General Manager

Haygood Scientific Tool is a 72-year-old Houston CNC machine shop with deep roots and untapped potential. Backed by Freyetic Group, industry experts, and proven operational frameworks, we’re searching for a driven General Manager ready to lead the company into its next decade of growth.

This is not a temporary leadership role — this is an opportunity to take full ownership, rebuild, scale, and shape the future of a legacy manufacturing company.

What You Will Lead:

- A long-standing CNC machine shop with strong local reputation

- A technical team of ~20 machinists and operators

- A high-mix, low-volume job shop environment

- A business with the foundation to scale back toward $5M+ revenue

What You Bring

Operations Leadership:

- 5–10 years managing CNC machine shops in the $2M–$10M range

- Full P&L ownership with a track record of improving gross margins

- Expertise in job shop operations (high-mix, low-volume)

- Skilled at leading and developing 15–30 person technical teams

Technical CNC Expertise:

- Deep understanding of CNC machining (lathe and mill)

- Oil & gas machining experience required

- Ability to diversify a customer base beyond a single industry

- Strong command of job costing, pricing discipline, and margin analysis

- Experience improving quality systems and on-time delivery metrics

Houston Manufacturing Knowledge (preferred, not required):

- Network in the Houston machining/manufacturing community

- Understanding of oil & gas business cycles

- Insight into opportunities in aerospace, medical, and industrial sectors

Who You Are

Coachable (The #1 Requirement):

- You embrace feedback

- You ask “why” to understand principles

- You view mentorship as acceleration

- You document lessons learned and build playbooks

Bridge Builder:

- Earn respect from veteran machinists and office leadership

- Communicate confidently on the shop floor and in the boardroom

- Negotiate firmly while maintaining strong relationships

Action-Oriented:

- Move decisively with incomplete information

- Prefer testing, iterating, and learning

- Address problems and hard conversations immediately

Systems Thinker:

- Convert tribal knowledge into documented processes

- Build solutions that work without constant oversight

- Create dashboards and KPIs that drive performance

People Developer:

- Grow machinists into leaders

- Build capability, not dependency

- Create clear career pathways and invest in your team

Why This Role Is Different

You’re Never Alone:

- Weekly coaching from seasoned industry experts

- Access to proven systems and frameworks

- Real-time support for strategy and major decisions

You Shape the Future:

- Build permanent systems and scalable processes

- Create culture from the ground up

- Earn performance-based bonuses tied to real results

You’re Part of a Bigger Mission:

- Contribute to Freyetic Group’s mission to preserve American manufacturing

- Leverage resources and synergies with sister companies

- Protect and modernize a 72-year Houston legacy

Compensation:

- Base Salary: $90,000–$110,000

- Performance Bonus: Up to $80,000 in Year 1

- Total 1st-Year Potential: $170,000–$190,000

Key Responsibilities & Expected

First 90 Days:

- Stabilize operations and cash flow

- Implement job costing discipline

- Strengthen customer relationships

- Build trust with existing team

Months 4–12:

- Develop a formal sales process

- Diversify customer base beyond oil & gas

- Improve gross margins to 30%+

- Execute operational improvements

Year 2+:

- Scale revenue to $5M+

- Build second-shift capability

- Launch apprenticeship and training programs

- Establish a continuous improvement culture

Ideal Candidate:

You are an operations leader who walks the shop floor before checking emails. You love American manufacturing, developing people, and building systems that last. You're hungry to take ownership — and ready to grow under the guidance of expert coaches.

If you’re ready to rebuild and scale a legacy shop, this is your opportunity.