Ashley Furniture Inds. has restructured its sales divisions and sales management with a goal of boosting efficiencies and eliminating redundancies, according to company CEO Todd Wanek.
The new divisional structure, which takes effect Jan. 1, will be segmented into three product categories: stationary upholstery, motion upholstery and case goods.
As part of the move, Ashley will engage its independent marketing specialists to be dedicated to each division in order to ensure that the sales organization continues to offer a superior level of product knowledge, product training and assistance to retail customers in areas including advertising and marketing.
Each division will handle products under the Ashley, Millennium and Signature Design by Ashley brands.
The Case Goods Division will represent products including bedroom, dining room and top-of-bed goods.
The Motion Upholstery Division “will key in on the family’s casual living area, and will also include both fabric and leather motion, lift-top and caster occasional tables, home office and walls and entertainment centers,” Wanek said.
The Stationary Upholstery Division will include fabric and leather stationary upholstery, lamps, rugs, throws, decorative pillows, tabletop accessories and occasional tables.
Wanek said that until earlier this month, the company had depended on three divisional sales vice presidents with each responsible for a product brand – Ashley, Millennium or Signature Design by Ashley. Often, these divisions would work with the same accounts in representing their respective brands.
However, as of Dec. 1, the vice presidents have been regionally focused. The vice presidents continue to report to Kerry Lebensburger, Ashley’s president of sales.
“Simply put, prior to this refocus, each of the divisions would often call on the same accounts,” explained Ashley Chairman Ron Wanek.
“There were also some instances where the products overlapped each other,” he said. “As part of our ongoing commitment to be as efficient as possible, we made these changes in order to serve our dealers at the highest level.”
Source: www.furnituretoday.com