Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
David Long Joins King Koil, EVP of Innovation and Marketing
August 17,
2018 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Executive Changes, Industry
Longtime mattress industry executive David Long, who has been director of marketing and product development at E.S. Kluft & Co., has joined King Koil as its first EVP of innovation and marketing.
After spending several decades designing and creating some of the industry’s most successful luxury brands, including the E.S. Kluft exclusive line for Bloomingdale’s and the revived Aireloom brand, Long will be responsible for King Koil’s new product and brand development.
“Retailers throughout the United States have an enormous respect for David’s ability in product innovation, style and brand building. No question, he is the most talented brand builder and product designer in our industry today and will be a great asset for us as we redefine, enhance and expand our product line-up. His choosing to come to our company to help us grow our company to a new level is very exciting,” said David Binke, CEO of King Koil.
“When I look at King Koil today, it feels like 2005 when I joined Kluft and started to build that company. King Koil is a clean table where I can take product to where it has never been before,” said Long. “I have always been taken aback by how beautiful King Koil product has been. David shares my passion that mattress making is not only about efficiency and cost, but more importantly we design products that the end consumers and our retail customers will love.”
Long will work from King Koil’s new Phoenix-area plant. The move comes as something of a homecoming for him, as he graduated from the University of Arizona and then launched his career in the mattress industry as a sales rep at the Simmons Mattress Co. plant in the city. He spent 16 years with Simmons and left the company as vp of national accounts. He then joined Spring Air in Los Angeles. He was at Kluft for the past 14 years.