Hooker creates two teams in case goods division

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, February 13, 2012

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Case goods and upholstery resource Hooker Furniture has reorganized its case goods division into teams with responsibilities for various products, the company announced Tuesday.

It also has promoted four managers with added responsibilities.

Previously the case goods division was overseen by Mike Spece, a former executive vice president of merchandising and design, who retired from the company last year. Now the division will fall under two teams as part of an effort to better focus its merchandising efforts, the company said.

One team will handle home office, home entertainment, youth furniture accents and casual dining. Cindy Hall, most recently a senior product manager, has been named director of merchandising and product administration for this team. She will handle product development and merchandising for these categories. Hall, who has been with Hooker since 1990, reports to Hank Long, senior vice president of marketing.

Hall

Weisglass

Diana Martin, merchandising administrator, is another member of this team. She now will also handle added responsibilities that include coordination and implementation of a Web-based product development system. She has been with the company since 1994 and reports to Hall.

The other team will specialize in the Melange and Envision collections, along with other bedroom and dining room groups. It also will handle limited distribution/proprietary products for select accounts.

Keith Weisglass has been named this team's director of merchandising and major accounts. He previously was an independent sales rep for Hooker and in 2010 became a member of management, handling merchandising and major accounts sales. In the area of major accounts, he reports to Ray Harm, senior vice president of sales, and in the merchandising area reports to Alan Cole, president.

Martin

Wingo

Erica Wingo, another member of this team, has been promoted to senior product manager and reports to Weisglass. She joined the company in 2007 and was most recently a product manager.

Cole said the reorganization addresses the need for more focused merchandising efforts.

"The new team-based and product-specialized approach will clarify responsibilities both internally and externally and help us bring the highest value products to market in a timely manner," he said in a statement.

Cole added that the structure will enhance product development agility and creative collaboration while providing clearer direction, more accountability and opportunities for individual and company growth.