New Opportunity: Vice President of Operations & Purchasing

VSG



Vice President Operations & Purchasing


About the Company
Wilmar is a leading supplier of hand tools and equipment to major retailers across North America. With a focus on quality, value, and service, Wilmar delivers a wide assortment of automotive, industrial, and home repair tools to customers ranging from big-box retailers to specialty distributors. The company has a strong global sourcing operation and a warehouse network supporting a diverse and fast-moving product catalog.


Wilmar is backed by Rainier Partners, a growth-focused private equity firm committed to building operational capabilities, improving margins, and supporting long-term value creation. Rainier’s investment is helping accelerate Wilmar’s growth in additional product categories, end markets, and geographies, while preserving the Company’s unique culture and customer focus.


About the Role
The Vice President of Operations and Purchasing is responsible for driving operational performance across Wilmar’s warehouse, purchasing, and facilities functions. This leader will ensure the company’s distribution operations are efficient, accountable, and aligned with broader business goals. The ideal candidate brings a deep background in global sourcing, warehouse operations, and lean methodologies, combined with the leadership skills to build a high-performing team.


The VP of Operations will report directly to the CEO and work closely with the executive team. They will oversee key areas including warehouse management, purchasing strategy, supplier performance, inventory control, safety, and facilities management. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic insight and executional follow-through.


Principal Accountabilities Are: 

Operational Execution 

  • Lead all aspects of warehouse and distribution operations across multiple shifts, with clear accountability for productivity, accuracy, on-time delivery, and safety metrics. 
  • Ensure WMS and forecasting tools are fully leveraged to improve planning, execution, and visibility. 
  • Drive continuous improvement through lean methodologies, root cause problem-solving, and frontline engagement. 
  • Strengthen shift handoffs, floor discipline, and daily performance management. 

Purchasing & Sourcing Leadership 

  • Direct the Purchasing function through a Director of Purchasing and team, ensuring accurate forecasting, supplier performance, and cost optimization. 
  • Oversee global sourcing decisions, balancing quality, cost, lead time, and working capital implications. 
  • Serve as a strategic negotiator for key supplier relationships and escalation points. 
  • Develop sourcing strategies that improve inventory turns and reduce excess and obsolete stock. 

People Leadership & Culture 

  • Build a strong leadership bench across operations and purchasing; provide clarity, accountability, and coaching to direct reports. 
  • Evaluate and evolve the existing leadership team to meet current and future needs. 
  • Lead culture change with a focus on urgency, ownership, accountability, and safety. 
  • Set a high bar for behavior and performance and follow through on underperformance with clarity and professionalism. 

Data-Driven Management 

  • Use systems (WMS, HRIS, Excel) and visual management tools to drive accountability and improve execution. 
  • Develop and report on key performance indicators across operations and purchasing. 
  • Establish practical, actionable KPIs that align with business priorities and PE partner expectations. 

Cross-Functional & Financial Acumen 

  • Work in partnership with Sales, Finance, ECommerce, and HR to ensure operational decisions support broader business objectives. 
  • Translate business strategy into operational execution plans that impact the P&L. 
  • Balance tradeoffs between cost, service, and operational risk with clarity and foresight. 

 

Ideal Candidate Profile: 

  • 10+ years of leadership experience in a high-volume distribution or logistics environment, ideally within a global sourcing and retail supply chain context. 
  • Proven success implementing lean practices and continuous improvement initiatives. 
  • Demonstrated ability to lead culture change and build strong leadership teams. 
  • High comfort level with data and operational systems; able to translate insight into action. 
  • Strong cross-functional collaborator who understands how operational decisions impact financial results. 


Interested in Learning More?

180one  has been retained by Wilmar to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact  Tom Haley  / 503-334-1350 /tom@180one.com



