SPAR Group Signals Growth Push with New Sales Head, Exec Stock Buys

CHARLOTTE, NC – January 02, 2026 – SPAR Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGRP) has made a significant dual announcement signaling a concerted push for accelerated growth, promoting a seasoned industry veteran to lead its North American sales and revealing substantial share purchases by its top leadership. The retail merchandising and solutions provider has appointed Jean Richer as its new Head of North American Sales & Marketing, while members of the executive team, including the CEO and CTO, have notably increased their ownership stakes in the company.

These moves are interpreted by market watchers as a two-pronged strategy: fortifying commercial leadership to capture more market share while demonstrating profound internal confidence in the company's future trajectory. The announcements come as SPAR navigates a period of strategic transformation, aiming to enhance profitability and capitalize on a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

A Veteran Hand at the Helm of Sales

Jean Richer’s promotion places him at the forefront of SPAR Group’s commercial agenda in the United States and Canada, its largest market. Reporting directly to CEO William Linnane, Richer is tasked with steering the company toward accelerated revenue growth, with a particular focus on its core consumer packaged goods (CPG) clientele.

His background makes him uniquely suited for the challenge. With over 25 years of executive-level experience, Richer has built a career architecting sales, marketing, and go-to-market strategies for some of the world's most recognizable brands. His resume includes senior roles at global powerhouses like Seagram’s, Lactalis, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Anheuser-Busch. This deep-seated expertise within the CPG sector provides him with an intimate understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the very brands SPAR aims to serve more effectively.

SPAR's leadership is banking on Richer's ability to leverage this experience to capitalize on the evolving needs of retailers and brands. The company has emphasized a shift toward “modern, data-enabled merchandising solutions,” and Richer’s appointment is a key pillar in that strategic pivot. His role will be critical in translating SPAR’s technological advancements and operational capabilities into compelling value propositions for both existing and prospective clients across North America.

Executives Put Skin in the Game

Perhaps the most compelling signal to investors is the significant increase in share ownership by SPAR Group’s executive leadership team. This string of insider purchases represents a tangible vote of confidence in the company’s strategy and long-term prospects. The company announced that its recently appointed Chief Financial Officer, Steve Hennen, purchased 55,000 shares, and Chief Technology Officer, Josh Jewett, acquired 125,000 shares.

These transactions follow a previously disclosed purchase by CEO William Linnane, who acquired 173,000 shares in early November 2025. That purchase, made at $1.02 per share and totaling over $176,000, was part of an employment agreement tied to his promotion, where he used the after-tax proceeds of a cash award to buy company stock. This brought Linnane’s total holdings to 190,909 shares. Combined, these recent executive purchases represent over 350,000 shares, a noteworthy investment from the team charting the company's course.

Such insider buying is often viewed as a bullish indicator, suggesting that leadership believes the company's stock is undervalued and poised for growth. This is particularly relevant at SPAR Group, where insiders already hold a majority stake of over 50% of the company. In a statement, Linnane emphasized this alignment, noting, “I am also pleased to see our Executive Leadership Team building meaningful ownership stakes in the Company, further aligning leadership with shareholders as we drive long-term growth and innovation into 2026 and beyond.”

Navigating a Challenging Financial Landscape

These strategic moves are set against a complex financial backdrop. SPAR Group’s third-quarter 2025 results, reported in November, painted a mixed picture. The company demonstrated strong top-line momentum, with combined U.S. and Canada net revenues increasing an impressive 28.2% over the prior-year quarter. However, profitability remains a significant challenge.

The company reported an adjusted loss of $0.10 per share for the quarter, missing analyst estimates. This was partly attributed to a decline in gross margin, which fell to 18.6% from 22.3% a year earlier. The margin compression was primarily due to a higher proportion of lower-margin retailer remodeling work in its revenue mix. Furthermore, the company incurred approximately $4.0 million in restructuring costs and severance during the quarter, reflecting an ongoing effort to streamline operations.

Looking ahead, management has clearly articulated its strategic imperatives for 2026. The focus is on driving revenue growth in higher-margin merchandising services, structurally reducing costs by trimming senior leadership layers, and instilling a rigorous discipline around cash generation and working capital. The company is targeting a reduction in selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses to approximately $6.5 million per quarter, a key metric for investors to watch in upcoming financial reports.

A Strategic Pivot Towards Data-Driven Retail

SPAR Group's leadership changes and financial restructuring are part of a broader strategic pivot to align with the future of retail. The North American merchandising market is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics. Retailers are no longer just seeking bodies on the floor; they require intelligent, data-informed strategies that optimize inventory, enhance the customer experience, and drive sales.

SPAR’s leadership has explicitly acknowledged this shift. CTO Josh Jewett is tasked with accelerating the use of technology and AI to transform the company’s go-to-market strategy and create competitive differentiation. The goal is to move beyond traditional merchandising services and become an innovative partner that offers predictive analytics and actionable insights.

In this context, Jean Richer’s appointment is not just about sales leadership but about selling a new, more sophisticated vision of retail services. His challenge, and opportunity, will be to connect SPAR’s emerging technological capabilities with the C-suite priorities of major CPG brands and retailers. As the industry moves toward “phygital” experiences that blend the physical and digital worlds, companies like SPAR are positioning themselves as the essential link that ensures brand strategies are executed flawlessly and intelligently in the physical store environment.