SCHUYLER, Neb. — QC Supply has announced the appointment of Kent Gardner as its new CEO, effective as of Aug. 17. He succeeds Kevin Andrews, who joined QC Supply after his role as an advisory director at Charlesbank Capital Partners and has served as CEO since 2019.
QC Supply is a portfolio company of Charlesbank Capital Partners that markets its range of products to poultry and swine markets, as well as to other production and companion animal businesses and professionals, through a combination of catalogs, a sales force and a full e-commerce platform. Founded in 1982, QC Supply has 34 locations and employs more than 300 people.
Gardner brings more than 20 years of experience in distribution and service industries. Prior to joining QC Supply, he was the president of the West Division at Beacon Building Products Inc. since January 2018, leading Beacon‘s largest business segment, with more than $2 billion in revenue, to substantial sales and growth. He joined Beacon in 2006, holding several executive positions through the years while helping the company grow into North America’s largest publicly traded distributor of residential and commercial roofing materials and complementary building products, the company noted. His responsibilities included operational improvement and integration, team building and organizational development, and business process reengineering. During his tenure at Beacon, he played a key role in over 25 acquisitions and helped lead his team in the opening of 21 new branch locations.
“I have always enjoyed working in a fast-paced, growing business environment where the opportunities for explosive growth and talent development were key strategic priorities,” Gardner said. “QC Supply is at the forefront of both, and a leader in its space. In addition, the company’s commitment to Midwest values and the American farmer are strongly appealing to me, and I am truly excited to join this team and help forge an even stronger future for QC Supply.”
“I am grateful to have partnered with Charlesbank and the QC team to lead this terrific company through this critical phase of team building and foundation development. I believe QC is well-positioned for its next phase of growth,” Andrews said. “Kent’s enthusiasm to support our farming communities is matched by his experience in distribution and services, making him an ideal fit for this leadership role.”
Prior to Beacon, Gardner spent eight years at Cintas Corp. in sales and operations roles. He is also a veteran who served in the United States Army as a commissioned Military Police Officer. He graduated with honors from the University of Missouri.
“Kent brings an impressive track record, having effectively helped scale Beacon’s business and numerous employees through a combination of organic and acquisitive growth over his 15-year tenure,” added Sam Bartlett, a managing director at Charlesbank, added. “His high level of commercial, operational and business development experience positions him strongly to help QC Supply drive further growth and improvement throughout the business.”
