Casey Leaving High Point
Search on for new Market Authority president
Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, April 6, 2011
Casey
HIGH POINT - Brian Casey, who has headed the High Point Market Authority since 2006, is stepping down April 30 to oversee a Merchandise Mart Properties project in Cleveland.
The veteran trade show executive will remain in High Point for the market that begins April 2, after which the Market Authority's executive committee will intensify the search for his replacement.
Casey said in a statement that his "tenure at the Market Authority has been one of the best experiences in my overall professional career. I can only attribute that to the great staff and board, a supportive community, and industry leaders who will continue to keep this market strong."
His new job will be general manager of the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center, a 465,000-square-foot facility under construction in downtown Cleveland. Owned by Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., the facility includes a four-story medical and health care industry trade showroom building and an adjoining convention center. Completion is scheduled for fall 2013.
In the new post, Casey's responsibilities will include attracting trade show business and recruiting clients to the mart.
MMPI currently owns Market Square, Furniture Plaza, Plaza Suites, the National Furniture Mart and several other High Point showroom properties, but is in the process of selling them.
Kevin O'Connor, chairman of the Market Authority's board of directors, said he hopes to have a replacement hired by late April or early May.
"I would like to thank Brian for the work he has done over the last five years," O'Connor said. "He has been a tireless advocate for furthering the brand of the High Point Market and we wish him all the best for his future endeavors."
Casey was hired when the market was facing a new competitive threat from the Las Vegas Market, which held its inaugural event in July 2005. O'Connor credited Casey with spearheading numerous improvements in services to exhibitors and buyers in High Point and essentially beating back the competition.
And because the competitive threat essentially has dissipated, O'Connor said the new president's role will be somewhat different.
He said it will be important for the new leader to maintain good relations with showroom building owners, buyers and the High Point community, as well as North Carolina state lawmakers in Raleigh, who have provided more than $2 million annually in recent years to promote the market and operate its shuttle system.
"Under Brian's leadership, the Market Authority has established itself as a strong independent entity that serves all constituencies," said O'Connor.
"And we want to continue to do that, while providing a place for exhibitors and retailers to do business."
He said a possible series of real estate deals that could place key High Point showroom buildings and the World Market Center in Las Vegas under common ownership played no role in Casey's decision to leave. And that ownership question will have little or no bearing on who ultimately gets the job, O'Connor stressed.
"The exhibitors are the ones who make it important to come to market," he said. "It is not the responsibility of the building owners to create a market."
The new president's salary will be determined by the executive committee. In the fiscal year ended June 30, Casey's total compensation was $312,333, according to the Market Authority's Form 990, a tax return filed by nonprofit groups.
The figure included base salary of $279,983, a bonus of $25,750, and a $6,600 car allowance. In addition to O'Connor, the board's executive committee consists of High Point Mayor Becky Smothers, International Home Furnishings Center President Tom Mitchell, and Doug Bassett, executive vice president of Vaughn-Bassett.
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Brian Casey leaving High Point Market Authority
Mar 21, 2011
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