Asheville executive search firm founded in 1981 whose supply chain practice places 3PL, distribution, transportation and fleet leaders for manufacturers, retailers and logistics providers.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
Kimmel & Associates is an executive search firm headquartered in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. It was founded in 1981 as a two-person operation in Louisiana by Joe Kimmel and Rick Hornberger, and it now recruits across construction, renewables and sustainable infrastructure, supply chain, and waste and recycling. The firm states it has more than 40 years in executive recruiting and makes more than 650 executive placements a year.
Its supply chain practice is the part relevant to freight. Kimmel lists three industries served in that practice: manufacturing, retail and third-party logistics. Roles range from C-level executives through vice presidents of distribution and directors of transportation to branch managers, 3PL managers, fleet and safety managers and national account sales leaders.
Compare with other Recruiting providers: JobsInLogistics.com, Tenstreet and Randall Reilly, or see all Recruiting.
Services
Kimmel's service is executive and management recruiting, with recruiters who specialize by industry segment and region. In supply chain, its published role list covers several levels. Executive roles include CEO, COO, CFO, chief commercial officer, chief supply chain officer, CHRO and EVP of operations and supply chain. Senior leadership roles include SVPs of logistics, operations, supply chain, and sales and marketing. Mid-level leadership includes VPs of distribution, VPs and directors of procurement, sourcing and planning, directors of transportation and directors of continuous improvement.
The firm also recruits regional, area and branch managers, distribution center managers, 3PL managers and operations managers, as well as EH&S, fleet and safety, and transportation managers. On the commercial side it lists global and national account managers, sales executives and sales management, plus HR leaders.
Kimmel publishes a supply chain compensation review as a downloadable resource, along with a blog, a newsletter and a page describing its placement process.
Who it is for
Kimmel's supply chain clients are described as Fortune 500 manufacturers, distributors, retailers and 3PLs. It fits a 3PL or logistics provider hiring branch, regional or executive leadership, a shipper hiring a director of transportation, or a private fleet operator hiring fleet and safety management.
The firm's pages do not list freight brokerage or trucking as named sectors, though several listed roles, such as transportation, fleet and safety managers and 3PL managers, overlap with those businesses. A freight brokerage hiring sales reps should confirm whether Kimmel handles that level of search.
How working with them works
Kimmel describes its placement process in four phases on a page titled 43 Steps in the Placement Process. In the job order phase, the consultant gathers detailed information about the role and agrees with the client on the hiring process, timeline, communication and feedback. In the recruit phase, the consultant builds a recruiting plan around the ideal candidate profile and uses what the firm calls its Career-Directed Approach to address each candidate's motivations and barriers, presenting only vetted candidates who meet the agreed requirements. In the interview phase, the consultant arranges interviews and prepares both sides. In the offer and start phase, the consultant guides the offer and acceptance, prepares candidates for resignation and counteroffers, and encourages clients to stay in touch with new hires.
The firm frames its evaluation around four factors it calls the Kimmel Standard: desire, career trajectory, compensation and culture. Kimmel does not publish fees, its engagement model or a placement guarantee on the pages reviewed, so those terms come from the consultant.
The site also includes a notice that scammers have impersonated Kimmel recruiters and links to a page explaining how to identify genuine Kimmel employees, which is worth using before sharing information with anyone who claims to represent the firm.
Questions to ask before you sign
Is your fee contingent or retained for this search, and what percentage or flat amount applies? Kimmel does not publish its fees, so get the full terms in writing.
What guarantee or replacement period do you offer, and does it cover both resignations and terminations?
Which consultant covers our segment and region, and what supply chain or 3PL leadership roles have they placed recently? Ask whether they work brokerage, carrier or private fleet roles.
If you present a candidate from a competing 3PL or brokerage, how will you identify non-compete or non-solicit agreements before the offer stage? Ask the recruiter to raise it early, and have your attorney review the agreement.
How do you handle counteroffers, and what support do you give during the candidate's resignation?
Will you treat our employees as off limits for recruiting while we are a client?
Company background
Joe Kimmel and Rick Hornberger started the firm in Louisiana in 1981. It is now based in Asheville, North Carolina, in a three-story Art Moderne commercial building built in 1940, at 25 Page Avenue. Joe Kimmel is listed as founder and chairman emeritus. Charlie Kimmel is CEO and president, and the leadership team also includes president Sean Kerschen, chief operating officer Elizabeth Strahan and chief technology officer Josh Calloway.
The About page profiles dozens of team members, and the homepage states the firm makes more than 10,000 contacts a week. Its listed core values are trust, excellence, integrity, commitment and service, and it describes its guiding principles as dedication, honesty and stewardship.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
