Case Study: Filling Vulcan Materials' Strategic Sourcing Specialist Role in Phoenix, AZ

Client Profile Vulcan Materials Company is the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates—primarily crushed stone, sand, and gravel—and a major producer of aggregates-based construction materials, including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete. With a strong presence across the United States, Vulcan is a leader in the industry, known for its commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability.

Role Objectives & Challenges Vulcan Materials had an urgent need for a Strategic Sourcing Specialist at their Phoenix, AZ location. The role had been open for over six months when their internal Talent Acquisition group reached out to us for assistance. The hiring team faced significant challenges:

• Local Candidate Pool: They were only considering local candidates in the Phoenix area, which limited the talent pool.
• Salary Constraints: The team needed someone with substantial experience who could hit the ground running, but salary expectations were a hurdle.
• Heavy Manufacturing Background Requirement: The ideal candidate needed a strong background in heavy manufacturing to understand the complexities of sourcing in that environment.
• Urgency to Fill the Role: The prolonged vacancy was impacting their operations, making it critical to find the right candidate quickly.

Given our longstanding partnership with Vulcan and deep understanding of their organizational needs, we were well-positioned to tackle these challenges.

Our Approach to Solve the Search Leveraging our extensive network and expertise in supply chain recruitment, we implemented a targeted search strategy:

• Industry-Specific Focus: We concentrated on candidates with a heavy manufacturing background, specifically those experienced in sectors like construction materials, mining, and industrial manufacturing.
• Candidate Outreach: Reached out to over 50 potential candidates within the Phoenix area who possessed both strategic sourcing expertise and heavy manufacturing experience.
• Screening and Interviews: Conducted thorough interviews with seven candidates to assess their technical skills, industry experience, cultural fit, and salary expectations.
• Candidate Presentation: Submitted the top four candidates to Vulcan, providing detailed profiles highlighting how each met the role's specific requirements, emphasizing their heavy manufacturing backgrounds.

Our familiarity with Vulcan's culture and expectations allowed us to effectively communicate the opportunity to candidates and address any concerns regarding salary and career progression.

The Hire & Results Within six weeks, we successfully filled the Strategic Sourcing Specialist role with an ideal candidate who not only met but exceeded Vulcan's expectations. The selected individual brought:

• Extensive Heavy Manufacturing Experience: A robust background in strategic sourcing within the heavy manufacturing industry, enabling them to understand the specific challenges and requirements of Vulcan's operations.
• Local Insight: As a Phoenix resident, they had valuable knowledge of the local market and suppliers.
• Immediate Impact: The ability to hit the ground running, quickly integrating into the team and contributing to key projects from day one.

This swift and effective placement reinforced why Vulcan continues to partner with us for their hard-to-fill roles. Our deep industry knowledge, combined with a tailored recruitment approach focusing on heavy manufacturing expertise, enabled us to overcome the challenges and deliver a successful outcome that supports Vulcan's ongoing growth and operational excellence.

Conclusion

Our partnership with Vulcan Materials exemplifies our commitment to understanding our clients' unique needs and leveraging our expertise to deliver exceptional results. By efficiently filling this critical role with a candidate possessing the necessary heavy manufacturing background, we helped Vulcan maintain momentum in their operations. This successful placement reaffirms our position as a trusted recruitment partner in the supply chain and procurement sector, capable of solving complex hiring challenges and delivering top-tier talent.