How to Manufacture an Impactful Career: An Interview with the VP of Sales at Paperless Parts

Paperless Parts’ new VP of Sales Tim Holman may have just joined the fast-growing team this past quarter, but he’s no stranger to the world of manufacturing; in fact, he’s spent nearly his entire career there. We recently sat down with Tim to pick his brain and share his wealth of knowledge on sales, leadership, and manufacturing in an exclusive Q&A. Read on for the full interview.

Q. Thanks for joining us today, Tim – could you start by telling us a little bit about why you joined Paperless Parts?
A. Thanks for having me. For context, I’ve worked in the manufacturing realm for over 20 years. While I was happy at my previous company, there was a recent acquisition and culture change that led me to consider other options. Aside from that, I felt that I was lacking the opportunity to truly impact the industry.

I worked for a company that provides ERP solutions to manufacturers, and I was watching my customers become Paperless Parts customers. I was impressed by Paperless Parts’ advanced and automated software and really saw how much they were helping my clients. I was also looking for a new opportunity within the manufacturing world where my talents and experience could make a real difference on both the company and industry. The opportunity at Paperless Parts really had everything I was looking for.

Q. Sounds like it! So far, what are you liking most about working here?
A. Paperless Parts is a fast-growing company where a lot of processes are still undefined. This creates the opportunity to help shape the future of the company.

What drew me here – and what I’ve been enjoying most in these first few months – is being a part of something that’s growing so quickly. It requires our team to pivot and redirect on the fly. It is great to be a part of something new!

“If you are confident in your abilities and skills, then Paperless Parts is a place where you can thrive and be a part of something that is changing American manufacturing forever.”

Q. If you had to pick your favorite thing about your job, what would it be?
A. I’d have to say that my favorite part of the job is spending time with and coaching the sales team. I really enjoy leveraging my past experiences to help them succeed, especially those that are newer to the industry. I’m lucky to have a really awesome team that’s curious and willing to learn.

Q. Can you describe how you feel you’re making an impact on the company?
A. My hope is that my coaching is helping the sales team move opportunities forward and bring on new customers. Sales is a difficult job to begin with and some of our team members are relatively new to the manufacturing space. Since I’m very familiar with the industry, I feel like I can help the team better understand our industry and relate to our customer base.

Q. And how about the industry?
A. I’m excited to see manufacturing coming back to the U.S. and watch the industry embrace technology to help streamline and automate different processes. More and more shops are relying on technology to help specifically with overcoming some of the challenges in the labor market.

Paperless Parts is revolutionizing the way manufacturers communicate and quote. If I’m able to be a part of helping manufacturers understand the benefit of our platform and adopt our technology, I feel a part of that revolution.

Tim and his family at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

Q. That’s really cool. Is there one aspect of our product that you feel is most valuable?
A. It’s hard to choose just one – I think one has to be the ability for users to extract tribal knowledge from experienced estimators and translate it into our custom pricing language. Just as important is our level of service; our team is truly dedicated to helping our customers achieve their goals around standardizing their quoting process, shortening turnaround times and increasing win-rates so they can scale their businesses and get time back for themselves. I also want to mention all of the various automations built into our platform; time is money, and being able to save time on so many different processes provides a clear return on investment for our customers.

Q. Hate to make you choose again, but what is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about joining Paperless Parts?
A. Bet on yourself! If you are confident in your abilities and skills, then Paperless Parts is a place where you can thrive and be a part of something that is changing American manufacturing forever. It can be scary going into any startup environment, but Paperless Parts is thriving because we focus on hiring quality people and consistently investing in their futures. This really defines our culture and paves the way for a successful future for our company.

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Tim Holman is Vice President of Sales for the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones at Paperless Parts and resides in Scottsdale, AZ. Tim has over 20 years’ experience in the metal distribution and manufacturing industries specializing in ERP, MRP, and MES systems.