Growth leader

Like so many others, Mark Buss, B’79, was laid off in March 2020. He was the general manager for Virginia Marble Manufacturers, but the company took a downturn during the pandemic.

By July, Buss was back at work as the managing director for Equip Fulfillment, another company dramatically affected by the pandemic. But this time, the change resulted from a surge in demand.

Equip Fulfillment provides supplies for last-mile logistics, meaning everything a delivery service needs to bring a product from the warehouse to your front door. This could include hand trucks, moving blankets, uniforms, or PPE.

“Anyone who watches the news understands that the need for logistics is paramount right now,” Buss says.

Managing a company through a growth period is nothing new to Buss. For the last 20 years, he has worked with international companies as they enter new markets, whether a global company launching products in the U.S. or a startup bringing a product to a broader audience. He specialized in the housewares sector, working with companies like Hamilton Beach and SharkNinja.

Buss worked with companies to determine the size of the market and understand consumer preferences, all in an effort to make products as successful as possible when they hit the shelves.

In recent years, Buss’ work has brought him back to Richmond. He wanted to lend his experience serving on nonprofit and corporate boards to his home state and applied for a gubernatorial appointment. In April 2021, he was selected for a position on the Virginia Museum of Natural History’s board of trustees.

“From the coastal plains to the fall lines to the mountains,” he says, “it’s exciting to celebrate the diversity of flora, fauna, geography, and topography.”