About

James Harris

James’ background began in replenishment at Walmart in 1999. This gave him the opportunity to learn a great deal about not only how Walmart operates, but also how great companies manage their business at Walmart, as well as the mistakes that other vendors make when working with a massive retailer like Walmart. This planted the seeds of the idea for High Impact.

After Walmart, James spent nine years with CPG brands, mostly at Unilever Foods on the Walmart team, followed by two years on the Target team. Additionally, he spent two years as the Director of Mass Sales for Sleep Innovations, which gave him exposure to many other retailers, including Sam’s Club, Kohl’s, Amazon, and of course, Walmart and Target. 

James started High Impact in 2007 with the vision to partner with emerging and mid-tier brands doing business at Walmart, to operate as an extension of their own teams and execute with excellence at Walmart and beyond.

James lives in Rogers, Arkansas, with his wife Amy and their three children Ellie, Drew, and TJ. In his free time, he enjoys water sports with his family, music, theater, basketball, and trying his best not to kill the plants in his garden.

Ben Baugh

Ben’s career started in 1993 at J.B. Hunt Transportation. After 4 years in various roles, he enrolled in and completed the JBHT Management Training program, which provided him a strong foundation in logistics, operations, marketing, and sales management. During his total of 10 years at J.B. Hunt, Ben worked on many dedicated Walmart and Target projects, where he learned firsthand from top-ranked manufacturers how to excel in all areas of transportation.

Ben’s next roles were as a sales manager for 2 years at Central States Manufacturing, then an account executive for 9 years at Premier Concepts, a CPG sales and merchandising company in Bentonville, Arkansas, dedicated to representing suppliers at Walmart and Sam’s Club.

After 21 years of gaining key knowledge in transportation, manufacturing, and CPG account management, Ben joined B&G Foods in 2014 as a national account manager on the Walmart team, where he worked alongside top talent to grow 29 brands across 21 food categories. 

After 3 years, Ben was promoted to Director of Sales, a position he filled until he was offered the Executive Director role at Hope for LaGonave Inc., a non-profit charity organization focused on providing education and job creation in remote areas of Haiti. After 2 years of developing a solid in-country leadership team in Haiti, Ben returned to the CPG industry as Director of Business Development for High Impact.

Ben lives in Springdale, Arkansas, with his wife of 26 years, Becky, along with their 4 boys Benjy, Baylor, Brodie, and Bryant. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, travel, and spending time with his family.

John Harris

John joined the High Impact Analytics team in 2010. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing Management from the University of Arkansas. Prior to joining the High Impact team, he worked in the Marketing and Art departments of I.P. Supply and then at the Cities of Gold Casino in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

John lives in Cave Springs, AR. In his free time he enjoys painting, listening to music, mountain biking and spending time outdoors in nature.

Nathan Froedge

Nathan joined the High Impact Analytics team in 2014. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and attended NWACC’s Retail Analyst program. Nathan has worked in different capacities during his tenure at High Impact, including sales/replenishment analytics, category insights development, and demand planning. He is currently the Team Lead for our Client Services team.

Nathan lives in Bella Vista, AR with his wife and 3 sons. In his free time he enjoys playing golf, creating music, and doing anything outside with his kids.

Matt Adams

Matt joined the High Impact Analytics team in 2014. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Master of Arts Degree in School Leadership. Prior to beginning his career in retail analytics, Matt spent 9 years teaching middle school and high school mathematics.

Matt has served in several roles at High Impact over the past 8 years prior to serving as COO for the past 2 years. While Matt enjoys all areas of retail analytics, he finds his greatest satisfaction in providing analytics solutions that allow suppliers to better manage, execute, and grow their business within the retail world.

Matt lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Bentonville, AR.

Wes Harris

Wes joined the High Impact team in 2022 and serves as Director of Sales. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University and obtained his MBA from The University of Arkansas.

Prior to his role with High Impact, Wes led the Walmart and Sam’s Club businesses for HARIBO for 5 years as Director of Sales. He also spent nearly 8 years with Johnson & Johnson prior to that where he held multiple roles in sales and category analytics & insights for the Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Target businesses across the breadth of the J&J consumer portfolio. Over the course of his experience, Wes has developed key strengths in strategic account management, category fact-based selling, retail analytics, people development, and go-to-market strategy.

