American Manufacturing · Executive Search
Workforce partners for American manufacturing
Hiring for manufacturing isn't about volume. It's about performance.
We partner with manufacturing organizations to recruit the leaders who drive operational results - not just fill roles.
About Hire Standard
Built for manufacturing. Focused on performance.
Hire Standard is an executive search firm dedicated to American manufacturing. We partner with organizations to recruit the leaders responsible for operational performance on the plant floor, not just on paper.
A Word From Our Founder
Read the letter
I chose entrepreneurship right after college and took a big swing with my first business. When it failed, I took people down with me - people who worked for a living and earned every paycheck. I knew their families felt it. That broke my heart, and it never left me.
The men and women in my family before me served in our military, worked retail, did manual labor, and worked in manufacturing plants. That's where I come from, and I'm more proud of that than any piece of paper I've earned. One of my earliest memories is begging my mom to let me stay up until midnight so I could see my dad when he got home from second shift at Pennwalt, a Philadelphia salt manufacturer turned specialty chemicals company. He landed that job on a referral from his father-in-law - my grandfather - who worked there until retirement after his U.S. Army service. People like my dad never put on a shirt and tie to go to work. The dirt under their fingernails was permanent. They saw their kids only after the day's work was done, then spent weekends doing side work as electricians, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, and maintenance men.
That is the work that built this country and still sustains it today. For decades in recent history, the skilled trades were diminished and devalued. Now, as American industry pushes the bounds of automation, robotics, and AI to compete with a fast-changing world and keep winning, skilled labor is being appreciated again - rightfully so. The need for skilled, competent people will never cease.
I started Hire Standard with two goals: to impact the lives of America's skilled workers in a meaningful way, and to help great companies find the people who sustain their success and growth. Our tools aren't a hammer, a shovel, a drill, or a forklift - but we know who our candidates are. We know our clients and how their operations run. And we will always serve both with honesty, transparency and the highest of standards.
Joshua Husak
Founder, Hire Standard
A performance-built process
Every step is designed to identify candidates who can perform in real operating environments not just interview well.
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01
Understand the operation
We start on your floor mapping the environment, reporting structure, and the real demands the role has to meet.
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02
Target the market
We go into the market intentionally, engaging qualified operators directly rather than waiting on inbound applicants.
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03
Vet for capability & character
We assess technical capability alongside ownership, accountability, and leadership presence under real conditions.
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04
Deliver with accountability
We present a short, qualified slate and stay accountable through offer, onboarding, and long-term fit.
We operate with transparency, confidentiality, and clear communication throughout the search process.
Hiring isn't administrative. It's operational.
As manufacturing evolves, automation, data, and system complexity keep increasing while teams get leaner. Every hire carries more weight. More responsibility. More impact. Less margin for error. Hire Standard exists to address that reality.
What we understand
- We understand how plants operate.
- We understand the leadership structures that drive performance.
- We understand the operational consequences of a poor hire in a manufacturing environment.
We identify the people who can perform in real operating environments.
Complexity
Operate in complex production environments.
Accountability
Drive accountability across teams.
Agility
Solve problems in real time.
Results
Deliver measurable performance.
"We don't measure success by candidate volume. We measure it by long-term performance."
For Organizations
Hiring that impacts performance
When hiring matters, the cost of getting it wrong is operational not administrative.
- Missed output
- Downtime
- Team instability
- Execution breakdowns
The problem
Recruiting models built for speed and volume often fail manufacturing.
Manufacturing environments require precision. When the wrong hire shows up, it impacts output, uptime, and safety.
- Candidates who interview well but cannot perform
- Limited understanding of plant environments
- Passive sourcing without true market engagement
A disciplined search built for manufacturing environments.
Direct market targeting
We go into the market intentionally rather than relying on inbound candidate flow.
Role-specific qualification
We evaluate against the real demands of your operation, reporting structure, and environment.
Capability and character
Technical fit matters. So do ownership, accountability, and leadership presence.
Clear, accountable delivery
Every search is run with transparency, confidentiality, and disciplined execution.
What clients can expect
- Structured, transparent process
- Consistent communication
- Candidates aligned to real operating demands
- Focus on long-term fit
Our fee is earned on results, not activity. Contingency terms. Retained-quality execution.
Our philosophy
Built for manufacturing decision-makers
While others focus on headcount on paper, we focus on performance on the floor. Our process was built inside manufacturing recruiting years of learning, firsthand, which traits keep lines moving and which resumes only interview well.
