WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 10, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPAR Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGRP), a leading supplier of retail merchandising and other marketing services throughout the United States and internationally, today announced that Jill M. Blanchard, the Company's CEO, has informed the Company that she is resigning to pursue other interests. Ms. Blanchard will continue to serve as CEO of the Company through July 31, 2016 and support a search for her replacement and the transition of her duties. SPAR Group‘s Board of Directors has begun the search for the Company’s next CEO and is committed to a seamless transition.

Jill has led SPAR Group for the last two and one-half years. During her tenure, she has been driving a strategy focused on bringing in strong new talent, strengthening our strategic relationships with clients, improving our working relationship with our joint venture partners around the world, building strategic relationships with our key global clients, improving the industry profile for SPAR through involvement with Associations and industry insights and strengthening our employees with training and development programs.

Jill has brought in significant talent such as a U.S. SVP of Customer Development, an SVP of Marketing, and will be hiring and helping integrate into the Company a new President of International Business.

“I’m proud of the work we have done to build a strong foundation,” said Jill Blanchard. “It’s time for a new management team to take up the challenge of building on top of what we have established. I look forward to helping SPAR through this transition and expanding SPAR’s footprint with new geographies, clients, and services.”

Robert Brown, SPAR Chairman of the Board, thanking Jill for her contributions and tireless work to move the Company forward stated, “The relationships Jill has built with our clients in the U.S and worldwide as well as our J.V. partners will continue to pay dividends for SPAR for many years. Her many skills, talents, leadership and hard work have set us up for strong growth. On behalf of our Board of Directors and employees we thank Jill for her work to date and appreciate her willingness to support us these next couple months.”

About SPAR Group

SPAR Group, Inc. is a diversified international merchandising and marketing services Company and provides a broad array of services worldwide to help companies improve their sales, operating efficiency and profits at retail locations. The Company provides merchandising and other marketing services to manufacturers, distributors and retailers worldwide, primarily in mass merchandiser, office supply, value, grocery, drug, independent, convenience, toy, home improvement and electronics stores, as well as providing furniture and other product assembly services, audit services, in-store events, technology services and marketing research. The Company has supplied these project and product services in the United States since certain of its predecessors were formed in 1979 and internationally since the Company acquired its first international subsidiary in Japan in May of 2001. Product services include restocking and adding new products, removing spoiled or outdated products, resetting categories "on the shelf" in accordance with client or store schematics, confirming and replacing shelf tags, setting new sale or promotional product displays and advertising, replenishing kiosks, providing in-store event staffing and providing assembly services in stores, homes and offices. Audit services include price audits, point of sale audits, out of stock audits, intercept surveys and planogram audits. Other merchandising services include whole store or departmental product sets or resets (including new store openings), new product launches, in-store demonstrations, special seasonal or promotional merchandising, focused product support and product recalls. The Company currently does business in 9 countries that encompass approximately 50% of the total world population through its operations in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa, India, China, Australia, Mexico and Turkey. For more information, please visit the SPAR Group's website at http://www.sparinc.com.