Blain’s Farm & Fleet® Announces Upcoming Leadership Changes
19 Junio 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Blain’s Farm & Fleet® has announced the promotion of Mark
Hasting to Chief Executive Officer and President. Kim Treece will
be promoted to Chief Stores Officer. Jane Blain Gilbertson will
take on a new role as Executive Chair of the Board and will remain
the sole owner of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply,
Inc.
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Blain's Farm & Fleet storefront
(Photo: Business Wire)
These promotions support the company’s desire to continue to
grow as a family-owned organization where customers are treated as
neighbors and associates are treated like family. “The most
important thing a leader must do is to plan for the organization’s
next great leader,” says Jane Blain Gilbertson. “This succession
plan was put into place 4 years ago when we hired Mark to join our
company as our Chief of Stores. From the beginning, the entire
company and our vendor partners could see Mark’s character, values,
intelligence and love for this business. He learned our business
quickly through his humility and curiosity, and I was especially
pleased to observe his strength for developing others!”
The transition will take place over the next several months and
will complete in September. “We will transition over the summer,
allowing me to visit every one of our 45 beloved stores and each of
our distribution centers,” says Jane Blain Gilbertson. “I want a
chance to say thank you to all of the amazing associates that serve
our neighbors every day, and my daughters, who both work in our
business, will join me for a number of these visits.”
Mark Hasting was originally hired in 2020 as Chief Stores
Officer with responsibility for Store and Auto Service Center
Operations. In 2022, he was promoted to Chief Commerce &
Operating Officer, by which time his responsibilities had grown to
include eCommerce Operations, Real Estate, Construction and
Facilities, and the Customer Service Center of Excellence. In 2023,
he was promoted to President and Chief Commerce & Operating
Officer adding both Demand Planning and Supply Chain to his
responsibilities while also taking on a greater strategic role in
the leadership of the company. In his new role as Chief Executive
Officer and President, he will have responsibility for all aspects
of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply, Inc. He will continue
to have support from the Independent Board with Jane Blain
Gilbertson now taking on the role of Executive Chair of the Board.
“This is the perfect arrangement,” says Nicole Gilbertson, daughter
of Jane Blain Gilbertson and Project Management Specialist at
Blain’s. “I’m happy to see my mother take more time for herself to
travel and enjoy life, and I’m glad she is going to continue to
play an important role on the Board. Mark is a strong leader, and
with Mark leading the company and my mother leading the Board, and,
of course, the entire family supporting him, we will have excellent
balance and synergy.”
Kim Treece, previously Sr. Vice-President of Stores, is being
promoted to Chief Stores Officer with responsibility for all Stores
and Auto Service Centers, Real Estate, Construction and Facilities
and the Customer Service Center of Excellence. “I chose Kim to fill
my previous role due to her enthusiasm and positive influence on
store associates,” says Mark Hasting. “Kim has a strong background
in retail with 33 years in store and merchandising roles at
Walgreens, but it is her compassionate leadership that makes her
really shine.”
“We have full confidence in Mark and Kim,” says Sarah
Gilbertson, daughter of Jane Blain Gilbertson and Customer
Relationship Marketing Specialist at Blain’s. “The core of our
family culture is that we treat our associates like family and our
customers like neighbors, and Mark and Kim embrace that
whole-heartedly.” Nicole Gilbertson adds “My sister and I are
committed to keeping Blain’s a high performing family-owned
business. These changes provide the leadership we need to continue
to grow while keeping family at the center of the
organization.”
Under Jane’s leadership, Blain’s has driven huge growth in
national Ecommerce business and opened 10 new stores, including 5
in Michigan, for a total of 45 stores. The Blain’s associate family
has grown from approximately 3,500 to 5,500 employees. The
company’s investment in technology enhancements and distribution
capacity has increased significantly as well, with distribution
capacity increasing 50% to manage ongoing growth. Jane has been a
strong advocate for promoting a customer-centric approach, or as
Blain’s calls it “Neighbor-Focused”, which has led to innovations
in Drive Thru Pick Up, Same-Day Delivery and the Blain’s app,
making shopping even more convenient. “If you are standing still,
you will be run over. I am proud of the growth and innovation we
have cultivated,” says Jane Blain Gilbertson. “In fact, these
leadership changes are part of that plan for growth. 4 years ago,
when we hired Mark, it was our desire to have a clear succession
strategy as we were planning toward this transition. It is exciting
to see it come to fruition.”
Mark Hasting brings impressive experience to this new role with
a strong background in retail leadership. He spent over 20 years at
Target, where he had many roles including Store Manager, District
Team Leader, Group Vice President and Vice President of Store
Operations. Mark has also served as Regional Vice President at
Starbucks and Chief Operating Officer at Kum & Go. He has a BS
in Marketing from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from
Oklahoma City University. Mark is married and has three children.
“I am humbled and excited to take on this new role. It is my desire
to continue the family culture to support the growth of Blain’s
Farm & Fleet and our associates,” says Mark Hasting. “Working
with Jane these past 4 years has taught me so much about leadership
and culture. It is my honor to be a strategic partner to her and
her family in continuing to help this amazing organization to
thrive.” And Jane Blain Gilbertson seconds that thought: “With Mark
in the CEO role, I am confident we will continue to grow and thrive
as a family-owned company delivering on our promise of making
Blain’s a place where life is more rewarding. Next year, we will
celebrate our 70th anniversary, and I know that we are just getting
started.”
Founded in 1955, Blain’s Farm & Fleet is a retailer with
nationwide ecommerce business and 45 store locations throughout
Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This Modern General Store®
offers a wide variety of categories and services and unique
experiences such as Toyland®.
- Clothing: Carhartt, Columbia, Under Armour, Ariat, Work N’
Sport, Levi's, Lee, Kuhl, Wrangler
- Footwear: Skechers, Hey Dude, Keen, Work N’ Sport, CAT, Crocs,
Birkenstock, Sorel, Dansko, Carhartt, Timberland, Merrell,
Wolverine
- Tools & Hardware: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Stanley, Craftsman,
Klein, Stiletto
- Paint & Supplies: Benjamin Moore, Valspar, MinWax,
Rustoleum, Graco, Purdy
- Automotive: Weather-Tech, Thule, Pennzoil, Valvoline, Mobil 1,
Mystik, Fram, K&N, Sea Foam, Meguiar’s
- Tire & Auto Repair Service: Michelin, Goodyear, Cooper
- Sporting Goods: Realtree, Scent Blocker, Yeti, Coleman, Rapala,
Plano, Shimano, Browning, Ugly Stik, St. Croix
- Home & Housewares: KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Keurig, T-Fal,
Lodge
- Pet Department: Purina, Blue Buffalo, Hill’s Science Diet,
Iams, Canidae, Diamond, Taste of the Wild, Eukanuba, Freshpet,
Kong
- Agriculture: King Kutter, Nutrena, Agrimaster, Behrens,
Guardian, Manna Pro, Ware, Weaver Leather
- Lawn & Garden: Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Estate, Fiskars, Weber,
Char-Broil
- Outdoor Power Equipment: Stihl, Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt,
Milwaukee, DeWalt, Ariens, Bobcat
- Toyland®: Barbie, Hot Wheels, LEGO, ERTL, Melissa & Doug,
Ty Beanie Baby
Visit http://www.farmandfleet.com or download the Blain’s Farm
& Fleet mobile app.
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Gayla Kirshner Email: gayla@gcw.agency