By Greg Togni April 6, 2026
When the Masters Tournament tees off at Augusta National on Thursday, April 9, much of the world will tune in not just for golf, but for something increasingly rare: consistency. In an era where nearly everything feels in flux, the Masters remains almost stubbornly familiar. And that’s precisely why it continues to grow. For companies navigating change, the Masters offers a compelling lesson. Tradition and innovation are often framed as opposing forces. At Augusta, they coexist, deliberately, carefully, and profitably. Few events guard tradition as fiercely as the Masters. Patrons still buy pimento cheese sandwiches for $1.50 and walk not run when the gates open. Cell phones are prohibited on the grounds. There are no sprawling sponsor tents, no commercial signage lining the fairways, and no blaring music between shots. Even the language is intentional. Attendees aren’t fans, they’re patrons. Employees aren’t staff, they’re members. Winners don’t hoist trophies in front of LED boards; they slip on a green jacket in Butler Cabin. These aren’t gimmicks. They’re signals. What’s often missed is that the Masters is far from static. Behind the scenes, Augusta National has invested heavily in innovation, just not where it would disrupt the experience. The tournament has become a leader in sports broadcasting, offering one of the most advanced digital viewing experiences in the world. Streaming options give fans unprecedented control over featured groups, individual holes, and real-time scoring. The Masters app is consistently ranked among the best in sports, blending tradition-heavy visuals with cutting-edge technology. International distribution has expanded dramatically, growing global viewership without altering the on-site product. Sponsorship revenue has increased through exclusivity and scarcity rather than volume, fewer partners, and deeper relationships. Augusta didn’t innovate by changing what made the Masters special. It innovated by protecting the experience while modernizing access to it. Perhaps the Masters’ most underrated capability is restraint. There are no naming rights. No halftime-style spectacles. No social media gimmicks plastered across Amen Corner. Augusta National has repeatedly said no to revenue opportunities that would dilute the brand, even as demand continues to grow. Many companies struggle not because they fail to innovate, but because they innovate indiscriminately. They abandon what made them successful in pursuit of what feels new. The Masters shows that enduring brands don’t confuse change with progress. For executives, boards, and investors, the takeaway is clear: preserving tradition and driving innovation are not mutually exclusive goals. The strongest organizations do both simultaneously, anchoring themselves in what they believe while adapting how they operate. As the green jackets come out this April, the Masters will once again remind us that progress doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes, it looks like a familiar sandwich, a quiet fairway, and a product that evolves just enough to stay timeless.
By Effie Zimmerman March 31, 2026
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By Effie Zimmerman March 31, 2026
Director, Program Management ABOUT THE COMPANY In 2024, Northwest Pump celebrated its 65th year of service. Since our founding, we’ve grown from humble beginnings into a trusted name in the petroleum and industrial industry. Through the decades, our commitment to quality, integrity and our valued customers has remained the foundation of everything we do. Northwest Pump provides a wide range of distribution and service capabilities to fueling and industrial customers across the Western United States. The Company’s 350 employees serve nearly 6,000 customers across its growing 20 branch locations. Northwest Pump’s people-first culture is highly regarded for providing a broad product portfolio, consultative services, and leading fill rates. In late 2024, NW Pump joined forces with H.I.G. Capital to bring you even better support and customer service. H.I.G. is a global alternative investment firm with $66 billion of capital under management. This acquisition not only validates the company’s strength but also reflects its continued potential for growth under new ownership. ABOUT THE POSITION Reporting to the VP of Supply Chain Management, the Director, Program Management is the central architect for a series of high-impact initiatives aimed at unifying a rapidly growing distribution business. Following multiple acquisitions of service companies, you will drive the business transformation required to harmonize processes, modernize the systems landscape, and achieve operational scalability. This role requires a blend of strategic planning and hands-on execution to manage cross-functional workstreams from inception through stabilization. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Serve as the primary bridge between Finance, Operations, IT, Sales, Service, and HR to ensure all departments are aligned on transformation goals and interdependent milestones. Define comprehensive project scopes, detailed tasks, and realistic timelines for integrating acquired service entities into the core distributor model. Support IT in the transition of legacy workflows and disparate systems into a unified enterprise platform, ensuring data integrity and minimal business disruption. Proactively identify project risks and bottlenecks. Develop mitigation strategies and drive immediate resolutions to keep programs on track. Maintain a regular communication cadence with executive leadership, providing transparent reporting on program status, KPls, and value realization. Champion a "unified culture" by developing training materials and SOPs that help newly acquired teams adopt standard business processes. QUALIFICATIONS  Bachelor's degree specializing in business administration, Supply Chain, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience. PMP certification preferred. 10+ years of experience in program or project management, ideally within post­merger integration (PMI) or large-scale business transformation environments. Robust understanding of ERP systems and project management/collaboration tools like Microsoft Project, SharePoint, etc. Exceptional ability to lead without authority and negotiate across departmental boundaries to achieve consensus. Effective at communicating, verbally and in writing, with all levels of stakeholders and coworkers Interested in Learning More? 180one has been retained by Northwest Pump to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Nicole Brady at 503-699-0184 or via email at nicole@180one.com .
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