Kelly Evans
Located In: Illinois
Position: Director
Kelly Evans has repeatedly demonstrated the success of applying strategic leadership to dramatically improve company revenues and develop a high-performance work culture.
Widely known as a leader who is passionate about building transformative cultures within organizations, Mr. Evans is a consummate professional who has had a career of success leading small and middle market industrial businesses. He was former President and Chief Executive Officer of R.V. Evans Company from 1998-2020 and President/CEO of LINC Systems from 2020-2023.
Kelly attended Millikin University graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. He earned a post-graduate Professional Certificate of Industrial Distribution from Purdue University.
Along with responsibility for leading organizational growth, Kelly has played an impactful role in a variety of mergers, acquisitions and strategic realignments that have greatly expanded his former company’s reach. During his tenure at R.V. Evans Kelly orchestrated multiple acquisitions and strategic alliances catapulting the company into one of the most diversified privately held distribution companies in packaging and fastening systems in the Midwest.
While continuing to scale his organization, he orchestrated the sale of his family’s 3rd generation company to a Detroit, Michigan based Private Equity Group. Appointed to lead this new platform Kelly delivered substantial revenue and earnings growth to the LINC platform stakeholders during his tenure as President and CEO from 2020 to 2023. During this 3 year span his team successfully acquired, onboarded, and integrated 4 additional company acquisitions while navigating the global headwinds associated with the COVID Pandemic, supply chain disruption, labor force tightening and hyper-inflation.
Kelly has been active throughout his career in trade associations within the industrial distribution industry and has served on a variety of supplier-appointed advisory boards.
Much of his free time is devoted to enjoying time on the family’s hobby farm in Central Illinois and bettering the community he calls home. Kelly routinely shares his energy and expertise with local and regional organizations, including Board appointments and speaking engagements with institutions throughout the United States.
Kelly has also volunteered his time and talents coaching and mentoring young athletes in numerous youth sports programs. He is passionate about giving back to meaningful causes to include MTZ Foundation for Education, Susan G. Komen, Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, Our Little Haven of St. Louis, Folds of Honor, America’s Vet Dogs, Gary Sinese Foundation--Snowball Express, K9’s for Warriors, Gateway Pet Shelter, NQT Foundation, Boot Campaign and his local Church.
Kelly, his wife Tina and their amazing tripod Goldendoodle Brodie, enjoy traveling to visit their three grown children in Texas and North Carolina.