Homepoint Corporation Appoints New Sales Representatives

Furniture World Magazine

HomePoint (www.homepoint.com), the leading provider of e-business solutions to the home furnishings industry, has announced the addition of twenty-four sales representatives covering the southeast, mid-Atlantic, northeast and other regions. These representatives will strengthen the burgeoning HomePoint sales force, which is now actively expanding the HomePoint Advantage Network, a sophisticated extranet system that links retailers and manufacturers across the country. A key responsibility of the new sales representatives will be educating prospective retailers and manufacturers on the benefits of HomePoint's extranet technology, and signing them on to the HomePoint Advantage Network. As an authorized HomePoint dealer, retailers will enhance their business by taking advantage of an increased product selection, a better flow of information between manufacturers and retailers and smoother inventory management – all with no minimum order requirements. Manufacturers will gain direct access to retailers, improved inventory control and a broader customer base. "My experience in the home furnishings industry has demonstrated the urgent need to reshape the way both products and information move between manufacturers, retailers and consumers," said Amy Streets, sales representative covering the lower South Carolina region. "HomePoint's business-to-business technology solutions are going to help revolutionize what has been a very inefficient process." "Our new sales force has a real understanding of the home furnishings industry and is dedicated to demonstrating to retailers and manufacturers how our technology will increase the overall efficiency and productivity of the marketplace," said Mike West, president and CEO of HomePoint Corporation. "By the end of the year, we expect to expand our sales force even further to extend our Advantage Network across the entire U.S." The HomePoint Advantage Network is a sophisticated extranet system that links retailers and manufacturers across the country. The system allows retailer members to browse through a virtual inventory of in-stock home furnishings items, place orders and more effectively manage inventory. Through the network, retailers gain instant access to a broader range of products. Members can deploy the extranet as a strictly "back-office" tool, or configure the terminal for use with consumers on the retail floor as an "electronic catalog." HomePoint Corporation (www.homepoint.com), headquartered in Greenville, SC, is the leading provider of e-business solutions to the home furnishings industry. The company's unique business-to-business strategy enhances the efficiency and productivity of the home furnishings marketplace through a sophisticated extranet platform that connects manufacturers, retailers and consumers. By streamlining the flow of information and goods, this platform allows retailers to offer consumers an expanded selection and faster delivery. In January 2000, the company completed a $55 million second round of equity financing led by TH Lee.Putnam Internet Partners, Catterton Partners and GE Equity, bringing the total amount raised to $75 million. Contact: Melissa Introne HomePoint (864) 678-1537 melissa.introne@homepoint.com NAME OF SALES REPRESENTATIVES & COVERAGE AREA: Deborah Bowers - Northern Alabama and Mississippi, Southern Tennessee Lyn Burnett - Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Kansas Dan Deas - Eastern North Carolina Ellen Doane - Central Florida Barbara Fancher - Western Tennessee & Western Kentucky David Fletcher - Seattle/Tacoma, Washington Matt Gulielmi - Western Michigan (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo) Greg Heckman - Eastern Tennessee John Heidle - Eastern Virginia and Washington, DC Robby Horton - Upstate South Carolina Cheryl Moberly - Western Michigan (Greater Lansing) Richard Nessly (Regional Manager) - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota Melissa Perry - Cleveland, Ohio Tom Rolleri (Regional Manager) - North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC Bryan Rowley - Salt Lake City, Nevada Sandy Schafer - Detroit, Michigan Joe Sheldon - Northeast Florida. Florida Panhandle, South Georgia Scott Speers (Regional Manager) - Chicago, Illinois Amy Streets - Coastal South Carolina and Coastal Georgia James Thom (Regional Manager) - Detroit, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio Annette Tietsma - Long Island and New York City, New York Harvey Waltzer - Southern Florida Ray West - Eastern Tennessee A. Jeffrey Winne (Regional Manager) - Denver, Colorado Ingrid Wuis - Detroit, Michigan