Welcome to our weekly roundup of employee comings and goings and other people-related news across the home furnishings industry. Here’s the latest:
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New Classic Furniture has promoted Bryon Verne to West Coast sales manager.
With 27 years of experience in the furniture industry and an 18-year tenure with New Classic Furniture, Verne will report to Scott Hill, president of sales, in his new role.
Verne will continue managing his current territory while also overseeing West Coast sales representatives. In addition, he will contribute to product development initiatives and help drive growth for both New Classic Furniture and GigaCloud Technology marketplace sales.
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Materio, a project operating system for interior designers and design-build teams, has named Jaime Brown head of sales & partnerships.
In this role, Brown will lead Materio’s inbound sales strategy, customer engagement and partnerships, reflecting the brand’s continued investment in building a leadership team rooted in the realities of the design and build industry.
Brown brings over a decade of experience helping interior design and design-build firms modernize operations and scale with purpose-built systems. Prior to joining Materio, Brown held senior leadership roles at Studio Designer and DesignDocs.
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Retail home furnishings veteran Joseph E. Murphy, Jr., who was head designer for Safavieh Home Furnishings for two decades prior to retirement, passed away peacefully on Feb. 7.
“Joe contributed greatly to the growth and success of our retail group and pioneered the concept of in-house design associates to better assist our customers,” said Michael Yaraghi, president of the 10-store Safavieh chain, which has locations in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
“His merchandising innovation and trend forecasting were key contributors to our company’s growth and success. Even after his retirement, Joe maintained friendships with our team and was a trusted advisor to me personally. He will be dearly missed,” Yaraghi said.
