Shaw to split sales force
Lissa Wyman -- Furniture Today, August 2, 2004
Atlanta — Major rug resource Shaw Living is creating separate sales forces for its two key distribution channels — its core independent floor covering, furniture and area rug stores on the one hand, and multi-store chains and home centers on the other.
"We currently are building a new sales force which will call on the chains and home centers," said Jeff Meadows, vice president of the rug and textile division of Shaw Inds. "Like the sales staff that calls on our core customers ... the new salespeople will be Shaw employees rather than independent agents.
"The two sales areas will be completely independent," he continued. "A new sales manager for the mass-market channel will be announced soon."
Shaw's core rug business has been centered on the independent store, furniture store and department store channels. Last year, the company acquired Georgia Tufters, which opened the doors to the multi-store, mass-market sector.
In October 2003, Meadows predicted the mass-market channels eventually would account for 70% of Shaw Living sales. "We're right on target," he said at the market here last week. "By next year, mass-market sales will be over 50% of our business."
