Spectra Home Taps Cribbs for President

July 17, 2018  by Laurie Northington in Executive Changes, Industry   

Cribbs was most recently president and owner of RowOne Home Entertainment, a brand focused on entertainment and home theater seating. Grand Rapids-based RowOne will now become part of Spectra Home, a division of Shayne International Holdings, Ltd., based in Hangzhou, China.

“Robert Cribbs has been a furniture veteran for more than 25 years and he knows both upholstery and casegoods,” said Jay Shane, managing director of Shayne International. “He has an excellent reputation in the industry and is well respected by all the major dealers. I am sure with his expertise in furniture merchandising, marketing and leadership, that our company will soon be recognized as a significant player in the medium- to high-end furniture market.”

Eyeing expansion into other new product categories under the Spectra name, Cribbs noted the possibility of adding both motion and wood furniture and hinted at a whole home strategy as he moves forward.

“Dealers can expect to see us move quickly in a number of new directions, not only in terms of product categories, but also with game-changing programs and services,” said Cribbs. “We believe the landscape is changing swiftly, as are the needs and expectations of today’s consumers, and we think that it’s high time to change the perception of the traditional furniture industry.”

“In short order, retailers and designers will see that Spectra Home is set on bringing ‘sexy’ back to the upholstered furniture business, and that our goal is to be a fun and exciting company with the needs of dealers and designers at the heart of everything we do,” Cribbs added.

Prior to launching RowOne, he purchased the intellectual rights to Jasper Cabinet and successfully brought that company out of bankruptcy. At Jasper, his responsibilities included the financial well-being of the concern, as well as product development, domestic and import strategy, and sales and marketing.

Other career highlights include sales and marketing for Hekman/Woodmark, as well as leading the residential furniture division of Kimball International where he developed the import strategy and program for Kimball Home and Kimball International.

Early on in his career, the executive served as a regional sales manager for both La-Z-Boy Inc., and Sealy Inc., and as a sales representative for Broyhill, Stanley Furniture and Schnadig in both residential and contract furnishings.

Still, he says, “After running my own companies, I never thought I would return to a corporate environment. But Spectra Home is a perfect fit for me and the opportunity to be a part of the expansion of this already successful business was just too great to turn down. I’m excited to be leading a team with the same desire as my own to be part of a forward-thinking company, and we believe it’s high time to start shaking things up with great products and marketing ideas.”