KENT Corporation Chairman and CEO Gage Kent announced the appointment of Kevin Fields, a longtime senior executive and board member, as the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, effective June 21, 2024. Fields succeeds John Thorpe, who, has announced his intention to retire effective January 1, 2025. This year, Thorpe marked 22 years with the family business, over which time Mr. Kent stated Thorpe’s, “participation in the leadership of KENT has brought us to new levels of success.”
Fields is an Iowa native with more than 30 years of success and diversified experience across the manufacturing industry. Most recently, Fields was President and Chief Administrative Officer, where he was responsible for managing all shared business services as KENT expanded its product portfolio globally. Prior to leading shared services, Fields led the formation of KENT Pet Group where he served as president for three years. Before that, Fields served as President of Blue Seal Feeds, a prominent livestock nutrition company in the Eastern United States from 2008 – 2010. Fields joined the KENT Family of Companies in 1998 as Director of Purchasing for Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) where he held numerous leadership positions.
Fields graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in industrial technology and
manufacturing in 1984. After graduation, he joined Rockwell International for 13 months before going to work at Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. where he stayed for 13 years in purchasing. Fields has a Master’s of Business Administration from Drake University.
Fields has been instrumental in KENT’s designation as a five-time consecutive US Best Managed Company. Sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, the program recognizes private companies, with at least $250 million in revenue, for excellence in strategy, execution, financials and culture.
Throughout his career, Fields has prioritized giving back outside of his Company including serving on the United Way of Muscatine Board of Directors; Geneva Golf and Country Club Board of Directors (President and Finance Committee member); the American Feed Industry Association Board of Directors and the Executive Committee; and the Muscatine Development Corporation Board of Directors.
Today, Fields serves on the Muscatine Power & Water Board of Directors and the Mazen Animal Health, Inc. Board of Directors. He and his wife Heidi live in Muscatine, Iowa.
About KENT Corporation
With origins in the livestock feed business, today KENT Corporation is a diversified, family-owned company headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa (USA) with operating subsidiaries involved in corn wet milling, the production of animal feeds, and the manufacture of food, beverage and pet products. KENT is led by third generation family member, Gage A. Kent.
