Heritage Home Reorganizes; Brings Back Dondero to Lead Broyhill

December 7, 2017  by Larry Thomas in Business Strategy, Executive Changes, Industry   

Dondero, who had been president of high-end resource Theodore Alexander since 2007, has been named president of Broyhill, returning to a post he held from 2005 to 2007 when Broyhill was part of Furniture Brands International.

Earlier in his career, Dondero also headed Universal Furniture and was CEO of the World Market Center in Las Vegas before that facility and several High Point showroom buildings were brought under common ownership.

“His deep knowledge of this over 100-year-old brand and its unique position to serve the mid-range market will allow Harvey to lead Broyhill into the future,” Heritage Home said in a statement announcing the reorganization.

The second business unit, Thomasville & Co., is comprised of the Thomasville, Drexel and Henredon brands, and the company said Regan Iglesia has been named president of that unit.

Iglesia joined HHG in January 2016 and has served as chief merchandising officer, overseeing all merchandising, licensing and marketing functions of the company.  He came to HHG from Waterford/Wedgwood, where he held a number of senior leadership positions in sales, product development and marketing during his 24-year career.

The Thomasville, Drexel and Henredon brands are sold primarily through retail furniture stores including a network of company owned retail stores. HHG said the three brands will be positioned with a good - better - best price point structure within the premium segment, and offer three distinctive design categories with a classic, contemporary, and luxe style aesthetic, respectively.

HHG’s contract division, which serves the hospitality and government markets, will also be part of the Thomasville & Co. business unit.

The third business unit, the Luxury Group, consists of the Hickory Chair, Pearson, Maitland-Smith and Lane Venture brands. The company said Kevin Bowman, who has been vice president of sale for luxury brands at HHG since June 2016, will head this division.

Throughout his 20-year career in the furniture and retail industries, he has held executive-level positions with several prominent furniture companies, including executive vice president of sales and marketing for Avalon Furniture and vice president of sales and retail development for Thomasville Furniture Industries.

“We firmly believe that the creation of these three unique business units will provide the focus and resources that our brands need to efficiently respond to the specific demands of their customers in this fast changing retail environment and secure the next phase of growth for our company,” said Pierre de Villemejane, HHG’s president and CEO.

The changes were made following HHG’s sale of its Lane Furniture business to United Furniture. That deal included Lane’s factory in Belden, Miss., and a recliner mechanism plant in High Point, N.C.