Hooker Taps Alan Cole for New Executive Position in Upholstery

Furniture World Magazine

Hooker Furniture Corporation announced the appointment of industry veteran Alan D. Cole to the new position of Executive Vice President of Upholstery, in which he will oversee the operations of Hooker Furniture (HFC) subsidiaries Bradington-Young and Sam Moore Furniture. Cole, who has held senior executive positions at leading upholstered furniture companies including Broyhill, Berkline and Schnadig, “has the expertise in upholstery that uniquely qualifies him to help us realize one of our strategic objectives, which is to become a more important and complete upholstered furniture resource,” said Paul B. Toms Jr., chairman, chief executive officer and president of HFC. Scott Young, president of Cherryville, N.C.-based leather seating specialist Bradington-Young, and Mike Moldenhauer, president of Bedford, Va.-based upscale custom upholstery specialist Sam Moore, will report to Cole. “We are excited to have someone of Alan’s caliber, intellect, character and industry experience join our organization,” Toms continued. Cole has served as president and/or chief executive of two of the largest furniture companies in the industry. He was a partner in the leading mid-priced upholstery firm Berkline Corporation of Morristown, Tenn., where he served as president from 1991-1996. He served as president and chief executive of Lifestyle Furnishings International in 2000-2001, which at the time was the largest U.S. producer of home furnishings with revenues over $2 billion, with subsidiaries including Henredon, Drexel Heritage, Lexington Home Brands and Maitland-Smith. Most recently, Cole was president and chief executive of Chicago-based Schnadig Corp. from 2004 to 2006, and was a member of the Hooker Furniture Board of Directors in 2003. In addition to overseeing the operations of Sam Moore and Bradington-Young, Cole will help develop further growth plans for Hooker’s imported accent chair product line. He also will be involved in strategic planning for HFC and will oversee any future acquisitions of upholstered furniture operations. “It’s a great honor to rejoin the Hooker team,” said Cole. “Hooker’s history of partnership with its customers; industry and community citizenship; and its genuine respect for its people make this a natural decision for me. I’m eager to bring helpful and complementary skills and experience to this highly capable organization.” Ranked among the nation's top 10 largest publicly traded furniture sources based on 2006 shipments to U.S. retailers, Hooker Furniture is an 83-year old residential wood, metal and upholstered furniture resource. The Company's principal customers are home furnishings retailers who are broadly dispersed throughout North America. Major wood furniture product categories include home entertainment, home office, accent, dining, bedroom and bath furniture. Hooker’s residential upholstered seating companies include Cherryville, N.C.-based Bradington-Young, a specialist in upscale motion and stationary leather furniture, and Bedford, Va.-based Sam Moore Furniture, a specialist in upscale occasional chairs with an emphasis on fabric-to-frame customization.