People on the move

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, September 3, 2011

CasalenaExecutives

Legends Furniture

TOLLESON, Ariz. — Christopher Casalena has joined home entertainment, home office and casual dining manufacturer and importer Legends Furniture as chief financial officer.

Casalena, who started at Legends in May, formerly was CFO at Art- Italia and also founded an accounting and consulting firm, CFO Advisor Group, according to a press release. He reports to Legends President Rick Schmidgall.

Hickory Springs Mfg.
HICKORY, N.C. — Hickory Springs Mfg. has promoted Tim Becker to vice president of its wire products group as part of a companywide realignment strategy.

He will be responsible for the company's spring plant and bedding products division while continuing to oversee HS wire technology as he did in his former position with the company, general manager of HS wire technology.

Becker joined Hickory Springs in 1997 as sales and product manager for wire and has worked for the last 12 years as general manager of HS wire technology. Prior to joining Hickory Springs, Becker worked as sales manager for wire products with Laclede Steel.
Becker"Tim's extensive experience in wire technology made him the natural choice for overseeing our spring plant and bedding products division," said Lee Lunsford, executive vice president and chief operations officer of Hickory Springs. "His expertise will be a valuable resource for continuing to develop and diversify the wire, spring and bedding products that are the foundations of our business and our industry."

Becker will report to Jimmy Bush, senior executive vice president of Hickory Springs Wire Products.

MMPI
CHICAGO — MMPI has promoted Paul Heinen to senior vice president, overseeing the company's office, retail and contract furnishings industries.

He will be responsible for all office and retail activities at MMPI properties in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Boston. He also will oversee MMPI's contract furnishings business, which includes 113 permanent showrooms covering more than 550,000 square feet, as well as the production of the NeoCon World's Trade Fair in HeinenChicago and NeoCon East in Baltimore.

Heinen replaces Mark Falanga, who was recently named president of MMPI.

Prior to joining MMPI in 2009 as the vice president of office leasing, Heinen was with The John Buck Co., where he was principal and head of asset management for 13 years.

Marketing/Sales

Sealy

TRINITY, N.C. — Sealy has hired consumer products marketer Brent Pfister as director of marketing for its Stearns & Foster brand.

Pfister most recently was at Black & Decker, where he was product manager in launching a new global line of garden tools, and also focused on strategic initiatives and led consumer insight research. Prior to Black & Decker and obtaining his MBA from the University of Virginia, Pfister worked as an architect specializing in mixed-use arts and entertainment spaces.
Haynes "My design background ultimately inspired me to pursue a career in consumer products combining my talents with marketing and strategy in a comprehensive general management role," he said. "I'm eager to build on the legacy of Stearns & Foster and bring a new perspective on innovation and product development to the brand."

Pfister is helping launch the Next Generation Stearns & Foster line, which was previewed at this month's Las Vegas Market. The line builds upon the brand's signature aesthetic and offers new features designed to deliver new levels of comfort, officials said.

CMI
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — CMI (Colonial Mills Inc.), a manufacturer of braided-texture area rugs and accessories, has hired Kirsten Haynes as national accounts manager and Tim Boyden as IT manager.

Haynes most recently worked as Kentucky and southern Ohio territory manager with both Rizzy Home and CMI. She still covers the territories for CMI, and in her new position will also target potential key accounts ranging from brick-and-mortar stores to online retailers and catalogs. Haynes will work with CMI as an independent contractor.

Boyden most recently worked in the direct mail advertising industry at Valassis Communications. He is responsible for EDI management, website applications, SEO management and software user training.