Shakley takes reigns as president of Glenoit Rugs

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 5/3/2004 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

In a changing of the guard, industry veteran Mark Shakley — who co-founded Newmark Rugs and later sold it to Mohawk Industries — has been named president of Glenoit Rugs.

He succeeds Kevin Ken-nedy, who held the post for the past several years and resigned last week. Kennedy could not be reached for comment.

Shakley reports to Barry Leonard, president and CEO of Glenoit.

Shakley was first hired by Glenoit several months ago as a consultant to create a bath rug line and enhance the division's accent and scatter offerings with more imported goods and updated fashions. Such new introductions were launched in March during the New York Home Textiles Market.

Shakley said that the "reception (from retailers) for our bath rugs at market was spectacular. And I'm looking forward to strengthening our area- and accent-rug offerings, which offer a huge potential for us."

Shakley's appointment is part of a broader strategy. The company's Glenoit Rugs and Ex-Cell Home Fashions divisions are now working more closely, with alignments in research, product development and sourcing, Shakley said.

"Mark has been working closely with me over past several months in developing a strategic plan for Glenoit Rugs, and I am looking forward to his leadership in executing those strategies," Leonard said.

Before Leonard came on board in April 2002, Kennedy, a longtime industry player, had worked at Glenoit for several years under the company's former CEO, Tom O'Gorman, who passed away two years ago.