by Her industry experience will help fuel development and growth in different areas of the business, including its emerging upholstery segment
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Case goods specialist Austin Group Furniture has named Chelsy Helton chief merchandising officer, a new position.
Reporting to company President Vincent Lim, her appointment was effective Nov. 10. In her new role, the company said, Helton will define the company’s merchandising vision, manage retail partnerships and lead creative direction for all upcoming collections.
Her joining the company occurs as the company expands its wood collections along with the growing upholstery segment of its business.
Helton brings more than 15 years of experience to her new position, having most recently been vice president of product development at Parker House Furniture and vice president of product at Dorel Home.
She also was previously vice president of product development and director of product development at Lane Home Furnishings and before this held senior merchandising roles at Standard Furniture.
Earlier in her career, she was vice president of product development at Saffron Furniture Group and head of product development at Powell Home Fashions.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Chelsy to the team,” said Vincent Lim, president at Austin Group Furniture. “Her prior experience and creative insight align perfectly with our company’s vision as we continue expanding into the upholstery category. Our initial introduction of upholstery designs has already seen great success, and we look forward to bringing Chelsy’s vision for the future to life.”
“Throughout her career, Helton has built a reputation for blending creativity with commercial strategy — developing high-performing assortments across both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce channels while driving brand differentiation through thoughtful design and execution,” the company said in a statement.
Helton said she looks forward to this next stage of her furniture industry career.
“I’m honored to join Austin Group Furniture and help shape the next phase of its growth,” she said. “Austin Group has built a strong reputation for quality and innovation, and I’m excited to build on that foundation by developing product collections that both inspire and perform. My focus will be on creating designs that reflect how people truly live today — beautiful, functional and accessible — while strengthening our partnerships and expanding the brand’s reach across categories.”
