Gautier USA names Swiss retail vet Brugger as CEO
Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, March 11, 2007
Pompano Beach, Fla. — Jose Gosselin has retired as CEO of contemporary case goods maker Gautier USA, and Stefan Brugger has been named to take his place.
Brugger worked for Migros, Switzerland's biggest retailer, in several positions, including head buyer and merchandising manager for furniture.
Gosselin helped establish French manufacturer Gautier's presence in the United States and has led Gautier USA since it was founded in 1982. The U.S. division is known for its youth and master bedroom furniture, but also sells Gautier's wall units, dining and home office furniture.
The U.S. unit accounts for about $10 million of the corporation's worldwide annual sales of more than 150 million euros (about $200 million). Gautier USA has a 35,000-square-foot warehouse here and also has product in distributors' warehouses in Atlanta, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Chicago.
Brugger said he became familiar with Gautier as a retailer.
"I knew Gautier France for more than 10 years from the eyes of a customer, and I always had a big respect for the work they were doing," he said. "Gautier is very well known in Europe for the high product and process quality and their environmental efforts."
Gautier's environmentally friendly Salto and Birdie collections have received recognition from France's eco-labeling program, Norme Française Environnement. The company has obtained ISO 14001 certification regarding reduced environmental impact from manufacturing. It also has achieved ISO 9001 certification for quality management.
Brugger said he will look to expand Gautier's U.S. infrastructure with distribution into new cities and regions. "I'm sure that there is a potential, especially in urban regions, for our contemporary high-end K.D. furniture," he said.
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Gosselin retires as Gautier USA CEO
Mar 7, 2007
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