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Shoemaker to Lead King Koil Global Licensing
September 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on September 25, 2012
Mattress vendor Comfort Solutions has named Owen Shoemaker to a newly created post, senior vice president of its international King Koil licensing business.
Shoemaker reports to Dave Roberts, president and COO of Comfort Solutions, Willowbrook, Ill. Shoemaker joined Comfort Solutions in 2009 as vice president of product development, following 18 years in the mattress industry, related industries and in mattress retailing. He was promoted to senior vice president of product marketing and development in 2010.
This new strategic initiative reflects the size, scope and rapid expansion in recent years of the King Koil brand overseas, Roberts said. Its also aimed at increasing the marketing presence and uniformity of King Koil across the globe. At the same time our objective is to help each international licensee expand its business and continue to be innovative in the context of its local market demands.
Referring to Shoemaker as a valued member of the executive team with extensive experience in product innovation and marketing, Roberts said Shoemaker will continue to be involved in those pursuits on behalf of Comfort Solutions, while focusing his expertise on accelerating the companys international King Koil business.
At present, Comfort Solutions has 37 overseas licensees serving 80 countries. The company recently announced its sixth perpetual license agreement, signed last month with its Shanghai, China-based licensee. Under the new contract, King Koil-China will not only continue to market the brand throughout its home country but also will supply 50 new King Koil retail outlets to be opened in 2013. As many as 500 King Koil stores across China are planned over the next five years.
The growth of our King Koil business and brand overseascoupled with the continued escalation in global, Web-based consumer trafficcalls for us to provide mattress shoppers worldwide with the strongest possible perspective on our products, concepts and values, Shoemaker said.
Under its Never Stop Dreaming brand message, Comfort Solutions markets multiple sleep collections, including iMattress, Laura Ashley, Natural Response and The Dr. Breus Bed, in addition to its King Koil products.