Bob Choppa rejoins Lexington as upholstery operations VP

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, May 8, 2012

THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Industry veteran Bob Choppa has returned to Lexington Home Brands as senior vice president of upholstery operations, a newly created position.

Bob Choppa

Choppa was most recently president of high-end manufacturer Hickory White, and served in a leadership role at sister company CTH Sherrill Occasional.

Before joining Hickory White, Choppa was vice president and general manager of upholstery operations for Lexington Home Brands. He held that role from 2006 until May 2010 when he joined Hickory White.

Before joining Lexington, he was senior vice president of upholstery merchandising at Thomasville Furniture. Over the years, he also has worked for Century and Hickory Tavern, then a division of Lane Furniture.

In his new role, Choppa will be responsible for upholstery operations, including the new Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living product. He reports to Phil Haney, president and CEO. Jim Telleysh, vice president and general manager of upholstery operations, reports to Choppa.

"I am delighted at the opportunity to welcome back an executive with Bob's breadth and depth of experience to our senior management team," Haney said in a statement. "Lexington upholstery has delivered four consecutive years of double-digit growth for our dealers and the company. Under the leadership of Bob Choppa and Jim Telleysh, this segment of our business is poised for even more dramatic growth, both organically and through strategic acquisition."

"I have worked with a number of exceptional companies in the industry," Choppa said in a statement. "The executive team at Lexington, however, has demonstrated a unique ability to leverage innovative product development with aggressive marketing and great retail presentation to capture a strong position of leadership in the upscale market. Their ability to consistently and significantly grow share in the face of challenging business conditions serves as validation. I am energized at the opportunity to rejoin a management team for which I have a great deal of respect."

The company said that Choppa and Telleysh will be based at the company's upholstery manufacturing complex in Hildebran, N.C.