Dondero New CEO at World Market Center

September 27, 2006  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on September 2006 In addition to breaking ground on its third building Wednesday, the World Market Center in Las Vegas named Harvey Dondero chief executive officer of the Las Vegas facility.

A Las Vegas native and 32-year home furnishings industry veteran, Dondero most recently was chief executive officer of Furniture Brands International division Broyhill Furniture Inds. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of Universal. He also served as president and chief executive officer of high-end importer Maitland-Smith from 1994 to 1999.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Dondero started his career with Wedgwood, and has traveled around the world leading a number of companies in all facets of the industry including furniture, decorative accessories, lighting, flooring, table top and giftware, both in the United States and overseas.

“We are extremely pleased and excited to have named Harvey as the CEO,” said Jack Kashani and Shawn Samson, WMC managing partners, in a release. “This is a significant milestone not only for the benefit of World Market Center but also for the benefit of the industry we serve. Having spent the last few years putting together the best team and talents for all aspects of World Market Center and Las Vegas Market, including leasing, marketing, operations, trade show management, construction and financing, the time is right to enlist a new team leader who will execute our vision as the founders and partners. Harvey’s many years as an exhibitor and buyer give him a unique insight as to how we can further enhance our Market for the benefit of the industry.”

Dondero said the World Market Center represents significant opportunity for the home furnishings industry.

“This is a total paradigm shift,” said Dondero. “I saw this opportunity as a way for me to make the greatest impact on the industry and be a facilitator of change. World Market Center presents an entirely new platform to address the new dynamics of the industry in the 21st century. The industry’s landscape has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades and buyers and manufacturers need an entirely new more productive and efficient platform.”

“World Market Center will become more than a market place; it will become the key to linking and empowering the creative, manufacturing, marketing, buying and selling processes,” Dondero said. “The opportunity is to put all of these pieces together and make this industry, which represent more than $100 billion in annual consumer spending, more robust and efficient. It is very exciting to be associated once again with Las Vegas, a vibrant, growing, dynamic and energetic international city. Las Vegas and its unmatchable infrastructure will be a key pillar of World Market Center’s becoming the Market to the world.”