Sr. Manufacturing Engineer Saved This Clean HVAC Startup
Finding a Needle (Mover) in the Haystack
Electrifying homes is one of the biggest levers we have in the fight against climate change. At the center of this effort is Harvest Thermal, a company reinventing how households heat and cool their spaces with a smarter, cleaner HVAC system. Their breakthrough technology was ready for scale, but they faced a major hurdle: finding the right person to take charge of their contract manufacturing operations.
The Challenge: A Rare Profile, Needed Fast
Harvest Thermal had just lost the engineer overseeing their contract manufacturer. In the meantime, their CTO was flying back and forth to manage the line personally. Not only was this costly, but it also diverted leadership attention away from innovation and strategy.
The role required someone with a very rare skillset: hands-on contract manufacturing scale-up experience in HVAC hardware. It was a classic “needle in a haystack” search, and the longer it dragged on, the more expensive and disruptive it became.
The Solution: A Tailored Unicorn Search
We knew this wasn’t a generic hire. Our team mapped out the HVAC and adjacent hardware landscape, identifying professionals who had successfully scaled complex products through contract manufacturing. Every candidate was vetted not just for technical expertise, but for the ability to step into a critical role with minimal ramp-up.
Within two weeks, we surfaced the right candidate. By week five, the role was filled and onboarding had begun.
The Results: Cost Savings and Strategic Focus
The impact was immediate. Harvest Thermal’s CTO was able to step away from day-to-day factory oversight and redirect focus back to product development and scaling strategy. Production timelines were safeguarded, and the company was able to keep up with growing market demand.
By filling the role quickly, we saved Harvest Thermal significant travel expenses and leadership distraction. Had the search dragged on, the company could have faced over $450,000 in additional costs and lost opportunities.
In short, what might have been a bottleneck became a launchpad.
Testimonial
“ErthTech Talent exceeded our expectations in recruiting a manufacturing engineer. They provided a wide pool of qualified candidates, far surpassing other recruiters we’ve partnered with. Their dedicated approach and expertise made the hiring process seamless. We would definitely choose ErthTech Talent again for our future recruiting needs!” — Jane Melia, Founder, Harvest Thermal
Why It Matters
When scaling climate hardware, every day matters. Missed hires don’t just delay projects, they cost real money and risk momentum in markets that move quickly. Harvest Thermal’s story proves that even the toughest searches can be solved fast with the right network and process.
The result wasn’t just a new hire; it was a stronger company, a protected growth trajectory, and another step forward in the transition to cleaner, smarter homes.