Nick Bachus, CEO

Nick is Merchandise Inc’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Nick leads from the front in our mission to be a first-choice provider for our customers. Nick works daily to maintain Merchandise Inc’s values and to provide assurance to our customers, vendors, and stakeholders that we remain true to our purpose.

Nick joined Merchandise Inc after leaving the private equity industry in 2017. Prior to transitioning to CEO, Nick served as the Chief Operating Officer where he spent the majority of his time driving operational improvements across the business.

Nick and his wife live in Cincinnati with their three children.

Donald W. Karches, President

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Finance, Don opened a very successful deep-discount drug outlet in Lawrenceburg, IN. He sold the business after 10 years of successful operation to join MI as the President and Owner in 1996. Since then, as many other wholesalers have disappeared, Don has maintained MI as a leader in the industry. His early partnerships, with pioneering e-commerce businesses, facilitated MI's recent sales increases.

Don and his wife live in Cincinnati and have two sons, two daughters, three granddaughters, and two grandsons.

Greg Christopfel, Director of Sales

Greg has been with the company for over 40 years. While the business has changed much during this time, Greg's focus on addressing our customers' concerns has not. Keeping both our products and services relevant to the ever-changing needs of our customers is the key to building the many long-term relationships we have enjoyed over the years. Greg finds that this is the most satisfying aspect of his many years with MI.

Jim Powell, Director of Purchasing

Jim Powell came to Merchandise Inc. with 15 years of retail drug chain experience. He was the perfect man to purchase seasonal products for the ad program. Gradually, Jim developed the School/Office, Pet Supplies, and General Merchandise categories. Today, these categories are an integral part of operations at MI. Jim's work and loyalty, combined with his easy going personality, have made him irreplaceable. Jim lives in Cincinnati with his wife. They have two grown children.

Megan Ackerman, Procurement Specialist

Megan comes to Merchandise Inc with over 15 years of experience in sales and procurement experience. Over the past few years, Megan was responsible for overseeing procurement, compliance, and freight management for a manufacturing company here in Cincinnati, OH. She really enjoys cultivating supplier relationships both domestically and internationally, improving the current processes and product assortments as well as working with colleagues to create new and innovative product launches. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and is an avid Cincinnati sports fan – Go Bearcats and Bengals!

Brian Longbottom, Director of Finance/Accounting

Brian has over 12 years of Corporate Accounting experience working in various areas. He has a BS in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati. Brian lives in Cincinnati with his wife of 20 years.; they have two daughters. Brian enjoys golfing, bowling, and watching the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals, and Bearcats.

Michael Sullivan, Warehouse Manager

Michael comes to MI with over 20 years of warehouse management experience. He is looking forward to using that experience at MI. Mike is a Bleed Blue UK fan and a diehard Reds fan. He lives on the west side of Cincinnati with his wife.

“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or work hours. It’s about relationships.”