NEWSMAKERS
WESTGATE NAMES COUGHLIN PRESIDENT
Tom Coughlin has been named president of Westgate, effective November 1. He joined Westgate in April as executive vice president and general manager for bedding and window treatments.
Coughlin replaces Tom Healy, who resigned from Westgate September 30 for personal reasons. Healy had been president of Westgate, formerly known as Home Fashions International, for three-and-a-half years (see D&WC, November 2006, page 24).
Coughlin has a wide-ranging business background, serving in various management capacities at companies in the home furnishings, housewares, apparel and pharmaceutical industries.
Prior to joining Westgate earlier this year, Coughlin was executive vice president for home fashions importer Victorian Classics for two-and-a-half years. Coughlin also served as executive vice president for footwear firm R.G. Barry Corp., which supplies Dearforms slippers, for two years. He worked for leading domestics mill Springs Industries for eight years, holding a variety of positions, including senior vice president of sales, global team leader for Wal-mart and Sam’s Club, and vice president of sales for national accounts.
“Our company is in the midst of rapid expansion, and [Coughlin] has the experience and management abilities to take our business to the next level, ” said David Li, CEO, Home Furnishing International, LLC, Westgate’s parent company.
SOMFY ADDS IOMMI, MCCLURE
Somfy Systems, Inc., Cranbury, NJ, has added two new managers: Steve Iommi and Michael McClure.
Steve Iommi has been hired as business development manager for the home technology integration market for North America. He is responsible for the promotion, training, engineering and support of motorized window treatment product solutions for this market.
Iommi also manages Somfy’s HTI Alliance Partner Program, which promotes and supports the development of profitable relationships between window coverings and home technology business channels. Iommi brings more than 27 years of experience in the home technology integration market to his new post.
Michael McClure is the new sales manager for the North Central area of the United States. In this role, McClure is responsible for business development, training and customer support for the interior window treatment customers in this area.
McClure has more than 10 years experience in the window coverings industry with a specialty in window treatment motorization. He has a strong background in fabrication and installation and also brings sales and marketing expertise to his new position.
SHUTTERSMART ADDS BYRNES TO SALES TEAM
ShutterSmart, a division of US Polymers Inc., Los Angeles, CA, has announced the addition of John Byrnes to its shutter sales team.
Byrnes comes to ShutterSmart with more than 30 years of industry experience. His focus will be in finished shutter sales to dealers in Southern California.
HUNNICUTT NAMED GLEN RAVEN BRAND MANAGER
Hal Hunnicutt has been named brand manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, Glen Raven, NC, the makers of Sunbrella® performance fabrics.
“My responsibilities will include managing Sunbrella and other brands in our existing core markets, while we continue to explore product innovations, new markets and brand extensions on a global basis,” Hunnicutt said.
Hunnicutt joined Glen Raven, Inc. in 1995 in strategic planning and finance. During his career with the company he also managed the Glen Raven Catalog, the company’s largest direct consumer marketing program. Most recently, Hunnicutt has served as market manager for residential fabrics, and prior to that position he was responsible for decorative jobber and specialty catalog placements for Sunbrella.
FLOOR TO CEILING APPOINTS NEW MARKETING DIRECTOR
Floor To Ceiling interior design showroom, Burnsville, MN, has announced the appointment of Robert H. Kilbury as the company’s director of marketing.
“In this new position, [Kilbury] will be responsible for the expansion of Floor To Ceiling’s kitchen and bath and decorative products businesses, in addition to the enhancement of the company’s overall advertising and public relations support programs for its dealer network,” said Steve Sindlinger, president.
“The kitchen and bath and decorative products areas are an important and growing part of Floor To Ceiling’s business model . . . As part of our specific growth plans, we intend to arm our dealer network with even more innovative interior design products. The consumer is looking for a complete and efficient one-stop shopping opportunity and it is our job to make sure that they can count on our dealers for that positive and value-packed experience,” Sindlinger added.
Kilbury joins Floor To Ceiling after serving the last 10 record-growth years with KraftMaid Cabinetry as its director of marketing. Prior to that time he held similar senior marketing positions at CYRO Industries, Formica Corp., Aristokraft Cabinetry and Juno Lighting.
Floor To Ceiling is a privately held franchising company founded in 1990. It offers a multitude of name-brand interior design products through its network of nearly 200 independent U.S. dealer franchise locations. Product categories include soft and hard surface flooring, kitchen and bath cabinetry, decorative hardware, countertops, decorative and task lighting, window and wall treatments, and other decorative accessories and accents. |
