Nourison exec Stewart Hay, 55

HTT Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 7/12/2011 1:54:39 PM

Marietta, Ga. - Stewart Alexander Hay, founder and president of Glen Eden Wool Carpets and also more recently a member of Nourison's executive team, passed away July 7.
He was 55.
Hay was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and graduated from Lincoln College in Canterbury, NZ. He worked in Southland farming and the diamond mines in Australia, played rugby for Burnside (NZ), and worked for Christchurch Carpet Yarns, where he began a career in the wool industry. In 1987, he left Christchurch to pursue business interests in the U.S.
He soon founded Glen Eden Wool Carpets here, building an internationally respected brand of high-end carpets. The company's client roster included The White House, Buckingham Palace, and many others.
Hay joined Nourison in February 2010 as vice president of the company's tufted division. He was based at its Calhoun, Ga. offices.
"Stewart had a wealth of knowledge about wool carpets and was responsible for working closely with our factory in Yangxin, China" said Alex Peykar, a principal at Nourison. "In the time I have known him, I have always found him to be a very gentle person and a pleasure to work with. His passing is a big loss to us as well as to his many friends and colleagues in the industry."
Hay is survived by his wife, Lexis Kaye-Hay, his two sons, Alastair and Cameron, and his two daughters, Fiona and Machaelie.