Ken E. Church joins Southern Furniture Company to position the upholstery manufacturer for strategic growth opportunities

Furniture World Magazine

Preparing for strategic growth and assuring a continuity of top management, upholstered furniture manufacturer Southern Furniture Company named veteran industry executive Ken E. Church president and chief executive officer of the 77-year-old privately held, family operated company. In accepting the position, Church resigned as president of nearby Clayton Marcus Company, a unit of La-Z-Boy Inc., and will officially assume his new management responsibilities in May at Southern Furniture, which sought his expertise as part of a management succession plan and a strategic decision to expand the company into new design and styling directions. “For Southern to be in the right position to respond to dramatic changes and opportunities in the furniture industry, our company needed a strong continuity in management, in the person of an accomplished, “results-oriented” executive, and that’s Ken Church, whose respected management skills will position our company as a more vibrant style leader and business partner to all of our customers,” Bolick said. “Ken is an experienced furniture executive with a proven track record that will bring progressive leadership to our company and allow me more flexibility to focus on strategic issues as well as more quality time with my family.” For Church, 51, he is charged with expanding Southern’s market share and direction which could include growth by acquisition and joint venture relationship. Also, we see opportunities in adding additional “sourced-wood” pieces to complement our primary upholstery business. “While my time at Clayton Marcus was thoroughly fulfilling, the present challenge and overall growth opportunity at Southern Furniture made this a very attractive and compelling choice for this time in my career. Our new company is poised and ready to leverage its style and design leadership to ensure a larger piece of the mid priced upholstery furniture market. My management style promotes teamwork and I am looking forward to working and growing with the new team.” A respected industry leader, Church explained, “Making a move like this is such a sweet sorrow, considering the family I am leaving at Clayton Marcus, in addition to the friends I respect so much throughout the entire La-Z-Boy organization, which has been so good to me.” Church has been working in various management positions at Clayton Marcus since 1984; and previously in management at Broyhill’s Upholstery Division. Up until La-Z-Boy’s 1999 acquisition of LADD Furniture, Church served as group president of the upholstery group.