NEWS RELEASE – Fareway CEO Reynolds W. Cramer recently announced corporate promotions, including the following officer promotions:
Aaron Irlbeck
Senior Vice President – Campus Operations
Aaron Irlbeck joined Fareway in June of 1992. Aaron’s career with Fareway began as a part-time employee at the Carroll, Iowa location, followed by stops in Storm Lake, Iowa and Urbandale, Iowa, where he was promoted to assistant store manager. In 2005, Aaron was promoted to a buying position in Fareway’s corporate office in Boone, Iowa, and held various management roles within the buying department before being promoted to senior vice president in 2018. In 2019, he was promoted to senior vice president of digital commerce, leading eCommerce sales and the online shopping team.
John Cramer
Vice President – eCommerce Operations
John started working for Fareway in May of 1990, in Boone. He also worked in the Spirit Lake, Iowa store during the summer months while in high school. From 1993 to 1996, John worked in the meat department in both locations as well.
He transferred to work at the Iowa City West location in 1996, followed by transferring to open the North Liberty, Iowa location. John was then transferred to Storm Lake, Iowa in 2000, where he became assistant grocery manager. John went on to be the assistant grocery manager in Manchester and Spencer, Iowa. He then became grocery manager in the Urbandale, Iowa location in 2005.
John became a corporate supervisor in 2012, overseeing a variety of stores in each region he has covered. He has been involved in the development and launch of Fareway’s eCommerce program and was elected to retail vice president in February of 2021.
Chad Hickcox
Regional Vice President
Chad began his career with Fareway in 1991 as a carryout in Webster City, Iowa. Upon graduation from Webster City high school in 1993, Chad attended Iowa Central Community College. He graduated in 1995 with a degree in food marketing management and was transferred to Cedar Rapids, Iowa one year later. He worked full-time in Cedar Rapids and eventually Moline, Illinois. Chad was promoted to assistant manager in 2000 at the Altoona, Iowa location, and that promotion was followed by two more moves including Spencer and Oskaloosa, Iowa. Several years in Oskaloosa led Chad to an opportunity to be promoted to store manager of the Omaha West Fareway store. After nine years in Omaha Chad was able to move into a Regional Supervisor role at Fareway.
“These officers are important members of our team, having been instrumental in supporting and executing Fareway’s strategy. They contribute greatly to our core and expanding operations, and will be important to our continued success,” said Fareway CEO Reynolds W. Cramer. “We are excited to identify, foster, develop, and grow talent at Fareway; and Aaron, John, and Chad are three excellent examples of that.”
The individuals listed above assume their new titles effective immediately.
