Farm & Fleet has promoted Mark Hastings to chief executive officer and president of the company as part of the succession plan for a chain that bills itself as “a family-owned, modern general store”.
Kim Treece also will be promoted to chief stores officer replacing Mr. Hastings in that role, the company announced today, Wednesday, June 19.
Jane Blain Gilbertson, who will remain the sole owner of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply, Inc., and will take on the role of executive chair of the board. The transition will be completed in September. “The most important thing a leader must do is to plan for the organization’s next great leader,” Ms. Gilbertson said in the news release.
“This succession plan was put into place four years ago when we hired Mark to join our company as our Chief of Stores,” she added. “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!”
Blain’s said the promotions also supports its leaders desire to continue to grow as a family-owned organization where customers are treated as neighbors and associates are treated like family.
Owner to visit 45 stores
“We will transition over the summer, allowing me to visit every one of our 45 beloved stores and each of our distribution centers,” Ms. Gilbertson added. “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.”
In the Quad Cities region, Blain’s operates stores in Davenport, Muscatine, Clinton, Iowa, Moline, and Geneseo, Illinois.
Mr. Hasting was originally hired in 2020 as Blain’s Farm & Fleet chief stores officer with responsibility for Store and Auto Service Center operations. In 2022, Mr. Hastings, whose responsibilities had grown to include eCommerce Operations, Real Estate, Construction and Facilities, and the Customer Service Center of Excellence, was promoted to chief commerce and operating officer.
In 2023, he was promoted to president and chief commerce and 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.
CEO grew into new role
In his new role as CEO and president, he will have responsibility for all aspects of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply, Inc. He also will continue to have support from the independent board and Executive Chair Jane Gilbertson
“This is the perfect arrangement,” said 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.”
Ms. Treece was senior vice president of stores before being promoted to chief stores officer. She will be responsible 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,” Mr. Hastings said in the release. “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.”
Daughters laud changes
“We have full confidence in Mark and Kim,” said 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 added “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 her mother’s leadership, Blain’s has driven huge growth in national Ecommerce business. It’s opened 10 new stores, including five in Michigan, for a total of 45 stores. The Blain’s associate family has grown from some 3,500 to 5,500 employees. The company’s investment in technology enhancements and increased distribution capacity by 50% to manage ongoing growth.
Jane Gilbertson has been a strong advocate for promoting a customer-centric “Neighbor Focused” approach. Ut 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,” Jane Blain Gilbertson said. “In fact, these leadership changes are part of that plan for growth. Four 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.”
CEO has long resume
Prior to coming to Farm & Fleet, Mr. Hastings spent more than 20 years at Target. His roles included store manager, district team leader, group vice president and vice president of store operations. He also served as regional vice president at Starbucks and chief operating officer at Kum & Go. Mr. Hastings has a BS in Marketing from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from Oklahoma City University. He 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,” he said. “Working with Jane these past four 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.”
Jane Gilbertson added: “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 stores throughout Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. it offers a wide variety of categories and services and unique experiences such as Toyland. For more information, visit http://www.farmandfleet.com or download the Blain’s Farm & Fleet mobile app.
