Surya Rugs Adds Two Sales Executives

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 1/8/2007 12:00:00 AM

Calhoun, Ga. —

Surya Rugs has added two new executives to its team — Jeff Gonzalez and Joan Catello. Gonzalez becomes national sales vp, while Catello is vp of national accounts. Both report to company president Satya Tiwari.

Most recently, Gonzalez was East Coast regional vp of sales for Kas Oriental Rugs, where he spent the past three years of his career. He began working in wholesale with Middle East Rug Corp. (MER), where he was mid-Atlantic regional manager for nine years.

Catello was previously national vp of sales and marketing for Kas Oriental Rugs, where she worked since 2000. Catello has worked in the floor covering industry since 1987 when she joined Columbus Mills. From 1990 to 1995, she was with Shaw Industries, serving in the company's rug division. After that, she spent five years with Oriental Weavers before going to Kas.

"We are expanding our sales and marketing team in order to add new channels of retail distribution and gain further penetration in existing channels," Tiwari said.

Surya is a vertically integrated manufacturing company established in India in 1976. Its U.S. division, which specializes in area rugs, was incorporated in 1986. The company operates permanent showrooms in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and High Point.