The August 15 edition of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® revealed the 11th Annual “Players,” people to watch in housewares during the next 12 months.
Selected by HomeWorld Business editors, the Players represent a cross section of a diverse housewares business— from established to newly installed company leaders; from large to small operations, from big-box to specialty retailers; from trade show managers to celebrity endorsers.
The HomeWorld Players are in the spotlight not only for how they might impact their respective organizations in the coming months, but also for how they might impact the overall housewares business.
Jay Jordan, Ameriwood, President
PLAYER’S CREDENTIALS: In September, Jay Jordan became president of Ameriwood at a time when the company was reorganizing its ready-to-assemble furniture business. The Dorel Industries division, which has brought both its import and North American-produced operations under the Ameriwood brand to increase flexibility and maximize resources, tapped Jordan to build and address opportunities in the market.
Prior to his Ameriwood appointment, Jordan was president of Homestar North America, a division of Homestar Corp. of Fuzhou, China, which produces ready-to-assemble furniture, storage and electric fireplaces. Previously, he acted as vp/sales at True Design, director of sales at Whirlpool Corp., vp/sales, North America at Masco Corp.’s Tvilum-Scanbirk division, president/general manager at Masco’s d-Scan division and national accounts manager at Sauder Woodworking.
WHAT TO WATCH: The Ameriwood and Altra businesses at Dorel have operated with a degree of distinction, with Altra focused on the import element of the product portfolio. Today, Jordan supervises a division that has been integrated specifically so the RTA business, now operating under the Ameriwood banner but with Altra as a brand name, can apply what is best accomplished internationally and in North America to create product lines that are trend right and available in response to customer demand.
In fact, Ameriwood has integrated other advantages provided by its Dorel parent, developing a line of baby and juvenile furniture using the Cosco brand, which is well established in the market for car seats and related baby gear products. Ameriwood also has been expanding its business in storage as it becomes a more expansive resource for both brick-and-mortar and online retailers.
PERSPECTIVE: The Ameriwood growth strategy seems to be paying off under Jordan. Earlier this year, Dorel posted its best quarter in years, and noted that it got a lift from e-commerce sales, adding that it had identified the online business as a growing opportunity and placed furniture with more online-based customers.
2017 HomeWorld Business Players (click on name for profile):
- Jeff Gennette, Macy’s
- Ulrik Garde Due, Fiskars
- Patrick Schneider, International Innovation Company
- Ernie Herrman, TJX Companies
- Bill Foley, Libbey
- Doug Kellam, ZeroWater
- Steve Greenspon, Honey-Can-Do International
- Anne Willis, Whitford Corporation
- Michael Polk, Newell Brands
- Karen and Brad Hughes, Artichoke
- Don Saller, Jokari
- Carmen Nestares, Amazon
- Neal Asbury, The Legacy Companies
- Jay Jordan, Ameriwood
- Dave Richmond, Tre Milano/InStyler
- Robert Gamgort, Keurig Green Mountain
- Jennifer Dalquist, Nordic Ware
- Steve Matyas, Staples
- Marc Sculler, Twin-Star International
- Bob Kellermann and Henry Lodge, Lodge Manufacturing