Bowling Green’s 40 Under 40: Hilarie Spalding

Story by Amelia Bowen

For Hilarie Spalding, doing good work comes down to understanding people. As Vice President of Business Development for Bluegrass Supply Chain, she handles everything from high-level growth strategy to the creative details, helping a growing company build strong relationships and earn the trust of its clients. A Glasgow native and University of Louisville alumna, Hilarie discovered her natural fit for marketing and business strategy while studying communication. “I’m fascinated by why some messages land and others don’t,” Hilarie says. “The strategy keeps me engaged, and the creative side keeps it interesting.” Her disciplined approach to leadership was shaped early on by watching her father build his own business. Today, she applies those same lessons of hard work and clear goal setting to her career, keeping her sights set on building something meaningful of her own down the road. Outside the office, Hilarie centers her life around her family. She and her husband, Will, stay busy raising their two daughters, Anderson, 8 and Campbell, 5 while making sure home remains their favorite place to be. Hilarie also invests her time back into the community as Vice President of the Kappa Delta Chapter Advisory Board, a Girl Scout troop leader and a volunteer with Meals Inc. Supported by a company that values giving back, she frequently brings her daughters along to serve. “Watching my girls respond to people in need has shifted something in them,” Hilarie says. “Seeing gratitude take root in your kids in real time is something I can’t put a price on.” For Hilarie, success isn’t about trying to do it all at once. It is about bringing focus and heart to everything she touches, from her executive role to the Bowling Green community her family calls home.