Fort Wayne, IN—Do it Best Corp. recently announced that Mark Kleparek has joined the hardware and lumber buying co-op as its merchandise manager for outdoor living. In this position, Kleparek will lead the co-op’s efforts to improve members’ profitability of their outdoor living, sporting goods, trim-a-tree and home & office supplies business through Do it Best Corp. retail service centers (RSC) and drop ship programs. Responsibilities include vendor selection, negotiations, new product introductions, and planogram development.

Kleparek brings a wealth of experience to his position at Do it Best Corp. He has more than 30 years of industry experience in merchandising positions at the wholesale and retail levels, most recently as the general merchandise manager at a hardware distributor.

“Mark’s experience, skills, and industry knowledge will serve our members well as he strengthens our vendor programs and offerings in our outdoor living department,” said Steve Markley, vice president of merchandising for Do it Best Corp. “We’re very excited to add him to our team.”

Kleparek is a graduate of Owens College and The University of Toledo. He will reside in Fort Wayne with his wife, Monica.

Based in Fort Wayne, IN, Do it Best Corp. is the only U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With annual sales of $2.46 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving 4,100 member-owned locations in the United States and in 46 foreign countries.

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