People on the Move

By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, November 18, 2001

Executives

Merchandise Mart Properties

CHICAGO — Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. has named Megy Karydes director of marketing for the Chicago Gift & Home Market.

She will be responsible for all marketing efforts for the trade show, held four times a year at The Merchandise Mart, as well as for many special showroom events. She reports to Melvin R. Schlitt, MMPI vice president of marketing.

Karydes previously was an account manager for Upshot, a marketing agency here, where she managed such accounts as Discover Card, Morgan Stanley and Hallmark.

La-Z-Boy

MONROE, Mich. — La-Z-Boy has promoted John Kellogg to vice president and plant manager of its Neosho, Mo., facility, and Patrick McDonnell to director of manufacturing services for La-Z-Boy Residential.

Both report to Larry Woolace, vice president of manufacturing for La-Z-Boy Residential.

Kellogg will be responsible for all areas of the Neosho plant and supply centers, which together employ 1,300 people. He previously was general manager of the La-Z-Boy plant in Lincolnton, N.C.

McDonnell, who will direct the manufacturing and industrial engineering departments and analyze engineering functions, was an industrial engineer with La-Z-Boy Canada.

LeatherTrend

SAN DIEGO — Upholstery producer LeatherTrend has expanded the duties of Bill Pirtle.

Pirtle, vice president of sales for the LeatherMart promotional division, has assumed additional responsibilities for InstantLeather, the company's quick-ship warehouse program.

He takes on the duties of Don Turner, who recently joined importer Legacy Classic Furniture as vice president of sales.

Pirtle continues to report to Peter Robinson, group president.

Directors

AFMA Suppliers Division

HIGH POINT — The Suppliers Division of the American Furniture Manufacturers Assn. has named J.R. Gfesser, chief executive officer of Trendler Components in Chicago, as president for 2001-2002.

Other officers are Dennis Park, Leggett & Platt, Carthage, Mo., first vice president; and Pat Smith, Cargo Consolidation, Claremont, N.C., second vice president. Rad Darby of Akzo Nobel Coatings, High Point, moves to chairman of the board.

New directors named to three-year terms on the board are Bob Lain, 3M, High Point; Cathie Huber, Adhesives Research, Glen Rock, Pa.; Ray Shufelt, Top Supplies, High Point; Ken Smith, BDO Seidman, High Point; and Jeff Smith, Ferrari America, High Point.

Sales

Colby Furniture

HAMILTON, Ala. — Wood producer Colby Furniture has named new sales territory managers.

They are Paul Neto in New England; Gary and Bruce Lackey, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minneapolis and the Dakotas; Bill Bryan and Brad Ritter, north Texas; Laura Homan, Southern California; John Gorman, Ohio; Todd Crisp, Kentucky; Kimberly Carter, Virginia; Marshall Wnuk, western Pennsylvania; and Bruce Marmer, eastern Pennsylvania.

Elite Leather Co.

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Leather upholstery maker Elite Leather Co. has named three furniture industry veterans as sales representatives.

John Galvin, who will cover Texas and Oklahoma, spent eight years at Ellis Home Furnishings, most recently as vice president of sales and marketing. He has been in the industry for more than 30 years.

Scott Greenblat primarily covers Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, and also is an account specialist for certain Midwest accounts. With over 25 years of industry experience, he most recently was a rep for Leather-Trend.

Ernie Rockhill is Elite's Florida rep. He was a rep for Broyhill for 30 years.

Pennsylvania House

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Three sales representatives have been added to the Pennsylvania House sales force.

Ray Hixon will cover Florida. He has more than 30 years experience in the home furnishings industry, including the past 16 as a rep for Century.

Ron Marien is responsible for upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and parts of Ontario, Canada. A 40-year home furnishings veteran, he most recently repped Lexington and Thomasville.

Steve Yocca will handle northern California, northern Nevada and Hawaii. He has 20 years in the industry at both retail and manufacturing, the past three as a Riverside rep.

Honors

Atlanta Decorative Arts Center

ATLANTA —Landy Gardner and Joan Bourassa are the recipients of the 2001 Southeast Designer of the Year awards, sponsored by the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.

Gardner, of Landy Gardner Interior Designs, won in the residential category, and Bourassa, of Image Designs, was the contract category winner.

William R. Eubanks of William R. Eubanks Interior Design received an honorable mention in residential.

Pennsylvania House

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania House honored its top-performing sales representatives at the October furniture market.

The Chicago Metro team of Chip Heady and Bill Lee were named the 2001 Pennsylvania House Sales Reps of the year, and the 2001 Upholstery Reps of the Year.

The Northeast Metro team of Dale Beagle, Rich Feinstein, Mal Wilder and Mike Beagle were named 2001 Case Goods Reps of the Year.

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. Please include a contact phone number. If you have questions about People/Today, call Fran Marshall at (336) 605-1044 or e-mail her at fmarshall@cahners.com.