Experienced IKEA Manager To Lead Utah Store

Furniture World News

IKEA, a leading home furnishings retailer, announced the appointment of Paul Janzen as store manager for the IKEA store opening next spring in Draper, UT – just south of Salt Lake City. The store will be the Swedish company’s first in the Mountain West and 30th in the U.S. Until the future IKEA Draper opens in Spring 2007, Utah customers can shop at IKEA stores in Covina, CA; Tempe, AZ; West Sacramento, or online at www.IKEA.com. “We are very excited about opening a store in Draper, where the location will attract customers from throughout Utah and beyond,” noted IKEA North America president Pernille Lopez. “Paul’s wide-ranging experience at our newer Vancouver-area store has prepared him for managing this store in Utah, where we already have some customers while others may not know us yet.” “IKEA recognizes the strong customer base for us in the Salt Lake area, so I am very pleased about the opportunity to provide these customers with a store right here in Draper,” explained Janzen. “I also look forward to introducing new customers to our unique family-friendly shopping experience and wide selection of stylish, functional and affordable home furnishings.” Janzen, who relocated recently to the Salt Lake Valley from Vancouver, British Columbia, has served in several key positions prior to becoming store manager of IKEA Draper. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada, he started his IKEA career after 12 years working in music retail. He joined IKEA in early 2002 as part of the management team hired to open the second Vancouver-area store, in Coquitlam, BC. After serving as logistics manager, Janzen became the assistant store manager of services. Until recently, he was human resource manager at IKEA Coquitlam. Under construction on 22.5 acres along Pony Express Drive at the northwestern corner of I-15 and Bangerter Highway, the 310,000 square-foot future IKEA Draper will include 1,500 parking spaces, generate 500 construction jobs, and welcome approximately 350 coworkers into the IKEA family. In addition to 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA Draper will present 50 different room settings, three complete model homes, a supervised children’s play area, and a 300-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries or salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a Children’s IKEA area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. While the future IKEA Draper progresses through construction and outfitting phases, the recruitment of future coworkers is in full-swing. Candidates interested in working at this employer of choice can apply online (www.IKEA-usa.com) for positions in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, receiving, warehouse and stock replenishment. Also, unlike area retailers, IKEA Draper will offer – among the 350 total positions to be hired– approximately 80 food service opportunities in its Restaurant, Swedish Foodmarket, Café Bistro and coworker cafeteria. There currently are more than 245 IKEA stores in 34 countries, including 29 in the U.S., where the company plans to open approximately three to five stores a year. Other U.S. stores are being planned in: Brooklyn, NY; Orlando, FL; Portland, OR; Somerville, MA; Sunrise, FL; and West Chester, OH. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” List (two years in a row), Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” (three years in a row) and Training magazine’s annual “Top 100” ranking of companies that excel at human capital development (four years in a row). IKEA incorporates environmentally and socially responsible efforts into day-to-day business, and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. For the IKEA Web Site or for information about working at IKEA, please go to www.IKEA-usa.com.