Talent chasers

Executive search entrepreneur Joe McElmeel, in four decades of finding top officials for companies, mostly in the building materials and kitchen and bath industry, has developed some unassailable truths.

Primary among those: Talent trumps all. A past president of the National Association of Executive Recruiters and founder of the Executive Recruiters Roundtable, McElmeel says companies often overlook that seemingly obvious statement to quickly plug holes. That short-term thinking, he says, can lead to long-term issues.

McElmeel, who founded Sarasota-based Brooke Chase Associates in 1980, has learned many other lessons in recruiting during his career. He's used many of these nuggets at Brooke Chase, a boutique-style agency that focuses on executive searches. The firm, after a dip in the downturn, is a on a growth spurt: Annual sales increased 38% in 2015 and 98% in 2014. “The business is coming back,” McElmeel says. “We see a marked improvement in the executive recruiting industry, and we are looking to expand this year.”