Jeff Young To Replace Seamus Bateson As Maitland-Smith's Interim President

Furniture World Magazine

W.G. (Mickey) Holliman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Furniture Brands International, Inc., announced the appointment of Jeff Young as interim President of Maitland-Smith. Mr. Young will continue in his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer of HDM Furniture Industries, a subsidiary of Furniture Brands International. Seamus Bateson, President of Maitland-Smith since 1999, will be leaving the Company on Friday, April 21, 2006. Mr. Holliman stated, “Seamus has done an outstanding job at Maitland-Smith and we appreciate his contributions during his tenure with our company. We are sad to see him leave, but he has been offered an outstanding opportunity outside the residential furniture industry and we wish him all the best as he pursues that opportunity. Seamus leaves behind a strong foundation that will continue to drive Maitland-Smith on its path of sustained growth.” Mr. Young added, “We will begin a search immediately for an individual to replace Seamus as President. An exciting new Maitland-Smith product line-up has already been developed for the upcoming April market and we will be conducting business as usual throughout the market. The Maitland-Smith leadership team will continue to operate under the current sound business model which is serving our company so well today.” Furniture Brands International is one of America’s largest residential furniture companies. The company produces, sources and markets its products under six of the best-known brand names in the industry – Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville, Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland-Smith.