Last updated on February 20th, 2023
Boone, Iowa-based Fareway recently announced several corporate promotions, including the following:
Aaron Irlbeck has been promoted to SVP of campus operations. Irlbeck joined Fareway in June 1992 as a part-time employee at the Carroll, Iowa location, followed by stops in Storm Lake and Urbandale, where he was promoted to assistant store manager.
In 2005, Irlbeck was promoted to a buying position in Fareway’s corporate office and held various roles within the department before being elevated to SVP in 2018. In 2019, he rose to SVP of digital commerce, leading e-commerce sales and the online shopping team.
John Cramer has been named as VP of e-commerce operations. Cramer started working for Fareway in May 1990 in Boone. He also worked in the Spirit Lake store during the summer months while in high school. From 1993-96, Cramer worked in the meat department in both locations as well.
Cramer transferred to work at the Iowa City West location in 1996, then helped open the North Liberty, Iowa, location. He went to Storm Lake in 2000, where he became assistant grocery manager. Cramer went on to be the assistant grocery manager in Manchester and Spencer. He then became grocery manager at the Urbandale location in 2005.
Cramer became a corporate supervisor in 2012, overseeing stores in each region he has covered. He has been involved in the development and launch of Fareway’s e-commerce program and was elected to retail VP in February 2021.
Chad Hickcox was promoted to regional VP. Hickcox began his career with Fareway in 1991 as a carryout in Webster City. He attended Iowa Central Community College and graduated in 1995 with a degree in food marketing management and was transferred to Cedar Rapids a year later. He worked full-time in Cedar Rapids and eventually Moline, Illinois.
Hickcox was promoted to assistant manager in 2000 at the Altoona Fareway store and that promotion was followed by two more moves, including Spencer and Oskaloosa. Several years in Oskaloosa led him to be promoted to store manager of the Omaha West Fareway store. After nine years in Omaha, Hickcox 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 Reynolds W. Cramer, Fareway CEO.
“We are excited to identify, foster, develop and grow talent at Fareway; and Aaron, John and Chad are three excellent examples of that.”
The men have assumed their new titles effective immediately.
