E.C. Barton names new CEO

Jonesboro, Arkansas-based E.C. Barton & Company, a building materials retailer with more than 100 locations in 17 states, named former Kmart and Dollar General executive Steven Brimner as president and CEO.

Brimner will officially join the company on Sept. 5, and will work with current President and CEO Niel Crowson until Jan. 1, 2018. Thereafter, Brimner will assume all duties and responsibilities as president and CEO.

“Steve has a high commitment to the values we all share as a company,” Chairman of the Board of Directors Chris Gardner said. “He is a high energy guy who sets high expectations for others and demonstrates the kind of strategic and visionary thinking needed to lead a 21st century company.”

Brimner professional career began with Kmart in 1989 as an apparel trainee. He went to Dollar General as a senior director of store operations in 2008. He was promoted to vice president/officer in 2011, supervising 2,000 stores from Tennessee to Ohio to parts of West Virginia and North & South Carolina.

In 2016, Brimner took on a new role with Dollar General as vice president/officer of Direct Store Delivery operations, where he oversaw more than 100 vendors for items such as food and beverage for 7,000 stores in four divisions. This position was designed to improve operational and merchandising efficiencies and strategies at all internal levels, as well as vendor levels, resulting in improved customer shopping experiences and company results.

Brimner played four years of college basketball at Montana State University.

E.C. Barton’s executive search process included more than 100 candidates, and consisted of hundreds of hours of interviews, assessments, meetings and deliberations, the company said.