Account Manager - Chicago

Valley Forge Fabrics is THE industry leader in supplying custom decorative performance fabrics and textile solutions to the hospitality industry. For nearly 50 years, we've partnered with some of the world's leading hospitality brands, delivering innovative products, exceptional service, and sustainable solutions. As a family-owned company, our success is built on strong relationships, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a culture that empowers employees to grow, take ownership, and make a meaningful impact.

We are seeking an Account Manager within the Chicago area to join our team. This role is ideal for a proven sales professional with established hospitality industry experience and relationships. The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of hospitality textiles, furnishings, interiors, and the key players that influence purchasing decisions, including designers, ownership groups, brands, and procurement firms. 

Job Summary:

As an Account Manager, you will serve as a trusted advisor to hospitality designers, owners, brands, and purchasing firms while maintaining and growing Valley Forge's strong customer relationships. Supported by an experienced team of project managers and product specialists at our South Florida headquarters, you will help bring hospitality projects to life, from concept through installation.

This is a highly relationship-driven role for someone who enjoys being in front of customers, uncovering opportunities, and influencing design and purchasing decisions. You'll gain access to some of the hospitality industry's most exciting upcoming projects while building connections through client meetings, presentations, industry events, networking opportunities, and other customer-focused activities.

Our ideal candidate is a confident communicator and relationship builder who is organized, proactive, energetic, and driven to succeed. They are naturally curious about hospitality, fashion, design, architecture, and emerging industry trends. They possess exceptional customer service skills, strong business acumen, and the ability to manage multiple projects while delivering a best-in-class customer experience.

Valley Forge clients are creative, sophisticated, and fast-paced. Our role is to help transform their design vision into reality while ensuring projects move forward seamlessly. A typical day may include presenting new collections, consulting on upcoming hotel renovations and new builds, delivering samples, collaborating with designers and ownership groups, attending industry events, and identifying opportunities to expand existing customer relationships. Every day brings new conversations, new projects, and new opportunities to make an impact.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Travel throughout assigned territory to call on regular and prospective customers to develop custom designs and solicit orders
• Present or demonstrate products, using samples & presentations and emphasizes design, function, sustainability and performance features while focusing on client's design, end-use, and budget requirements
• Coordinate with inside sales and project management teams to keep account activities, literature and needs current
• Develop and maintain relationships with design, specification and purchasing contacts
• Investigate, diffuse and resolve challenges with regards to samples, purchase orders and deliveries within the territory
• Regularly entertain and network with clients and potential clients
• Keep up to date on new design clients and opportunities for engaging on projects outside of our established customer base
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• At least 2-4 years of experience successfully working in hospitality sales, commercial/hospitality design and/or project management, professional business-to-business interior design product sales, or similar position with focus on hospitality and/or commercial interior FF&E.  
• Must be socially savvy and comfortable entertaining clients, regularly entertaining and networking outside of normal working hours
• Strong problem-solving skills and creativity are required
• Must have a high level of ownership and accountability with strong organizational skills and the ability to remain focused while simultaneously managing competing projects and priorities
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to concisely and precisely articulate important project/product details to clients and internal design teams is required
• Experience using MS Excel, Salesforce CRM, and ERP systems is required
• Strong presentation skills are required
• Ability to travel regularly by driving is required in the regular schedule of work visiting clients.
• Ability to walk long distances at times between clients and carry up to 20 pounds regularly to deliver samples.
• Ability to bend/reach/climb as needed to arrange customer libraries with new products and samples.
• Ability to see and read emails, phone communications related to projects as required. 
• Ability to hear instructions over phone, electronic communications and in person to understand projects and respond with appropriate information.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time driving and when in home office or on conference and client calls. 

The culture at Valley Forge is all about our employees and our community. We are a fast-paced and energized group of people who share a purpose for creating a uniquely beautiful world. We invest our time and resources into each other, our local community, having fun and getting things done. 

EEO Statement:

Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status in any of our employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, compensation, and training.