Kekkilä-BVB is the European leader in horticulture. We provide products and services for professional greenhouse growers, retail, consumers and landscapers to over 100 countries worldwide. We have strong product brands within the professional and consumer growing markets, trading under the names of BVB Substrates, Kekkilä Professional, BVB Landscaping, Kekkilä, Hasselfors Garden, Jardino and Florentus. Together with our customers we grow for a better future. Kekkilä-BVB is a part of Neova Group. www.kekkila-bvb.com

We are currently looking for an Area Sales Manager for USA.

As an Area Sales Manager in the Business Area Global, you are responsible for our sales and customer accounts in the West of the USA, both for the Kekkilä Professional and BVB Substrates brands. The purpose of the role is to deliver agreed sales targets, profitability, growth, and efficiency in the area and provide technical support for our distributors and direct customers. You actively search for new customers and business potential in new markets and new sales channels.

Key responsibilities:

• Responsible of sales and business development in West USA with all our Business Lines: Horticulture, Ornamental, Medicinal Cannabis, Soft fruits and Mushrooms. Finding, managing, nurturing and developing the customer relationships and bringing in sales.
• Execute sales strategy and plan, leading to a growing market share and long-term, profitable and sustainable relationships with our customers.
• Develop a distributor network and direct customers relationships and have a systematic approach to acquiring new customers
• Achieve annual sales; volume and margin targets
• Support our distributors and direct end customers with basic technical knowledge and work closely with product management to develop the most suitable solutions for customers' use.
• Represent Kekkilä Professional and BVB Substrates brands during fairs and customer events.
• Act in close cooperation with Marketing, Business Line and Product Managers, Customer Service and Operations.

You will operate in an international team and report to the VP of Sales for the Americas. The position is based ideally in West USA; California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah or Colorado. This position requires frequent traveling.

To succeed in this position, we expect you to have minimum of 5 years' experience in new business development, sales, managing customer relationships and also being technically competent to consult our customers in the selection and use of substrates.

Main skills needed in the position:

• Level of education: Bachelor's or Master's degree level in Agriculture/Horticulture or other relevant education/work experience
• Experience in managing sales and business development
• Experience in the agricultural business is seen as an advantage
• Fluent in the use of digital sales tools and systems e.g., Salesforce
• Skills to manage sales with quality brands
• Focus on customers and the ability to build good networks with the stakeholders in the region
• Strong negotiation and communication skills
• Strong business acumen, actively seeking sales opportunities and taking initiatives
• You communicate fluently in English, but also fluency in Spanish is an asset

For more information about this position, please contact VP of Sales for the Americas Julien Boijmans julien.boijmans@kekkila-bvb.com. Please apply before March 17th 2025.