KeHE names Reddy Ice's Conklin as new president and CEO

KeHE Distributors has named Deb Conklin president and CEO, as current CEO Brandon Barnholt downshifts into a different role.

As part of an ongoing succession process, Barnholt will move into the executive chairman role. Barnholt, who turns 65 in April, has been president and CEO of Naperville, Illinois-based KeHE for 15 years.

During his tenure, KeHE expanded from a Midwest specialty distributor to the largest pure-play distributor of specialty, natural, organic and fresh products in North America, including the acquisition of Tree of Life, Nature's Best, and Monterrey Provisions.

Conklin, who has served as a board member for KeHE's employee-owned enterprise, most recently was president and CEO of the Reddy Ice company, a manufacturer and distributor of packaged ice in the United States with over 80,000 retail customers.

Conklin has a history of driving operational improvement, customer service and building important trade relationships, according to KeHE. She is a Clemson University graduate and earned her MBA from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

She will assume the role on April 1.

This piece originally appeared on Supermarket News, a New Hope Network sister website. Visit the site for more grocery trends and insights.