by SAN DIEGO — Home office and entertainment specialist Martin Furniture has hired Gustavo Velez as vice president of imports, a new position.
Velez has more than 30 years of experience in the furniture manufacturing industry, which started with him owning his own case goods manufacturing company in Tijuana, Mexico.
He most recently was executive vice president of sales at L&F Products and Whalen Furniture.
Martin Furniture said that his experience managing production, quality control and navigating administration in foreign countries — along with his extensive knowledge of manufacturing — makes him a good fit for the company.
In this new role, he will oversee imported product from Mexico and Asia, a task previously managed by Pat Hayes, who was handling both imports and product development. Now Hayes will focus on product development as vice president, product development.
Velez reports to Gil Martin, founder and chief executive officer of Martin Furniture.
“Gustavo has a wealth of experience in our industry,” Martin said. “We’re very excited to see how our whole import team can support our valued customers and how they will play an even more important role in our company.”