- 20 Years
- Combined experience
- 90-day
- Placement guarantee
- 100%
- Direct hire search
Core values
Principled.
Strong.
Competent.
- Principled - Transparency, accountability, and confidentiality in every engagement.
- Strong - Rigor, effort, and disciplined execution - never volume.
- Competent - We understand plant environments and recruit accordingly.
Experience across critical manufacturing sectors
We partner with organizations across key manufacturing industries where operational leadership directly impacts performance.
Food, Beverage & CPG
High-volume production with strict quality, safety, and regulatory demands where efficiency, consistency, and leadership alignment drive performance.
Industrial & Heavy Manufacturing
Complex process environments across metals, plastics, materials, and paper where reliability, maintenance execution, and plant leadership are critical.
Automotive & Aerospace
Precision-driven operations with tight tolerances, regulated supply chains, and high technical standards where execution failures carry outsized cost.
Construction & Building Products
Production tied to cyclical demand and field-driven deliverables requiring leadership that balances throughput, cost control, and quality.
Life Sciences & Pharma
FDA- and GMP-regulated manufacturing where compliance, documentation rigor, and contamination control sit alongside production performance.
Energy & Industrial Technology
Operations supporting energy infrastructure, industrial systems, and advanced production where technical depth and operational discipline both matter.
Across sectors
The underlying challenge is the same.
While each sector has unique demands, the core issue stays constant:
Finding leaders who can perform in real operating environments.
What we look for
Leadership capability, technical fluency, ownership, accountability, and the ability to operate inside complex production systems.
Expertise built around operational performance
Hire Standard partners with manufacturing organizations across all major plant-level and executive functions. We recruit talent from Technician through C-Level.
Plant & Operations Leadership
Strategic leadership responsible for execution, output, and overall performance.
- Plant Managers
- Operations Managers
- Production Leaders
Engineering & Maintenance
Leadership focused on system performance, uptime, and continuous improvement.
- Process & Controls Engineers
- Maintenance & Reliability Engineers
- Continuous Improvement Leads
Process & Continuous Improvement
Lean and Six Sigma roles driving consistency, compliance, and operational efficiency.
- Lean Champions
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Industrial Engineers
Quality & Food Safety
Quality leaders responsible for compliance, risk management, and product integrity.
- Quality Directors
- QA/QC Specialists
- Food Safety Leads
Regulatory Affairs & Compliance
Keeping products compliant and audit-ready across every stage of production.
- Regulatory Affairs Managers
- Validation Engineers
- Compliance & Document Control Leads
EHS & Safety
Prioritizing workforce health and environmental stewardship in industrial settings.
- EHS Managers
- Safety Coordinators
- Risk Management Leaders
Supply Chain & Logistics
Navigating complex logistics and inventory systems to keep materials moving.
- Logistics Directors
- Supply Chain Planners
- Warehouse Managers
Human Resources
Building the internal culture and talent frameworks that sustain growth.
- HR Business Partners
- Talent Acquisition
- Labor Relations
Finance & Accounting
Financial oversight and strategic planning tailored to manufacturing margins.
- Plant Controllers
- Finance Directors
- Cost Accountants
Procurement
Strategic sourcing and vendor management for industrial supply chains.
- Sourcing Managers
- Purchasing Agents
- Vendor Relations
Mission critical
Why this matters
These roles are not interchangeable. Each requires a specific combination of technical capability, leadership, and real-world operating experience. That's where our focus remains.
Real operating experience, leadership judgment, accountability, and alignment with the demands of the environment.
- Operating experience
- Judgment
- Accountability
- Alignment
Verticals of impact.
Specialized search across the pillars of the modern industrial landscape.
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Automotive
Tier 1 & OEM leadership from stamping and assembly to electrification.
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Aerospace
High-tolerance manufacturing, quality, and regulated supply chain leadership.
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Consumer Packaged Goods
Fast-moving, high-changeover operations where consistency drives margin.
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Food & Beverage
High-volume production under strict food safety, sanitation, and audit demands.
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Industrial Materials
Metals, plastics, chemicals, and paper reliability and process discipline.
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Pharma & Life Sciences
GMP-regulated manufacturing where documentation rigor sits beside output.
Contact Us
Partner with Us.
Whether you're filling a critical leadership seat or planning your next build-out, our team is ready to help.
Every inquiry gets a response within one business day.
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Headquarters
5 Stair St., Easton, PA 18042
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Direct inquiries
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Phone
Partner with Hire Standard
Secure the leadership your operation depends on. Start the search today.