Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Towner Joins American Leather Holdings as VP of Strategic Sales
February 15,
2019 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Executive Changes, Industry 
Premium furniture manufacturing group American Leather Holdings has appointed Russell Towner as vice president of strategic sales.
Towner will provide strategic sales and business development direction for American Leather, Lee Inds. and Brookline Furniture, the three home furnishings brands comprising American Leather Holdings.
“Each of these companies brings a unique offering to the market, with the unprecedented ability to offer speed, customization and great design,” said Towner, adding that he looks forward to working with the three ALH brands to grow their reach and reputation.
With more than 20 years of industry experience, Towner has built a reputation for creating strong dealer partnerships, implementing strategies to optimize distribution channels, driving product development direction and building a collaborative team environment.
Towner came to American Leather Holdings from Baker Interiors Group, where he served as president and CEO. In this capacity, he had oversight over three manufacturing facilities, 18 to-the-trade showrooms and was responsible for establishing and implementing strategic direction in all functional areas for the brands of Baker and McGuire. He also led the company though the ownership transition from Kohler to Samson Holdings in 2017 and the major rebranding effort of this 125-year-old brand.
Prior to Baker, Towner served as president of Theodore Alexander USA, where he was responsible for all facets of the North American subsidiary of Theodore Alexander. During his tenure, he oversaw changes in the distribution channel strategy, shifts in product development direction, and the integration of TRS, a high-end upholstery manufacturing company purchased by Theodore Alexander in 2012.
Towner also has held posts at Taracea USA, Henredon Furniture and IBM.
“Russell has proven himself as an industry leader,” said Bruce Birnbach, CEO of American Leather Holdings. “He has significant executive-level experience working for some of the most respected premium home furnishing brands. His joining our organization puts us in a fantastic position to further distinguish ourselves in the premium space.”