Business Development Manager - Custom Manufacturing & Branded Merchandise
Barcela LLCBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER — CUSTOM MANUFACTURING & BRANDED MERCHANDISE Barcela LLC | United States | Remote | Full-time Base salary: $65,000–$80,000 annually + uncapped commission ABOUT BARCELA Barcela LLC is a Florida-based custom product development and manufacturing business serving companies that need products made to their specifications. Our capabilities span promotional merchandise, corporate gifts, bags and accessories, apparel, custom packaging and carton displays, including coordinated product collections and gift kits. With factory ownership/direct control and founders and specialist teams bringing more than 35 years of experience, we support projects through materials selection, product development, sampling, manufacturing, branding, packaging and quality control. THE OPPORTUNITY We are seeking an experienced business development professional to win and grow US accounts requiring custom products for marketing campaigns, corporate gifting, brand launches and recurring merchandise programs. This is a hands-on individual contributor role with responsibility for developing opportunities, securing qualified briefs, negotiating commercial terms and converting projects into profitable, repeat business. Your principal buyers will include: Promotional products distributors and branded merchandise agencies. Experiential, activation and integrated marketing agencies. Corporate procurement, merchandise and gifting teams. Selected brands with custom product and private-label requirements. WHAT YOU WILL DO Develop a focused account strategy and establish relationships with purchasing, production, account management and procurement decision-makers. Generate new opportunities through industry relationships, targeted prospecting, referrals and relevant events. Translate a campaign concept or purchasing requirement into a clear brief covering product specifications, quantities, budget, branding, packaging and delivery requirements. Work with our production team to develop commercially viable proposals, samples and quotations. Explain trade-offs involving materials, construction, customization, order quantities, production timelines and landed costs. Manage the commercial sales process from discovery through negotiation and purchase order, maintaining clear coordination with production. Expand successful projects into repeat orders, additional categories and longer-term purchasing programs. Maintain accurate CRM records, forecasts and account plans, with responsibility for revenue quality and gross profit. Respect distributor relationships, customer confidentiality and agreed account ownership. ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE At least five years of relevant B2B sales or business development experience in custom merchandise, promotional products, bespoke manufacturing, corporate gifting, packaging or closely related physical products. A demonstrated record of personally opening and closing new accounts, with the ability to explain your contribution, typical order values, sales cycles and commercial results. Established professional relationships within at least one of our principal customer channels. Practical experience selling projects involving specifications, quotations, samples, approvals and production. An understanding of manufacturing economics, margins, minimum order quantities, lead times and quality expectations. Confidence managing commercial conversations with experienced buyers and coordinating with production specialists. Strong prospecting, negotiation, written communication and pipeline management skills. PARTICULARLY VALUABLE Supplier-side experience selling through promotional products distributors. Familiarity with the PPAI/ASI industry ecosystem. Experience developing programs across several product categories. Experience with custom packaging, presentation kits or private-label products. Experience coordinating commercial projects with international manufacturing teams. HOW SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED Success wi…