People on the Move
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 11, 2007
Executives
Eric Brand Furniture
Burlingame, Calif. — Custom and luxury furniture design company Eric Brand Furniture has hired Peter Sayour as director of operations.
Sayour previously worked for three years at Higgins Purchasing Group, a provider of furniture, fixtures, equipment and services to hotels and resorts. He began in San Francisco and spent the past year and a half as director of projects at the company's Hong Kong branch.
La-Z-Boy
Monroe, Mich. — La-Z-Boy has promoted Margaret "Peg" Mueller, who has worked in the company's accounting department since 1993, to vice president and corporate controller.
She replaces Mark Copping, who left the company.
Mueller will have responsibility for corporate accounting, accounting consolidations, financial reporting, payroll and internal control compliance, in addition to special projects and analysis.
She reports to Chief Financial Officer Mike Riccio.
BG Furniture
Walkerton, Ontario — Industry veteran Dirk Nielsen has been named vice president of manufacturing for case goods producer BG Furniture. He also is a shareholder in the company, formerly Bogdon & Gross Furniture.
Nielsen has 18 years experience in technical and senior manufacturing management at Palliser Furniture and Loewen Windows. He reports to BG President Adam Hofmann, who acquired the company in December.
Hofmann said demand for the company's solid-wood furniture has increased, and Nielsen's appointment would help improve service to customers. In its 80th year of operation, Hofmann said BG Furniture has bucked Asian imports by making all its furniture to order.
Marketing/Sales
Hickory Hill Furniture
Valdese, N.C. — Upholstery manufacturer Hickory Hill Furniture honored its top sales and marketing representatives during the spring High Point Market.
Stephen Feinberg, who covers southeast Alabama, Georgia and the Florida panhandle, was recognized as the 2006 Salesman of the Year.
Guy London, who handles Ohio, was named 2006 Rookie of the Year.
Stroup Fabric Sales
High Point — Stroup Fabric Sales, a converter of casual fabrics and high-end jacquards, has added three people to its sales team.
Oscar Reig-Plaza is returning to Stroup to represent the company in the Southwest. Graeme Leask will cover the Midwest, and Richard Gellman the West Coast.
All report to Chip Stroup, president.
Awards
AHFA
High Point — Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of public relations and marketing for the American Home Furnishings Alliance, has received a second "Golden Thinker" award from the North American Precis Syndicate.
The first award recognized an AHFA press release that received widespread pick-up by American broadcasters. The second award recognizes the print version of the same press release.
The press release that garnered outstanding media attention in 2006 was AHFA's Outdoor Furniture Trends Report, distributed in February 2006.
It resulted in about 500 print articles, making more than 148.5 million consumer impressions.
Contact us
Retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and trade associations are invited to send releases and photographs for appointments, promotions and awards to: People/Today, P.O. Box 2754, High Point, N.C. 27261. Releases also can be faxed to (336) 605-1143 or e-mailed to gerri.hunt@reedbusiness.com. Please include a phone number.
