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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.
For more information on our Building Products services, get in touch with
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews
Helping Building Products companies unlock their next stage of growth
Specialisms We Cover
The global building materials market exceeds $1.3 trillion in value and continues to grow, driven by urbanisation, infrastructure investment, and increasing demand for sustainable and high-performance construction solutions.
Building materials are fundamental to the development of residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects worldwide. As construction markets evolve, manufacturers and suppliers face increasing pressure to deliver products that meet higher standards for performance, sustainability, efficiency, and design. Innovation across materials, manufacturing processes, and supply chains is reshaping how buildings are designed, built, and maintained.We partner with building materials organisations across a broad range of product categories, including acoustics, cabinetry, ceiling and wall systems, cement and concrete, fasteners, flooring and decking, glass, gypsum, HVAC, insulation, kitchen and bathroom products, lumber and millwork, metals, mining and aggregates, plumbing and piping, roofing, siding, specialty doors, tile and stone, tools, trim and PVC, waterproofing, and windows and doors. Our deep sector expertise allows us to support manufacturers, distributors, and market leaders with the specialist and leadership talent required to drive growth, innovation, and long-term performance.
Building materials recruitment is driven by delivery, margin, and scale.
Manufacturers and suppliers operate in an environment defined by cost pressure, capacity planning, sustainability targets, and fluctuating demand. Hiring decisions often sit at the center of operational performance, making experience in production, supply chain, and commercial execution essential.Recruiting effectively in building materials means understanding how these businesses really function. Sector specialists with strong market coverage can identify talent that aligns with operational reality, not just job titles — ensuring hires add value from day one.
Team
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Sam Gilliland
Business Consultant
Jack Wilson
Senior Principal Consultant
Stewart Boyd
Principal Consultant
Did you know?
Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.
We hire right
Organisations are
97% Placement Rate 11.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3
1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.
2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.
3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.
Stats
1,908 placements made across 25 sectors
262,736 companies in our CRM
"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "
- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group
Veronica Hagborg
Senior Director Global HR, Sweden
I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Brian Carpenter
VP Continous Improvement, US
Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...
Stewart Boyd
Construction Materials & Mining
Michel Cas
Sales Manager, France
Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Dipen Shah
Account Manager, Canada
I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Christoph Snaga
Investment Manager, Germany
Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Lucas Quadflieg
Sales Manager, Netherlands
Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Franz-Leo Nedo
Territory Sales Manager
Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Ashley Maclean
Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina
Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...
Jack Purnell
Material Handling & Automation
Sandeep Kulshrestha
Formulation Director, US
Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Tim Mitchell
Plant Manager, US
Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.
Stewart Boyd
Construction Materials & Mining
Sara Benoit
Regional Account Manager, US
Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Joerg Schlagmann
Senior Global Manager
Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Nathan Radue
Channel Marketing Manager, US
Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Daniel Villanueva
Key Account Manager
Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jon Steele
CFO, US
Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...
Grace Smith
Electronic Components & Products
Andrew Coutts
Director Global Strategy, US
First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...
Emma Conlin
Animal Health
Guillermo Leal
Global Director of Pricing, US
I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Tim Staniels
Territory Sales Manager, US
Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jeff Borchardt
Director of Planning, US
Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Matt Engelbrecht
VP Industrial Ops, US
Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...
Lily Newton
Animal Health
Veronica Hagborg
Senior Director Global HR, Sweden
I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Brian Carpenter
VP Continous Improvement, US
Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...
Stewart Boyd
Construction Materials & Mining
Michel Cas
Sales Manager, France
Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Dipen Shah
Account Manager, Canada
I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Christoph Snaga
Investment Manager, Germany
Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Lucas Quadflieg
Sales Manager, Netherlands
Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Franz-Leo Nedo
Territory Sales Manager
Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Ashley Maclean
Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina
Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...
Jack Purnell
Material Handling & Automation
Sandeep Kulshrestha
Formulation Director, US
Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Tim Mitchell
Plant Manager, US
Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.
Stewart Boyd
Construction Materials & Mining
Sara Benoit
Regional Account Manager, US
Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Joerg Schlagmann
Senior Global Manager
Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Nathan Radue
Channel Marketing Manager, US
Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Daniel Villanueva
Key Account Manager
Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jon Steele
CFO, US
Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...
Grace Smith
Electronic Components & Products
Andrew Coutts
Director Global Strategy, US
First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...
Emma Conlin
Animal Health
Guillermo Leal
Global Director of Pricing, US
I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Tim Staniels
Territory Sales Manager, US
Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jeff Borchardt
Director of Planning, US
Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Matt Engelbrecht
VP Industrial Ops, US
Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...
