Hickory Hardware Strategically Realigns Retail Sales Force

Furniture World Magazine

Hickory Hardware™ (www.hickoryhardware.com), America's leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of decorative, functional and industrial hardware, announces that it has strategically realigned its retail sales force in order to better serve its customers and provide simpler product purchasing, shipment and payment. Hickory Hardware restructured its retail sales organization into a network of sales representatives with responsibility for specific accounts and regions, allowing the company to offer more customized client service and more direct communication in its retail channels. "In the past, Hickory Hardware customers might have had to go through several sales representatives to get everything they needed from the product line," says John Pelka, vice president of marketing, Hickory Hardware. "Now they can place a single order with Hickory Hardware, get what they need in one shipment, and communicate through a single point of contact." "In 2006, our five major hardware companies combined to form the Hickory Hardware brand," says Pelka. "As we enter the final stages of our brand transition, the new change will allow us to offer more purchasing availability to our customers, opening the lines of communication on so many levels." Within the new retail sales structure, Jon Valsvik, Hickory Hardware vice president of retail sales, now heads a team of sales executives who will service the largest Hickory Hardware chain store, co-op and independent retail accounts, as well as the company's four North American sales regions. Reporting to this executive sales team is a group of regional managers who will oversee relationships with the company's manufacturer's rep organizations. The new retail sales executive team begins in the chain store channel with Dale Enos, Hickory Hardware special projects representative, who manages the Menard's®, EXPO®, and The Great Indoors® accounts. Account manager Mark Schluter now works with Lowe's®, while Hickory Hardware manager Wade Walker serves Home Depot®. Sales director Clair Tripp serves the Western and Midwestern United States accounts, as well as the company's co-op accounts, including Ace Hardware®, True Value®, and Do It Best®. Hickory Hardware sales director David Siebert represents the Eastern and Southeastern United States and Canadian accounts. Reporting to Tripp are two regional sales managers and a co-op sales manager. Four regional sales managers report to Siebert. Hickory Hardware maintains a separate OEM sales organization to serve its larger OEM customers, such as Rubbermaid®, Larson® and Ethan Allen®. For sales or marketing information, contact Hickory Hardware toll-free at (877) 556-2918 or e-mail info@hickoryhardware.com. For media information, contact Lauren A. Frohne, public relations, Koroberi, Inc. (www.koroberi.com), by phone at (919) 960-9794 ext. 25 or by e-mail at lauren@koroberi.com. ##### About Hickory Hardware Hickory Hardware™ brings together some of the finest hardware companies in the world — Belwith International, Faultless Caster, Keeler Brass Company, Madico, and Wright Products. The company designs, manufactures and markets decorative, functional and industrial hardware to the retail, wholesale distribution, and OEM furniture and cabinetmaker markets under the brand names Hickory Hardware, Belwith, Faultless Caster, Keeler Brass, Madico, Period Brass, and Wright Products. For more information, visit www.hickoryhardware.com.