Cone Mills adds senior executives

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/26/2002 2:04:00 PM

Greensboro, NC — After taking a hard look at its home furnishings fabric business, Cone Mills Corp. has installed two additional senior executives to bring it up to speed.

Larry Wright, who has been working with Cone for a year as a consultant, has been named general manager of Cone Jacquards, the home furnishings operations, said John Bekane, ceo of the parent company.

Jim Garner, who had been with the home furnishings division since its inception as head of the manufacturing segment, and later left to join Burlington, has returned to head manufacturing, Bekane said.

"We split the home furnishings business in August '01 when we sold the print segment to Richloom," Bekane said. "I assumed the role of general manager, and Tom Finneran was my right arm in sales. But this wasn't doing justice to the business, as the home furnishings business moved so quickly to different ways of doing things. So I put Larry in for full-time oversight. Tom continues focused on marketing as our senior vp, marketing and sales."

Under the new game plan, there are four dedicated design teams, Bekane explained: top-of-bed, outdoor, furniture and hospitality.