraction, industrial ventilation, dust-collection or closely related HVAC solutions through distributors and directly to industrial end users.

Approximately 70% of the role will focus on sales and business development, with the remaining 30% involving technical support, product training and design collaboration.

The position involves approximately 60% travel, primarily throughout the four-state territory, with the remaining time spent working remotely and collaborating with internal teams.

Key Responsibilities

Sales and Territory Development

• Achieve and exceed sales targets across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
• Identify, develop and manage distribution partners and key industrial end-user accounts.
• Generate new business within welding, fabrication, manufacturing and other environments requiring effective fume-extraction solutions.
• Develop relationships with A&E firms, mechanical contractors and other industry partners.
• Position our client as a preferred provider of welding-fume extraction and clean-air solutions.
• Identify emerging markets and new applications that support the company’s long-term growth strategy.

Distributor and Customer Support

• Support distributors through product training, joint sales visits and collaborative business planning.
• Help distribution partners identify and convert new opportunities within their markets.
• Deliver technical product presentations and training to distributors, contractors and end users.
• Provide customers with technical guidance to ensure the correct application of the company’s products and systems.

Strategic and Financial Planning

• Collaborate with product managers and senior leadership to assess market requirements and identify commercial opportunities.
• Work with senior leadership and the finance team to maintain effective budgetary controls across sales-related activities.
• Produce accurate annual and rolling sales forecasts to support demand planning and operational responsiveness.
• Develop and execute a clear territory sales plan with measurable objectives.

Market Intelligence and Competitive Analysis

• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, products and wider market developments.
• Gather customer and distributor feedback to help shape sales and product strategies.
• Use market intelligence and commercial data to identify new applications and revenue opportunities.

CRM and Pipeline Management

• Use the company’s CRM system to manage leads, accounts, opportunities and quotations.
• Maintain accurate customer information, pipeline activity and sales forecasts.
• Use CRM data to execute focused sales campaigns and improve opportunity conversion.

Marketing Collaboration

• Partner with marketing to develop targeted campaigns, trade-show initiatives and promotional activities.
• Represent the company at relevant industry events and trade shows.
• Generate qualified leads and strengthen the company’s visibility within the welding, fabrication and industrial manufacturing markets.

Candidate Requirements

• At least five years of successful B2B sales experience.
• Experience selling welding-fume extraction systems or related industrial air-filtration, dust-collection or ventilation equipment is strongly preferred.
• An established network within welding, metal fabrication, manufacturing or industrial distribution would be highly advantageous.
• Experience managing and developing distributor relationships alongside direct end-user accounts.
• Proven ability to develop and execute territory sales plans that deliver measurable results.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting and pipeline management.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering or a related discipline is preferred.
• Willingness to travel approximately 60% across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation and relationship-building skills.
• Entrepreneurial, proactive and customer-focused approach.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with technical, marketing and leadership teams.

For a confidential conversation about this position please reach out to ross.draper@orioneng.com or cameron.lisle@orioneng.com


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Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.