Restonic exec to go
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, November 6, 2006
Palatine, Ill. — Restonic President Carlene Evenson Peterson has announced that she will resign from the mattress company.
Peterson, the first woman to head a Top 15 bedding producer, will remain as president through Dec. 31 or until a successor is named, the company said.
Asked why Peterson is resigning, Restonic Board Chairman Tony Weiler responded: "This has been a pretty busy year for her and for Restonic. I think she realized one year would be enough."
Peterson was unavailable for comment.
She was appointed to the position one year ago to assist the company through a strategic transition, including the design and development of Restonic's flame-retardant products and the construction of the company's permanent showroom at the World Market Center in Las Vegas, both of which will have been completed by the end of the year, Restonic officials said.
Peterson was also charged with leading the company through a leadership transition after the resignation of Restonic's prior president, Kevin Toman.
"The board asked Carlene to resolve those outstanding issues and she has handled them admirably. Both she and her talents will be missed," said Weiler. He said Peterson did "a super job" on the FR issue and that he was "very impressed with her analytical skills."
Other Restonic employees remain in their current positions, Weiler said.
With her departure, she will be the second Restonic president with a relatively short tenure. Peterson succeeded Toman late last year. He joined Restonic in April 2004 and resigned in October 2005.
Peterson joined the bedding industry in 1990 as an industrial engineer at Serta. In 1996 she joined Restonic, where she was vice president of operations before her promotion to senior vice president and interim managing director, then president.
