TEKBRANDS ANNOUNCES NEW CEO

Omaha, NE, Aug. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (OMAHA, NE, AUGUST 7, 2020) ? TekBrands, parent company of AccuQuilt, AccuCut, Custom Shape Pros, and MemoryStitch, today announced the appointment of Mary Kay O'Connor-Wente to the role of Chief Executive Officer.

O'Connor-Wente has served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of TekBrands and, during her tenure, has been a driving force in delivering high performance business results, enhancing positive company culture, and developing teams positioned to drive long term strategic growth. She has also served as a member of the TekBrands Board of Advisors for the last 7 years.

O'Connor-Wente's extensive professional background includes leadership roles at high growth retailers including Charlotte Russe, Children's Place and Victoria's Secret. In her previous executive role, she led an organization that achieved $1B in sales and included operations for 550 retail stores and 16,000 employees. 

"TekBrands is achieving record growth, despite the challenges of the pandemic. I am thrilled to be a part of this organization and look forward to nurturing a highly profitable, growing company with an amazing leadership team", said O'Connor-Wente. "For years, TekBrands has been investing in product, technology and the customer experience to drive the growth we are enjoying today. I am confident that the strategies we are deploying will continue to deliver results, even as the world settles into the 'new normal'." 

Former CEO and company founder Steve Nabity will serve as Executive Chairman of the Board of Advisors and will continue to stay engaged with the company's vision and growth plans. "Our company is in good hands with Mary Kay at the helm along with the talented TekBrands team who consistently embrace change, explore new opportunities, and push boundaries. With Mary Kay's experience in leadership development and operational strategy combined with an incredible team, we are poised to take TekBrands to the next level", said Steve Nabity.

Nabity has been preparing for this transition for many years through succession planning. His passion is Ironman Triathlon competitions and he has decided that now is the right time to step into the Chairman role to spend more time training and with his family ? specifically his two grandchildren.

As the co-founder of TekBrands, (along with his wife, Lynette Nabity), Nabity has been the leader of the various businesses for the last 30+ years. The current portfolio of companies includes AccuQuilt, AccuCut, Custom Shape Pros, and the most recent addition of MemoryStitch ? a company that expands beyond consumer products and offers the service of making T-shirt quilts. This newest, organically grown, company expands the TekBrands market from quilt-makers to quilt enthusiasts and anyone who might appreciate the great memories that t-shirts can hold as customers are able to up-cycle their t-shirt collection to turn them into t-shirt blankets and quilts. TekBrands is female-owned and 4 of the 5 members of the executive team are strong female leaders.

In addition to the recent change in leadership, the flagship company (AccuQuilt) has worked to find a way to contribute during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. As the PPE and mask shortage became apparent early in 2020, AccuQuilt released products that allowed members of the maker-movement to easily cut and create the homemade masks. Over 10,000 mask dies have been sold since April of 2020, and TekBrands has proudly made the commitment to donate $100,000 in net profits from these products to the non-profit No Kid Hungry ? an organization that provides meals to children displaced by nationwide school closures.

This donation is the latest example of how the TekBrands family gives back to the community. 

ABOUT TEKBRANDS 

Headquartered in Omaha, Neb., TekBrands is home to a series of multi-channel marketers providing premier solutions across a multitude of industries. Our brands AccuQuilt, AccuCut, Custom Shape Pros, and MemoryStitch, constantly strive to deliver an exceptional customer experience and quality products that save valuable time. Quilters, educators, craft retailers, paper crafters, stationery designers, as well as professionals from medical, automotive, packaging and advertising fields experience first-hand the unique culture created by our innovative employees.

For more information on our dynamic brands, please visit https://tekbrandsllc.com/

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