Our Team
LOREN NICKEL
President and Founder
Early on in his sales career, Loren became a believer in the importance of building trusting relationships with clients – a principle that paved the way for success as an entrepreneur.
Loren began working with independent grocers in 1990. As a commissioned sales representative, he traveled the country selling promotion programs to store owners. As he learned more about this unique industry and the challenges that independent grocers face, he knew he had found his niche. In 1991, he and a partner started Store Marketing. In the beginning – as is the case with most start up enterprises – the resources were limited and the hours were long. But Loren persevered, pouring every ounce of energy he had into the company. His hard work paid off. By 1994, Loren had become the sole proprietor of Store Marketing and the company was quickly becoming the nation’s leading provider of effective store promotions for independent grocers. By listening closely to customers’ challenges and ideas, Loren has earned a reputation as an innovator in store promotions. Today, as the company continues to grow, he enjoys working with customers more than ever. When he’s not in the field helping independent grocers implement successful promotional programs, he’s back at the home office overseeing operations and working with staff to ensure the satisfaction of Store Marketing customers. Loren attended St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN.
JAN MCCONNELL
Vice President Sales and Marketing
Jan utilizes her expertise in management and market development to expand the reach of Store Marketing services. As she implements strategies to build the company’s national presence, she works closely with members of the sales team – providing support that leads to successful partnerships with independent grocers. Jan is responsible for the recruitment and support of the Store Marketing sales team as well as development of marketing tools and collateral. Before joining the Store Marketing team, Jan worked as director of sales and marketing for uclick digital entertainment, a division of Andrews and McMeel Universal. From 1987 to 2000, she was employed by Hallmark Cards. As director of business development, she managed the development and licensing of children’s entertainment properties for the company. She also served as national sales manager of Hallmark’s Party Express division. Jan graduated from Kansas State University in 1985 with bachelor of science degrees in accounting and finance.
PAT BROOME
Client Training Manager
Pat comes to Store Marketing with a wealth of knowledge of the grocery industry and our programs. He has been in the grocery industry for over 25 years and for the past 12 years was an independent grocer himself. Pat owned and operated Pat's Foodtown in South Dakota. While an independent grocer, Pat had great success with our promotions. Pat's strong belief in the Store Marketing programs initiated the move to join our team. Now as Client Training Manager, Pat is responsible for the execution of our programs by providing ongoing store reviews and consultation for maximum program success. He is also responsible for all in-store client training. Utilizing his past experience both as a store owner and having used our programs many times, he has a unique understanding of the day to day issues our client face . This knowledge translates into an edge for our clients to maximize both sales volume and gross profit increases with our programs. Pat also oversees ongoing contact with clients using our programs to assist retailers with tips and ideas to maximize profits at store level.
TANYA BROOME
Customer Support Manager
Tanya worked hand in hand with Pat in their family owned grocery store. Prior to buying the store, Tanya worked in the insurance industry for over 6 years in accounting. Tanya uses her strong organizational skills to manage Store Marketing's home office in Kansas City. She is responsible for sales staff support and all client contract processing, in-store POS, store advertising and replenishing program supplies on a timely basis. Tanya's past experience in the grocery industry and running our programs multiple times has made her very knowledgeable about the customer and how they react to advertising and promotions. Tanya graduated from Mitchell Vocational Technical School in accounting in 1987.
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