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Our Companies

Partnerships

MTD Manufacturing operates alongside a small family of companies that extend what we can do for a client from contract manufacturing and global sourcing to executive search.

Companies

  • Holding Company

The Weathered Moose, LLC

The Weathered Moose, LLC is the holding company behind ICT, providing the operating structure and long-term backing for our sourcing, consulting, and turnkey services.
  • Sister Company

Elite Leadership Search

Elite Leadership Search is our sister company focused on supply chain and engineering executive search, working alongside ICT’s consulting practice to place the leaders our clients’ programs depend on.
See Executive Search SErvices

Company Structure

How MTD Manufacturing's Company Family Is Organized?

MTD Manufacturing (formerly ICT / Indiana Trade & Consulting) operates within a structured family of companies. Understanding this structure helps clients know who they are working with, who backs the organization long-term, and which sister company can address needs that go beyond sourcing and manufacturing programs.

Holding Company

The Weathered Moose, LLC

Provides the legal and financial operating structure that backs MTD Manufacturing’s sourcing, consulting, and manufacturing engagements with long-term organizational stability.

Operating Company

MTD Manufacturing

Formerly Indiana Trade & Consulting (ICT). Contract manufacturing, global sourcing, APQP/PPAP program management. 32 countries. 65+ years combined executive experience. Auburn, Indiana.

Sister Company

Elite Leadership Search

Supply chain and engineering executive search. Works alongside MTD Manufacturing’s consulting practice when the client’s primary need is leadership placement rather than a sourcing program.

Sister Company

Elite Leadership Search - Supply Chain & Engineering Executive Search

When a client’s most pressing problem is the person leading procurement, operations, or engineering not the sourcing program itself, Elite Leadership Search is the resource MTD Manufacturing brings in alongside its consulting practice.

Elite Leadership Search is a specialized executive search firm focused exclusively on supply chain, procurement, engineering, and operations leadership placement. It works alongside MTD Manufacturing’s consulting practice because the team at MTD knows firsthand that the right leader in procurement or operations is often more valuable than any process improvement, and that finding one requires search expertise specific to these functions.

For MTD Manufacturing clients who are simultaneously running a sourcing transformation and rebuilding their procurement or engineering leadership, Elite Leadership Search provides a coordinated, single-source solution: MTD structures the program while Elite finds the leader who will own it long after the consulting engagement concludes.

This arrangement reflects Michael Musleh’s leadership philosophy documented across every executive role in his career that building executive teams, not just purchasing departments, is what creates durable operational excellence. Elite Leadership Search is the structural expression of that philosophy as a stand-alone service.

  • Procurement & Supply Chain Leadership: VP Procurement, Director of Sourcing, Chief Supply Chain Officer, and global procurement leadership placements across manufacturing, industrial, and retail sectors.
  • Engineering & Operations Leadership: VP Engineering, Director of Manufacturing, Plant Manager, and quality/operations leadership for OEM manufacturers, Tier 1/2 suppliers, and industrial companies.
  • Executive Search Alongside Consulting Engagements: When MTD Manufacturing is engaged on a sourcing transformation or supply chain restructuring, Elite Leadership Search can simultaneously identify and place the internal leader who will sustain the program ensuring results continue beyond the consulting engagement.
  • Retained & Contingency Search: Both retained (dedicated search with exclusivity) and contingency (no placement, no fee) models available depending on role criticality and timeline requirements.

Partnerships - FAQ

Common Questions About MTD Manufacturing's Company Structure

What company owns MTD Manufacturing?

The Weathered Moose, LLC is the holding company behind MTD Manufacturing (formerly Indiana Trade & Consulting / ICT). The Weathered Moose provides the operating structure and long-term organizational backing for MTD Manufacturing’s sourcing, consulting, contract manufacturing, and turnkey services. This holding company structure enables MTD Manufacturing to operate alongside sister companies including Elite Leadership Search without commingling service lines.

Elite Leadership Search is the sister company of MTD Manufacturing (formerly ICT), focused exclusively on supply chain and engineering executive search. It works alongside MTD Manufacturing’s consulting practice to place procurement, operations, and engineering leaders that client programs depend on. The relationship means MTD Manufacturing can simultaneously restructure a client’s sourcing program and help identify the internal leader who will own it long-term. Elite Leadership Search can be reached at eliteleadersearch.com.

The MTD Manufacturing family of companies includes three entities: The Weathered Moose, LLC (holding company – provides operating structure and long-term backing), MTD Manufacturing (formerly Indiana Trade & Consulting / ICT – the operating company for contract manufacturing, global sourcing, and supply chain consulting, headquartered in Auburn, Indiana), and Elite Leadership Search (sister company supply chain and engineering executive search at eliteleadersearch.com).

The Weathered Moose, LLC holding company structure gives MTD Manufacturing organizational clarity, long-term operational stability, and the ability to operate alongside sister companies without mixing service lines. When MTD Manufacturing works on a sourcing engagement and simultaneously refers a client to Elite Leadership Search for an executive search, the holding company structure ensures each entity maintains its own distinct service relationship with the client clear boundaries that protect client interests.

When MTD Manufacturing is engaged on a sourcing transformation or supply chain restructuring program, Elite Leadership Search can simultaneously identify and place the internal procurement, operations, or engineering leader who will own the program long-term. This coordinated approach built on Michael Musleh’s documented philosophy of building executive teams, not just purchasing departments ensures that the improvements MTD Manufacturing implements continue generating results after the consulting engagement concludes. Inquire about combined engagements via MTD Manufacturing’s contact page.