Mike Gauss has been named president for Kent Nutrition Group (KNG) effective January 1, 2019. John Thorpe, previous president of KNG, has been promoted to president and chief operating officer for Kent Corporation, the parent company for KNG, Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), Kent Precision Foods Group and Kent Pet Group.
“It’s an exciting time to lead KNG,” said Gauss. “We have seen significant growth under John’s leadership the past seven years which will serve as a firm foundation going forward. I look forward to working with our talented team to further accelerate our growth by creating quality products that our customers have come to expect from the Kent and Blue Seal brands.”
Gauss joined the Kent team in 2005 as a division engineer with Grain Processing Corporation where he held multiple operations and engineering roles before transitioning to Kent Nutrition Group in 2013. Gauss was promoted to his current role as vice president of operations in 2015. Under his leadership, many plant improvements and innovations have been put in place to drive efficiencies as well as quality. Additionally, he has overseen the acquisition and expansion of Deluxe Feeds.
“We have a great reputation, team, distribution network, and partners which make the future very bright for KNG,” Gauss said.
Gauss holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from St. Ambrose University. He and his wife Andrea have three young children and reside in Muscatine, Iowa.
