Bush realigns management group,appoints VP to coordinate strategy
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, May 19, 2003
Jamestown, N.Y. — As part of a recently announced restructuring of its furniture operations, including a plant closure in St. Paul, Va., Bush Inds. has made several changes in its sales, merchandising and marketing team.
As previously reported, Bush Furniture and Bush Business Furniture have been combined to create Bush Furniture North America, under the direction of David White, formerly president of BBF. Greg Bush, former president of Bush Furniture, has left the company.
Bush Furniture North America will market through four brand names: The Bush line of ready-to-assemble furniture; Bush Business Furniture, targeting office furniture dealers; Eric Morgan, for assembled case goods; and Rohr Furniture, modular case goods and desk systems inspired by Bush's German division.
The furniture division's sales and marketing team, reporting to White, now includes: Andy Bush, vice president of sales, office superstores; Jim Schmidt, vice president of marketing, merchandising and advertising; Jim Bush, vice president of sales for key accounts; Michelle Saxton, vice president of product marketing; Ed Crater, vice president of sales administration; Robert Rosenblatt, director of commercial furniture sales; and Jackie McArthur, executive assistant.
In her new role, Saxton will be responsible for developing product strategies, benchmarking the competition and consumer testing. She also will lead the five Channel Strategy teams that are responsible for developing product to meet the needs of the company's key distribution channels: office superstores, commercial office, home furnishings, general market and international and national accounts and OEM-TV.
Reporting to Saxton are Tracy Hazzard, commercial product manager; Steve Jones, product manager, professional; and Shawn Maley, home furnishings product manager.
"Our primary purpose in implementing these changes is to better align the company's resources with current and emerging market opportunities," said Paul Bush, chairman and chief executive officer of Bush Inds. "These changes will align our sales, marketing, product development and merchandising resources to drive top-line revenue growth and improve our opportunities for success."
