Kingsdown Names Home Furnishings Vet Global COO

Furniture World News Desk on 8/22/2022

Luxury bedding manufacturer, Kingsdown, Inc., has appointed Gene Pierce, a widely respected home furnishings industry executive, its global chief operating officer.

Pierce is responsible for managing day-to-day operations, providing strategic guidance, and overseeing daily administrative and operational functions. He reports to Kingsdown’s President and CEO Frank Hood.

Pierce most recently was with United Furniture Industries in Tupelo, Miss., one of the largest furniture producers in the U.S. and parent of Lane Home Furnishings. For seven years, he held various senior leadership roles, including vice president of operations and vice president of manufacturing. During his time at United Furniture, Pierce managed a network of 15 facilities that spanned more than 9 million square feet of production and distribution space.

He started his professional career working in the automotive industry, moving onto sporting goods, industrial lighting and ultimately furniture manufacturing in 2009. Pierce spent six years at well-known high-end manufacturing companies, Philips Lighting and Furniture Brands International.

“Everyone in our industry can appreciate the value a seasoned operations leader brings to an organization. The challenges from supply chain to labor have never been greater, yet we are fortunate to have someone like Gene on our team to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our organization,” said Hood. 

Pierce said the fact that Kingsdown is one of home furnishings industry’s most iconic and well-established brands, with a growing global reach, made the position very compelling for him.

“I have had the privilege to work for some of the leading brands in the home furnishings space over the course of my career and am honored to join Kingsdown with its rich heritage for producing high-quality products,” he said. “The Kingsdown team has so much talent and energy, which translates into great results for our customers. It is an exciting time for our industry and The Kingsdown Group.”  

Pierce received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, and master’s in business administration from Mississippi State University. He recently relocated from Mississippi to Mebane, North Carolina, where he will reside with his wife, Susan.

About Kingsdown, Inc.
 Kingsdown, Inc., founded in 1904 and headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, is a manufacturer of premium mattress systems that serves leading retailers across the United States, Canada, and in more than 20 countries. Each Kingsdown product is manufactured using handcrafted techniques, combined with state-of-the-art research, materials and equipment.

Research and development, manufacturing and distribution facilities are headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, with international offices located in England, Hong Kong and Japan. Canadian manufacturing and distribution are based in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Additional manufacturing facilities are located in California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Australia, Brazil, China, England, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan and Vietnam. In 2018, The Kingsdown Group was formed through the acquisition of Zedbed International, a leading foam mattress manufacturer, and the merger of Owen & Company with Kingsdown, Inc. to form one of the fastest-growing sleep technology groups in North America. For more information, visit www.kingsdown.com.