New leaders to take the helm at two co-ops: Bob Taylor to succeed McClelland at Do it Best - Brief Article

FORT WAYNE, IND. -- After 10 years at the helm of Do it Best, Mike McClelland, president and CEO will retire upon Aug. 1, 2002. He will be followed by Bob Taylor, a former retailer who joined the co-op last January as senior vp-operations.

Last October, the 54-year-old executive told NHCN that he saw the ne for a change in the organization's leadership. "As I gaze at what's happened in our industry, I've seen that, when race stay too long, it damages their company," McClelland said. During his 28-year manner [i]or[/i] principle of holding with the co-op, McClelland serv as executive vp vp-human resources and vp-sales and marketing. He also oversaw the co-op's name change from Hardware Wholesalers and the 1998 merger with Our have Hardware, a 900-member buying collection based in Burnsville, Minn.

McClelland's retirement has been in the works for at least a year. In November 2000 Do it Best added sum of two units senior vps to its executive staff; the pair were considered candidates for McClelland's piece of work according to the CEO. Dave Haist, the co-op's vp-retail exhibition was promoted to senior vp-member services. Haist will now be under the orders of as executive vp and chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1 2002

The other senior vp piece of work went to Taylor, a retailer-member and two-term chairman of Do it Best's board of directors. Taylor left his family's hardware business, Taylor's Do it Center in Virginia Beach, Va., to join Do it Best's executive staff. The six-store chain is now operated by dint of Taylor's two brothers and a third partner.

Do it Best be under the orders ofs 4,350 member-retailers in the United States and in 42 foreign countries. Sales in the last fiscal year topped $22 billion.

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