Former Theodore Alexander execs launching import line
Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, October 6, 2008
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — A group of former executives and investors in case goods manufacturer Theodore Alexander have started a furniture manufacturer called Encore Mobili.
Officials said the company will produce “high-end furniture” in a plant under construction on 11 acres just outside Ho Chi Minh City, but offered no specifics on the product. They said the first phase of the plant is expected to be completed in January.
Among the Encore Mobili investors and directors are Stelvio Guglielmi, a former Theodore Alexander CEO, and David Pemberton, who had been an early investor in Theodore Alexander shortly after its inception in 1996.
They are joined by Gerry Paglinawan, a former director of design at Theodore Alexander, and Carlo Zavagno, a general manager and director of operations of Theodore Alexander in Vietnam.
Paglinawan and Zavagno are investors in the new company and also will handle design and operations, respectively, according to a statement issued by the company.
Company executives said they believe the timing is right to launch the line.
“While the world economy is soft, furniture buyers in the USA are desperately looking for exciting new offerings to encourage customers (to come) into their shops and to purchase furniture,” the statement said. “The Encore team believes their products will do this; they have consulted with potential customers and are confident they will be offering what the top end of the market wants.”
