Executive Search Success Story: Executing Leadership Succession and Operational Transformation for a Family-Owned Injection Molding and Engineered Plastics Manufacturer

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a family-owned injection molding and engineered plastics manufacturer with the executive, operations, engineering, and commercial leadership required to complete a generational succession, modernize automation and tooling across five plants, and grow into medical and electric vehicle markets.

The Challenge

A second-generation family-owned injection molder had grown to $420M serving consumer, industrial, and automotive customers, but the family CEO was retiring with no family successor, its plants relied on aging presses and manual operations, labor availability constrained growth, and its customer base was concentrated in slower-growing end markets. The family wanted to retain ownership, modernize operations, and pursue medical and electric vehicle opportunities that required engineering and quality capabilities the company lacked. Executive leadership and the family identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the business:

• A retiring family CEO with no family successor and no professional president in place
• Aging presses, limited automation, and manual secondary operations across five plants
• Labor shortages constraining capacity and driving overtime and quality variability
• Customer concentration in slower-growing consumer and industrial markets
• Engineering, tooling, and program management capabilities insufficient for medical and EV program requirements
• Family concern that outside leadership would change the culture that defined the company

Recognizing that succession and growth required a professional leadership team, the family and its advisors engaged JRG Partners to recruit a President, VP of Operations, VP of Engineering & Tooling, VP of Sales & Business Development, and Director of Automation. The company required an executive search partner with deep plastics manufacturing expertise and experience managing leadership transitions in family-owned businesses.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Plastics Manufacturing Expertise

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across injection molders, engineered plastics and composites manufacturers, and precision component companies, including executive, operations, engineering, and commercial leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of molding economics, automation and tooling investment, and the requirements of medical and automotive program work.

Family Business Succession Experience

Our firm has extensive experience guiding family-owned manufacturers through leadership succession, balancing cultural continuity with the professional leadership required to modernize and grow.

End-Market Diversification Experience

Our team specializes in identifying leaders who have taken plastics manufacturers into medical, EV, and other demanding end markets, bringing the engineering, quality, and commercial capabilities those programs require.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Succession & Strategy Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the retiring CEO, family shareholders, and advisors to define the founder’s transition role, growth strategy, modernization priorities, and the leadership profiles balancing professional capability with family-business culture.

Phase 2 — Industry Talent Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting presidents, operations, engineering, and commercial executives at injection molders, engineered plastics manufacturers, and precision component companies serving medical and automotive markets. Over 380 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of succeeding founders or family CEOs, modernizing molding operations through automation, building engineering and tooling capability, qualifying for medical and EV programs, and growing plastics businesses into new end markets. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Final Selection

Finalists completed comprehensive leadership and cultural assessments, participated in structured meetings with the family and retiring CEO, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified succession, operational, and growth outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 380+ plastics manufacturing executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning president, operations, engineering and tooling, sales, and automation.
• Completed a family CEO succession with a twelve-month structured transition.
• Raised throughput by 25% and cut overtime by more than half through automation.
• Grew medical and EV programs to more than 20% of revenue within three years.
• Preserved family ownership and culture through professional leadership.