Eric Easter rejoins Kittle's as president
Had left Midwest retailer in 2003
Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, June 25, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS — Retailer Kittle's has rehired Eric Easter as president and chief operating officer, the position he previously held at the company until 2003.
 Eric Easter |
"We are ecstatic to have Eric back on the Kittle's team," said Jim Kittle, owner and chairman of the 14-store Top 100 company, which is based here.
"With Eric's 10 years' experience at Kittle's and his past six years heading both manufacturing and retail businesses in our industry, his addition to our already strong leadership group positions Kittle's Furniture for a profitable future."
Easter first joined Kittle's in 1993 and left in 2003 to become executive vice president of sales and marketing for manufacturer Thomasville Furniture. Most recently he was CEO of importer Huntington Furniture.
Kittle said the president's position at the retailer had remained open, although Kittle has been handling many of the related responsibilities of merchandising and marketing since his return full time to the business in 2006 after serving as Indiana's Republican Party chairman for nearly five years.
Kittle's is No. 78 on Furniture/Today's Top 100 with estimated sales last year of $72.1 million.
Kittle said he has remained close to Easter and has watched him expand his expertise.
"He grew a lot over the last six years - had to. It's been tough out there," Kittle said. "He totally knows China now, and importing."
Before he left in 2003, Easter was seen as the future leader of the retail operation as Kittle and Kittle's CEO John Durkott approach retirement age. That's the case again, Kittle said, but he added that neither he nor Durkott have plans to retire soon.
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I’m so happy to see two great names in our Industry back together. I had the opportunity to...
Dan Parkinsn - 2009-26-6 10:43:46 EDT
Eric Easter rejoins Kittle's
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