Pearlman Group Welcomes Scott McLendon as CEO

May 19, 2020

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – MAY 19, 2020.  Pearlman Group (“Pearlman”), the leading multi-channel developer and specialty distributor of supplies, tools and equipment used in the fabrication and maintenance of hard surfaces for residential, commercial and industrial end-markets, announced today that the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Scott McLendon as Chief Executive Officer.  McLendon will also join the Company’s Board of Directors.  McLendon has assumed the responsibilities of outgoing CEO, Dan Davidenko.  McLendon brings over 30 years of experience as an accomplished senior executive with a successful track record of leading engineered products and specialty industrial distribution companies.  McLendon led P&Ls and grew businesses ranging in revenue from $100 million to over $2 billion for Rexel USA, Gexpro (formerly GE Supply), Allied Electronics, and Phoenix Contact.  McLendon holds an electrical engineering degree and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

“I’m honored and excited to lead Pearlman.  This is an outstanding business with a truly differentiated value proposition.  Working together with our dedicated employees, we will continue to deliver great customer experiences and unparalleled value while building a culture rooted in customer centricity, innovation, accountability, continuous improvement and ease of doing business.  Ultimately, these core values will enable us to profitably scale the Pearlman Group platform and fulfill the potential of this tremendous company.”

“We’re very excited to have Scott leading this team.  He is a dynamic executive and a specialty distribution industry veteran with a combination of skills and depth of experience that is hard to find.  His early days as a technical sales professional for some of the world’s leading OEMs solidified his commercial bent and customer focus, and his more recent roles leading several large industrial products and specialty distribution businesses honed the broad-based, enterprise-building skillset we sought.  Scott has led the scaling of organizations, building of high performing teams and smart evolution of strategies,” said Clay Hunter, Chairman of the Board of Pearlman and Managing Director of The Stephens Group.  “We believe deeply in Pearlman and its opportunity.  We know Pearlman’s growth, both organic and through acquisition, is almost limitless.  The Company is financially strong and particularly well positioned at this time, and Scott is the right person to continue driving the momentum.”

Hunter added, “We would also like to thank Dan Davidenko for his many contributions to the Company over the last 13 years.  With him leading the business, we accomplished a lot of great things; you can see the evidence in Pearlman’s strong historical growth and professionalization.  Dan’s genuineness is well recognized by all.  He cares deeply about the Pearlman organization, and we are grateful for his years of senior leadership.  We look forward to supporting him in his next chapter.”

ABOUT PEARLMAN GROUP

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Pearlman, through its primary brands, GranQuartz, Regent, Granite City Tool and Pearl Abrasive, is a multi-channel developer and distributor of supplies, tools and equipment used in the fabrication and maintenance of hard surfaces for residential, commercial and industrial end-markets. Pearlman’s GranQuartz division is the market-leading distributor serving over 8,000 stone fabricators, tile installers and concrete and monument professionals. Pearl Abrasive is a leading developer and provider of high quality, branded abrasives and cutting tools to over 5,000 distributor customers in construction and industrial end-markets. The Company’s products include an extensive offering of proprietary, exclusive and national branded products with over 18,000 SKUs across multiple price points and applications.

ABOUT THE STEPHENS GROUP, LLC

The Stephens Group, LLC is a private investment firm that partners with talented management teams to help build valuable businesses. Backed by the resources of the Stephens family, The Stephens Group has a long history of providing sophisticated, strategic expertise and taking a partnership approach to help companies successfully achieve their strategic visions and build long-term value. With over $1.5 billion invested since 2006, The Stephens Group targets investments in industries across the U.S., including industrial and commercial products and services, specialty distribution, B2B food and consumer products, technology infrastructure and tech-enabled services, as well as select opportunistic situations.