by Manufacturer hires Josh Carter as VP of sales to expand B2B distribution
LA MIRADA, Calif. — As part of an effort to expand its footprint with brick-and-mortar furniture stores, DTC e-commerce platform Eureka Ergonomic has hired Josh Carter as vice president of sales, a new position.
In this role, Carter will focus on growing alternative forms of distribution, namely the B2B part of the business that will allow retailers to tap into the company’s manufacturing capabilities in China with a diverse product mix that includes a line of desks, office chairs and storage pieces, as well as bookcases, plus a full living room mix that includes upholstery and occasional furniture and some dining.
Key pieces representing a range of categories will be on display at the Las Vegas Market where it is showing in Space 828 of Building A starting later this week.
The company produces its line in its dedicated 800,000-square-foot plant in China that employs around 800 workers. The company has been manufacturing furniture for more than 20 years and established its own brand, Eureka Ergonomic, about six years ago to highlight the health and ergonomic benefits that it builds into its product mix along with other innovative designs and functionality seen in various pieces.
With a key part of its customer base being in the 25- to 45-year-old range, the company has a line of gaming chairs that can double as desk chairs and desk chairs that can double as gaming chairs.
The line also includes companion gaming desks, as well as fixed-height and sit-to-stand desks for work and study capabilities, that along with an extensive line of upholstery and living room furniture, extend its appeal to an even broader demographic.
With four warehouses — in California, Texas, New Jersey and Georgia — the company is poised to serve retailers with quick-ship capabilities aimed to bolster not only their brick-and-mortar business, but also their own e-commerce platforms where the Eureka product can be shown alongside other items on their websites.
Eureka, which has supplied the websites of larger customers such as Target, Walmart and Staples, also has sold product to consumers directly through its own e-commerce platform. Thus, it has firsthand experience with many consumers, younger and older alike, who begin their search online.
But the company believes that its partnership with brick-and-mortar customers will also drive traffic to their stores, particularly as those stores will allow customers to see and feel the product in person.
“We want to find a new way to drive traffic and drive sales,” Eureka Ergonomic CEO and owner Tom Hu told Home News Now. “That is basically the strategy. … So through e-commerce and digital marketing combined with the traditional distributor, we can give the best experience for our customers.”
He added that the company’s distribution network of strategically located warehouses also will get product to retailers and their customers in as little as a few days from the time of order.
“They can put the product on their website and we can deliver it from our warehouse to their showroom,” Hu added, noting that its e-commerce experience will be an advantage to retailers, notably those that don’t necessarily have the resources in place to support an e-commerce business. “And working with them, we can drive the traffic online to their furniture store.”
Making connections with brick-and-mortar stores is where Carter will play an integral role in the process. Reporting directly to Tom Hu, he comes to the company from Magnussen Home, where he worked for over five and a half years, most recently as senior vice president of product management and before that, vice president of sales. Before Magnussen, he worked at Stanley Furniture for five years in roles such as vice president of sales, director of business development and as director of sales and customer care.
Hu said he feels fortunate to have someone with Carter’s industry experience now on his team.
“He understands the industry and will help our business get to the next level,” he said, noting that Carter’s expertise extends to the product side of the business, including style trends and what sells in the marketplace. “I am very happy to be working with him.”
Carter is also excited about the new opportunity, noting that the company’s experience in e-commerce sales and distribution is an asset that will benefit many brick-and-mortar retailers.
“Many of the brick-and-mortar partners I have talked with are looking for quick-ship capabilities,” Carter noted. “We can put products on their website quickly and make it seamless for the brick-and-mortar partner. That is why I feel like there is a lot of opportunity.”
