by In this new position, King will help the company appeal to retailers and designers alike seeking options available through its custom upholstery and wood furniture offerings
BASSETT, Va. — As part of an effort to help it further engage with the design community, Bassett Furniture has hired Haynes King as vice president of dedicated retail and trade sales, a new position.
The company said he brings nearly 20 years of industry experience in marketing, product development and sales, with a focus on serving interior designers.
He comes to Bassett from Lane Venture, where he was a territory manager for Virginia and the Carolinas for the past four years. Before this, he was a product and customer service manager for casual furniture fabrics at Outdura for more than two and a half years.
Before this, he worked for Century Furniture for 12 and a half years, in roles that included director of outdoor products, sales representative, international sales representative and marketing assistant.
“The design trade was a big part of the customer base at Century, and my book of business was very heavily designer driven,” King said. “Those experiences really opened my eyes to the needs of the community, as well as the opportunity it represents.”
“We are very excited to have Haynes spearheading our developing interior design business,” said Robert Spilman III, vice president of sales at Bassett. “He is well known for his passion and understanding of designers’ needs and helping them grow their businesses. Haynes really is the right person at the right time for this very important role.”
In his new position, he reports to Bruce Cohenour, senior vice president, sales and chief sales officer. He will help serve the needs of retailers and designers alike, offering services and options that include some 400 fabrics and leathers as well as customized arm and leg options offered through Bassett’s True Custom upholstery program.
“The Bassett team is genuinely committed to working with interior designers, which they see as one of the most influential constituencies in our industry,” King said. “This is an exciting opportunity because while many manufacturers are trying to connect with the design community, few furniture companies can match what Bassett offers in terms of quality, price and customization.”
“A number of high-end manufacturers have custom, multi-arm upholstery programs, but nobody is doing it at our price point and with our quality,” he added, noting that Bassett also offers smaller retailers and independent designers great flexibility and support via its Custom Studio format, an in-store selling tool that ships custom product in as little as 10 days.
