Kevin Bowers

Experience

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  Associated Wholesale Grocers

  Mar 1999 - Apr 2013

  • Led sales and procurement of the company’s CPG items, interfacing with multiple direct brokers and sales managers for top 10 manufacturers.• Optimized success of suppliers, vendor clients, and manufacturers through meticulous sales planning, forecasting, merchandising, and vendor and category reviews.• Played an important role in company earning distinction as “Wholesaler of the Year” by PL Buyer Magazine and achieved “Million Pound” award by Rhodes Bakery in 2010.• Tracked supply chain-focused data management systems, such as Chain Store System (CSS) and Supply Chain Management (SCM), supervising administrative staff in ensuring accurate entry of data and promotion information. Show less • Directed product development efforts for new items that represented multimillion dollar sales growth, working closely with brokers and sales representatives and negotiating effectively with vendors on cost reductions and increasing marketing spend.• Reduced production costs significantly by achieving favorable pricing and delivery terms with vendors, including category bidding, commodity purchasing, and volume discounts.• Bolstered return on investment (ROI) by expanding warehouse purchases in private label cases shipped. Show less

  • National Brand Category Sales Manager

    Apr 2009 - Apr 2013

  • Corporate Brand Category Sales Manager

    Mar 1999 - Apr 2009
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  Shearer’s Foods LLC / Snyder’s-Lance Private Brands

  Apr 2013 - Jun 2015

  Business Sales Manager – Central U.S.

  • Championed the management and growth of private label cookie and cracker sales for high-profile accounts, building critical relationships with brokers and guiding design and redesign projects throughout the entire product life cycle.• Earned responsibility for numerous major accounts, including Save A Lot, AWG, Keefe Group, HyVee, Fareway Foods, Schnucks Markets Inc., and Fred’s, due to outstanding sales, management, and customer relations expertise.• Generated business growth within the Central U.S. region through effective negotiations with a range of brokers, such as Alliance, Marketing Management Inc., and Daymon Worldwide. Show less

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  Associated Wholesale Grocers

  Oct 2015 - Sept 2016

  Sales Account Manager – Private Label Controlled Brands

  • Supervised a portfolio of stores with store banners including Price Chopper, Hen House, Sun Fresh, and Cash Saver.• Strategized sales planning, inventory management, merchandising, and displays for retail item distribution across all stores, which spanned KS and MO.• Spearheaded retail item distribution and placement, in addition to successfully launching several hundred new items during tenure.• Performed distribution checks that illuminated the opportunity to fill voids in regard to existing items, successfully filling voids across all stores. Show less

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  Schraad & Associates

  Sept 2016 - Jun 2018

  Business Development Manager

  • Represented a portfolio of vendor clients, strategically selling products into eight divisions of Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), in addition to managing corporate headquarter responsibilities.• Accomplished a significant increase in sales, including a boost in same-store sales, due to excellence in strategic planning, product promotions, planogram development, item distribution, and collaborative ad planning.• Allocated trade fund spend within various categories to achieve the greatest return on investment (ROI) on behalf of vendor clients, optimizing promotional activities to bolster top-line profitability and revenue growth.• Innovated marketing strategies that targeted emerging markets, conducting in-depth market analysis to inform increases and adjustments in the item portfolio.• Coordinated participation in four AWG food shows annually to showcase client products, leveraging promotional materials to sell new concepts regarding merchandising, ad planning, and new item distribution.• Evaluated live data provided via Nielsen Retail Analytics to inform decision-making in regard to sales, category insights, item level percentage of lift, and SKU rationalization. Show less

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  Hy-Vee, Inc.

  Jun 2019 - Apr 2020

  Retail Operations Associate
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  Anderson Erickson Dairy

  Apr 2020 - now

  Sales Account Executive