Blain’s Farm & Fleet, with multiple stores in the Quad Cities region, has promoted Mark Hasting to president along with his current position of chief commerce & operating officer.
The multi-generational company said in a news release that Mr. Hastings’ promotion supports Farm & Fleets desire to continue to grow as a family-owned organization where customers are treated as neighbors and associates are treated like family.
Jane Blain Gilbertson remains as CEO and sole owner of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply, Inc. Under her leadership, the company release said, Blain’s has driven huge growth in its national Ecommerce business. It’s opened 10 new stores, including five in Michigan, for a total of 45 locatoins.
In the Quad Cities region, Blain’s operates the following stores: Davenport, which employs 93 associates; Muscatine, which employs 72; Clinton, which employs 69; Moline, which employs 93; and Geneseo, Illinois, which employs 74. The Davenport store, located on Northwest Boulevard, turned 50 years old in 2022.
Early this year, the Janesville, Wis.-based retailer also was named as one of “America’s Best Mid-Size Employers by Forbes magazine for the fifth year. And it was ranked as the No. 1 Wisconsin-based retail and wholesale company.
Preparing for more growth
The company’s distribution capacity and investment in technology enhancements has increased significantly as well, the company said.
“We are at the point where it just makes sense for me to share more of the leadership responsibilities so that we can increase our capacity for continued growth,” Ms. Blain Gilbertson said in the release. “I am extremely proud of the strong leadership team we have here at Blain’s, including Mark, and I have full confidence in their abilities to continue to guide this organization as a team, always focused on our neighbors, our associates, our strong vendor partnerships and our communities. Mark quickly earned our whole company’s confidence with his authentic care and vision and has shown he is a leader of real substance.”
Mark Hasting has been with Blain’s Farm & Fleet for more than three years serving as chief commerce and operating officer. In that role, he is responsible for all stores and service centers, Ecommerce Operations, real eEstate, construction and facilities and the Customer Service Center of Excellence.
In his new role as president, he will increase his responsibility to include Demand Planning and Supply Chain. He also will act as a strategic partner to Jane Blain Gilbertson in leadership of the company. Since coming to Blain’s, Mr. Hastings has made an impact on enhancing store experience by supporting store associates with training and tools and improving processes and standards within the stores.
“Mark always has the customer experience in mind,” said Sarah Gilbertson, daughter of Jane Blain Gilbertson and the company’s customer relationship marketing specialist. “He has proven that he really understands the Blain’s Farm & Fleet culture. I am so happy to have him take on a greater role within our organization.”
Blain’s Farm & Fleet has been family owned for all of its 68 years, and this will be the first time a non-family member has taken on the role of president, but that does not mean that the company is backing away from its strong commitment to remain family owned.
“My sister and I have made a commitment to keep Blain’s Farm & Fleet family owned. That is important to us and to the company culture,” says Nicole Gilbertson, daughter of Jane Blain Gilbertson. “I remain invested in the future of this special company my grandfather and great uncle founded in 1955. The way we treat our associates like family and our customers like neighbors is at the core of our family culture at Blain’s. I’m confident Mark will continue to do a wonderful job of stewarding that culture as he moves into his new role as president.”
Added Jane Blain Gilbertson, “It is not enough to survive as a family company, we must continue to grow and thrive. Our future is so bright and this promotion is one step toward achieving it.”
Before coming to Blains, Mark Hasting spent more than 20 years at Target, where he was a store manager, group manager, district team leader, group vice president and vice president of store operations.
He also was a 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.
“I am humbled and excited to take on this new role. It is my desire to continue to support the growth of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and the amazing associate family that works together here,” Mr. Hasting said in the release. “This is a special place, and I have learned so much about leadership from Jane since joining the company. It is my honor to be a strategic partner to her and her family in continuing to help this amazing organization to thrive.”
