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PRO Group, Inc. has promoted Shari Kalbach from managing director to vice president, advancing her to a position in which she will oversee merchandising and marketing for the organization.
“Shari’s outstanding work ethic, devotion to PRO Group customers and staff and proactive communication style has bolstered her success in every role she has mastered at PRO Group,” says Steve Synnott, president and CEO at PRO Group. “I know she will continue down the same path of excellence in her expanded role as vice president.”
PRO Group, Inc. is a multidivisional international merchandising and marketing organization that is headquartered in Denver. Its operating units include PRO Hardware, GardenMaster, FARM MART, GOLDEN-LINK and Reliable Distributors. The company’s sales volume exceeds $5 billion through its member distributors.
As vice president, Kalbach will continue to travel to key industry events and customer functions while directly overseeing the merchandising and marketing teams. She will also focus on the integration of internal operations that support both PRO Group and Reliable Distributors customers.
Kalbach began her career at PRO Group by supporting four executives who led divisions at the company. She quickly mastered the company’s marketing and promotional functions and began to travel to distributor trade shows and industry events, where she developed close relationships with key retailers, distributors and suppliers, according to PRO Group.
When she was later named managing director, serving first Garden Master and later PRO Hardware and FARM MART, she maintained those relationships and a strong management style, according to the organization.
Kalbach’s direct approach to the business has earned her the respect and appreciation of her co-workers and the reputation among PRO Group’s members as meeting their needs quickly and thoroughly, the organization says.
“It has been a true pleasure working with Shari over the years. We have been a PRO store for many years. However, it wasn’t until I became friends with Shari that we truly began flying the PRO flag proudly and prominently,” says Mark Barbero, owner of Debbie PRO Supply in East Rochester, New York. “Shari has treated me as a friend as much as a business associate.”
