Hooker realigns corporate posts

Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, October 13, 2012

AlbaneseMARTINSVILLE, Va. - Hooker Furniture has hired industry veteran Johne Albanese and has expanded Mike Delgatti's duties, creating two new senior corporate marketing and sales positions.
     Hooker said it aims to strengthen its Internet and mobile marketing and realign its corporate reporting structure with the moves.
     Albanese, who most recently was a senior executive with retail software provider MicroD, has been named vice president of corporate marketing. Delgatti has been named executive vice president of corporate sales.
     He also will continue in his current role as president of Hooker upholstery.
     Both report to Alan Cole, president of Hooker Furniture.
     Albanese will lead integration of marketing at Hooker, Bradington-Young and Sam Moore. Kim Shaver, vice president of marketing communications, will report to Albanese.
     Albanese has extensive experience with Internet marketing and ecommerce. Before joining MicroD, he wDelgattias a retail executive at Bassett Furniture and worked with other industry companies.
     Albanese's understanding of the traditional furniture business and Internet and mobile marking should help the company and its retailers better engage young consumers, the company said in a press release.
     Albanese will be based in Martinsville.
     Delgatti's move comes as Hooker realigns parts of its corporate reporting structure. He is now responsible for sales management of Hooker case goods, Bradington-Young/Seven Seas and Sam Moore.
     Reporting to Delgatti are Ray Harm, senior vice president of sales for Hooker case goods; Craig Young, senior vice president of sales for Bradington-Young/Seven Seas; and Frank Richardson, vice president of sales for Sam Moore.
     Delgatti joined Hooker in 2009 as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Bradington-Young and was later promoted to executive vice president - then president - of Hooker upholstery.
     Cole said Delgatti has "successfully expanded Sam Moore's line to include sofas and sectionals and has helped to nearly double sales in the Seven Seas leather division."