Weir's Furniture Makes Historic Leadership Announcement
First non-family member in over 66 years named CEO
DALLAS, Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas-based and family-owned Weir's Furniture today announced that its Board of Directors elected Jamie Hawley as the company's first Chief Executive Officer. Hawley will fill the now vacant position and assume responsibilities as CEO on January 5. Long time Weir's employee, Craig Kilgore, was also named Chief Operating Officer. Hawley, 54, brings more than 25 years of strong retail industry experience across multiple sectors for Fortune 500, public and private corporations to his new role. Hawley is the first Weir non-family member CEO and is filling the position of the trusted furniture leader after an extensive national search.
An employee with Weir's since 1989, Kilgore most recently served as interim CEO. Also formerly the manager of the retailer's flagship store on Knox Street, he brings great depth to his new role as COO, having held several different positions during his 25 years with the company.
Hawley's first priority will be to continue to build the Weir's brand and its well-known customer service experience while maintaining its competitive prices in the marketplace. Hawley is an innovative strategist with a career history of managing operations exceeding $6B in sales and 1,000+ employees. Known to produce substantial profitability with customer-focused brand strategies, he also has diverse leadership experience and a highly respected reputation that fits well into the Weir's family leadership team.
"We are extremely pleased to add a proven visionary to lead the Weir's Furniture team," said Todd Moore, Weir's Furniture Chairman of the Board and third-generation family member. "Jamie is an excellent fit with Weir's Furniture and his background makes him the right person to lead our company to the next level of its growth and development, while continuing to embrace and uphold our core values of providing quality at exceptional value and service to our customers. He embodies our values of servant leadership and remaining customer-centric in all company decisions."
Prior to joining Weir's Furniture, Hawley was a corporate consultant and interim executive for companies in the food and beverage, telecommunications and restaurant industries along with a nonprofit ministry organization. Most recently he served as the president of U.S. operations for a privately-held food company where he implemented proprietary brand strategies that resulted in a 30% increase of gross revenues, quadrupled net income and grew the company's market share by 45%. A native of Oregon and Plano resident, Hawley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from University of Oregon and a Masters of Arts in marketing from Webster University.
"I am honored to join Weir's Furniture and build on one of North Texas' great brands," said Hawley. "The Weir family has created a strong foundation of smart business practices and genuine care and concern for their employees and customers. Those cornerstones are timeless and will continue to hold true for the company as we forge into the future."
J. Ray Weir and his wife, Bea, founded Weir's Early American Shop in 1948 on Knox Street in Dallas. The store grew to become Weir's Furniture, offering quality furniture and home accessories and now has store locations in Dallas, Farmers Branch, Plano and Southlake, Texas. Todd Moore serves as Chairman of the Board and is the youngest grandchild of J. Ray Weir.
Connect with Weir's Furniture on Twitter (@weirsfurniture) and Facebook (facebook.com/WeirsFurniture) or visit www.weirsfurniture.com for more information.
About Weir's Furniture
Founded in 1948, Weir's Furniture is a local, family-owned business offering a unique, varied selection of quality home furnishings at affordable prices. From our original location on Knox Street, Weir's now serves customers from multiple locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area and a full service distribution center.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/166837
SOURCE Weir’s Furniture
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