Leadership
At the heart of CHIEF Food Equipment is a management team with exceptional expertise and decades of combined experience in the baking equipment industry. Each member brings deep technical knowledge, strategic insight, and a passion for innovation that drives our commitment to excellence. Their leadership ensures that we continue to deliver reliable, efficient, and forward-thinking solutions that empower bakeries and food producers around the world.
Mark Archey
Managing Director
Chief Food Equipment, Inc.
Mark Archey is a Manufacturing Engineer (Virginia Tech) with over 30 years’ international experience in a wide range of industries. He has traveled to about 60 countries for business and lived abroad (Taiwan) for 12 years. He has extensive experience providing US field service support for Asian manufacturers, managing offshore manufacturing projects, and establishing overseas offices for US companies. His background includes recent stints as Global Service Team Leader (JC Ford) and East Asia Sales Manager (Casa Herrera) for leading US tortilla machinery manufacturers.
He has advanced skills in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, and a good working knowledge of several other languages.
Jason Colbert
Jason Colbert (MBA) has a successful record of leading high-growth mid-sized companies to consistently exceed their most optimistic forecasts. Prior to joining Chief Food Equipment, he served as Chief Revenue Officer at JC Ford (a leading Tortilla Machinery Maker), where he led a period of extreme growth in sales volume while also going through a corporate move from California to Tennessee.
Chief Market Strategist
Telic Tian
Managing Director
Chief Food Equipment, Shanghai Ltd.
Telic Tian manages brings over 25 years of sales, management, and hands-on service and installation experience in the Industrial Machinery sector. He has extensive experience in installation, start-up, and service for US tortilla machinery suppliers and their users in China. His office manages all engineering, manufacturing, quality control for Chief Food Equipment.
He holds a BSME degree from prestigious Tsinghua University (Beijing), is a successful serial entrepreneur, and has near-native professional competence in English in addition to his native Mandarin Chinese.
Don McMahan
Don McMahan brings decades of experience in equipment sales, marketing, and customer service to the management team. Over the course of his career, Don has developed a deep understanding of the food processing and manufacturing industries, with particular expertise in helping companies match the right equipment solutions to their operational needs.
As founder and president of JLM Sales & Marketing, Don built a reputation for creating value through trusted relationships, efficient sales processes, and a strong commitment to customer success. His background gives him a unique perspective on both the technical and commercial sides of the business, making him an invaluable asset in guiding strategic decisions, developing market opportunities, and supporting long-term growth.
Don’s hands-on approach, industry insight, and dedication to service strengthen the company’s leadership team and ensure that our clients and partners benefit from proven expertise and real-world experience.