NEWSMAKERS
PHARR NEW MORGAN MFG. CEO
Leon Pharr has been hired as chief executive officer of Morgan Mfg. and Engineering, Jeffersonville, IN. Pharr has been in the capital equipment business for more than 15 years. His last position was with Creative Equipment (formerly Creative Tueskoes and Creative Engineering) where he was vice president of operations.
Pharr brings more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing as well as sales and marketing experience to his new post. He is very familiar with all facets of Morgan’s equipment and the industrial fabric, apparel and window treatments industries, stated Wade Morgan, owner.
Pharr also has an excellent working knowledge of workroom operations and is available for consultation work. He is available to assist those in the marketplace with expansions and reorganizing the workflow utilizing a variety of equipment.
COMFORTEX NAMES NEW FABRICATION VP, SYSTEMS MANAGER
Comfortex Window Fashions, Maplewood, NY, welcomes Ralph A. Coon Jr. as vice president of fabrication operations and appoints Jeffrey Dallas to the newly created position of fabrication systems manager.
Coon will oversee the three company fabrication plants in Maplewood; Melbourne, FL; and Phoenix, AZ. He comes to Comfortex with a background in production management. He began his careen at General Electric.
Dallas will be responsible for developing and managing systems to improve quality, labor efficiency and material utilization in all three company fabrication sites. He has been a key member of the team initiating Comfortex’s company-wide SAP computer system and has taken a leadership role in establishing fabrication control procedures and technologies to improve performance. He has been with Comfortex since 2004.
UNIQUE WHOLESALE ADDS WHITE TO SALES STAFF
Unique Wholesale Distributors, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, has added Jason White to its sales force. Based in the Kissimmee-Orlando, FL, area, Jason will service that region and the east coast of Florida from Titusville south to Vero Beach.
White was introduced to the window coverings industry at age 16 in his family’s retail blind business. He has a varied background from sales to installation. He is a certified installer and has extensive training in motorization. He has sold and installed the Graber product line giving him a knowledgeable edge, the company states.
DESIGNER BLINDS APPOINTS FRANKLIN HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
Deb Franklin has been appointed to the newly created position of director of human resources and employee development for Designer Blinds, Omaha, NE.
Franklin joined the company as manager of human resources in 1991. She has been a vital contributor in the development of Designer Blinds’ strategic business plans, the company states. Franklin is a certified professional in human resources and is active in the Human Resources Association of the Midlands.
HEALY RESIGNS FROM WESTGATE
Tom Healy has resigned from Westgate, New York, NY, effective September 30, citing personal reasons. He has served as president of the Home Fashions International division of Westgate for the past three-and-a-half years.
Healy’s replacement will be named in the near future, according to David Li, chief executive officer, Home Furnishing International, LLC, the parent company of Home Fashions International (HFI), American Decorative Fabrics (ADF) and Westgate Interiors.
Healy has been “instrumental in overseeing our expansion beyond the bedroom ensemble category into a variety of other home fashions. We appreciate his efforts, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Li.
Westgate recently unified its corporate identity under the Westgate brand and launched a major marketing and promotional initiative (see D&WC, September 2006, page 16). Additionally, the company has expanded into freestanding window treatments and plans to debut its first freestanding bath fashions at the Home Textiles Market in February 2007.
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