NEWS MAKERS
FOREST GROUP NAMES WRIGHT PRESIDENT
Forest Group USA, Cartersville, GA, has announced that Steven Wright has been named president. Wright will be in charge of the day-to-day management of the company.
Wright was vice president of sales and marketing for Forest Group between 2003 and 2006. He also brings 17 years of sales, marketing and management experience from a broad range of industries to this position.
“We are very pleased to welcome Steven back to Forest Group and to support him as he strengthens the position of the company in the window coverings industry,” stated Henk Bosgoed, president of Bosgoed Holding, parent company of Forest Group USA.
Forest Group USA Inc. is an importer of the KS System drapery hardware system; a comprehensive collection of decorative hardware; and a full range of machinery to manage the workroom.
PLYMOUTH INTERIORS HIRES HARDIMAN AS SALES DESIGN COORDINATOR
Plymouth Interiors, McKees Rocks, PA, has hired Sydney Schwartz Hardiman as its new design sales coordinator. In her new position Hardiman will serve as liaison between designers, decorators and Plymouth’s drapery workroom. She also will work to expand Plymouth’s current customer base.
Plymouth Interiors is a 60-year-old wholesale, to the trade only, drapery workroom and roller shade manufacturer. Hardiman comes to Plymouth after operating her own drapery workroom for a number of years. She is the founder and chair of the Western Pennsylvania Window Treatment Association and is the past recipient of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business. She also writes numerous articles for several magazines including, Home Design and Remodeling Resource Guide and Custom Home Furnishings Magazine.
UNIQUE WHOLESALE ADDS FEI TO SALES TEAM
Unique Wholesale Distributors, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, announces an addition to its sales team. Carl Fei, based in Clermont, FL, will be responsible for territory on the east coast of Florida from Riviera Beach to Titusville.
Fei owned and operated several paint, wall covering and blind retail stores in New Jersey since 1980. Two years ago he sold the stores and moved to Florida as a sales rep for a local fabricator.
SOMFY PROMOTES RUH, FRYC
Somfy Systems Inc., Cranbury, NJ, has announced two recent promotions.
Jim Ruh has been promoted to the position of U.S. national sales manager for the Interior Products Division. Ruh started with Somfy in 1991 in warehouse operations and has since worked in the customer service department as well as the Home Technology Integration division. In 2000 he was promoted to northeast regional sales manager and has served in that position for the past seven years.
Ruh brings his extensive background with Somfy and more than 16 years of experience in window covering motorization to his new role where he will continue to strengthen relationships with window covering fabricators nationwide.
John Fryc has been promoted to the position of northeast regional sales manager. Fryc started with Somfy in 2002 as the technical services coordinator where he was involved in launching the Glystro® drapery motor as well as the WireFree® motor range. Fryc was promoted to field service representative in 2005 and has spent much of his efforts educating dealers, interior designers and fabricators about Somfy’s window covering motorization solutions. Additionally, he has focused on developing the Somfy Expert Program.
In his new role, Fryc is responsible for business development, training and customer support for the interior window treatment customers in this territory.
ASTRA NAMES GARRETT PRODUCT MANAGER
FOR VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL BLINDS
Astra Products Ltd., Ravenna, OH, has named Charles R. Garrett product manager for vertical and horizontal blinds.
Garrett has just begun his 15th year with the company having worked in a variety of positions, most recently as a new product designer in the engineering department.
In this new position Garrett will be responsible for all aspects of design and color direction in the window coverings division.
GLEN RAVEN CEO TAPPED FOR TECHTEXTIL-SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Allen E. Gant Jr., Glen Raven Inc. president and CEO, will discuss the company’s success in the global economy, as the keynote speaker at Techtextil-Symposium North America (TTSNA), April 1 to 3 at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, GA.
Gant will talk about how the fabric solutions provider is navigating through the industry’s height of change by keeping an eye on sophisticated textiles and new market sectors. Gant, the grandson of Glen Raven’s founder, John Q. Gant, will share how the company continues to grow while the American manufacturing workforce has fallen significantly and irreversibly over the past 25 years.
Held concurrently with Techtextil North America (TTNA), the Techtextil-Symposium will contain 13 sessions with more than 65 presentations attended by high-level industry professionals. Technical textile manufacturers, researchers and product specifiers will gather for the latest in technology and market trends in high-end textiles and nonwovens during the event. |