Wes enjoys getting outside with his family, but above all else is the biggest soccer fanatic you’ll ever meet, in particular Liverpool Football Club.

Wes lives with his wife Wendy and 3 children Logan, Mackenzie, & Ellie in Cave Springs, AR.

Melissa Middleton

Melissa joined High Impact in 2015. She has a bachelor’s degree from East Central University, where she played collegiate soccer. Prior to joining High Impact, Melissa spent two years consulting for Newell Rubbermaid on their Graco account. She enjoys working with her team to provide in-depth analytics for her clients.

Melissa lives in Bentonville with her husband Kerry and their four children. When she is not at work, she runs the Benton County Search and Rescue Team and is a member of the Cave Springs Fire Department.

Mendie Howerton

Mendie joined the High Impact Analytics team in 2011. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas. Prior to joining the High Impact team, she spent 7 years supporting the Finance and Sales teams at Pace Industries in Fayetteville, AR.

Mendie enjoys working with each member of the High Impact team to provide superior analytics and insights that help each client manage and maximize their retail presence.

Mendie lives in Fayetteville, AR with her husband, Doug, and their three daughters Macie, Carlie and Hallie. In her free time she enjoys travelling, attending her girls’ sporting events, baking and spending time with family and friends.

Caleb Taylor

Caleb joined the High Impact team in April of 2021. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. Prior to joining the team, Caleb held a position as a Mechanical Designer at a firm in Bentonville, and then contracted with Epic Games, Inc. as a member of the User Acquisitions team in Seattle, WA.

Caleb has joined the team as a Business Analyst with a desire to help both local and national businesses find success in the retail world through creative analytic insights and strategies.

Caleb lives with his wife, Audrey, and their daughter Eloise, in Bella Vista, AR.

Becky Fischgrab

Becky has been with the High Impact team since June 2018. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Arkansas with a minor in Computer Information Systems. After college, Becky worked for Walmart Stores, Inc in both the Legal and Benefits departments. She also worked with a 3rd Party company managing special programs in Walmart Stores and Sam’s Clubs, working very closely with Walmart/Sam’s Club internal teams.

Since joining High Impact 3 years ago, Becky has worked with various Walmart Suppliers and is now also managing businesses with other retailers including Ulta, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Old Navy, and several Canada companies. She enjoys using systems and tools to make analytics as efficient and informative as possible.

Zach Bonds

Zach Joined the High Impact team in 2021. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. Previously Zach worked at Walmart where he designed store floorplans then transitioned to Modular space and development supporting Food.

Joining the team as a Business Analyst, Zach enjoys working directly with clients to help drive growth in their retail space by bringing opportunities to light and providing a winning solution.

Zach Lives in Gravette, AR with his wife and 2 kids. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, working on the family farm, and fishing with his son.

Tammy Taylor

Tammy joined the High Impact team in Dec of 2021 as a Business Analyst. She brings a combined experience of 30yrs of retail experience that includes Walmart, Sam’s, Target, and several CPG customers. She started her retail career at Walmart where she spent time in Walmart Stores, ISD, Merchandising, and Operations.

After her 13yrs at Walmart, she transitioned to working in CPG specializing in Replenishment & Planning where she spent the next 20 years. During that time, she worked with multiple CPG accounts including Scholastic Books, Haddad Apparel, BRICA/Munchkin, and Philips. Additionally, she was a Sr Replenishment Mgr with Market Performance Group managing clients that included Shea Moisture, Ricola, Omron, Peerless, Nitro, First Act, and Honey Pot.

Tammy lives in Garfield with her husband Robert and their 3 daughters. They love living in the country and enjoy spending time in the great outdoors with their beloved dogs. Their favorite things to do together is sing, cook, and take family road trips.

Erin Kimrey

Erin joined the High Impact team in 2022. She has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas. Previously Erin worked at Walmart in several Merch Op roles including item file and order support for Toys and as a replenishment manager for Seasonal & Celebrations. 
 
She currently lives in Fayetteville, AR with her husband and their three dogs. In her free time, she likes to read fantasy and complete nanogram puzzles.

Kari Penturf