GAFFNEY, S.C. — Global fabric and home fashions manufacturer Home Furnishing International is adding two home fashions sales and marketing veterans to its management team: Bally Faudar joins as senior vice president sales, and Erin Gallagher-Brinskele joins as vice president kitchen textiles, a new position for the company.
Both report to Amy Bell, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.
“We have added the capacity to produce 100,000 bed pillows a day in South Carolina, and we felt we needed a real leader to leverage our growth in utility bedding,” said David Li, chairman and CEO. “Bally has the knowledge, expertise and retail relationships to take us to the next level in the basic bedding category.”
Faudar has been in the home fashions industry for more than 30 years, serving in sales and merchandising positions at companies including Newport-Layton Home Fashions, Jay Franco & Sons, Excell Home Fashions and Bess Manufacturing. He will work out of the New York showroom and his home office, covering all categories with select accounts with an emphasis on bed pillows, mattress toppers, and mattresses.
Chair pads and kitchen accessories are another major growth opportunity, according to Li. Taking on the new vice president post for the category, Gallagher-Brinskele previously served as vice president of sales for 11 years at chair pad specialty supplier Klear Vu Corp. and also previously worked for the manufacturing group formed by Glenoit Mills, Excell Home Fashions and Croscill Home Fashions. She will work out of the New York showroom and her home office, responsible for indoor chair pads and accessories for all accounts.
“We have always prided ourselves on our personal relationships with our customers, and Erin is really a category specialist,” Li said. “She is well-known and respected throughout the industry and will be a valuable addition to our team.”
HFI has invested close to $50 million in its U.S. manufacturing and distribution facilities over the past three years, and it has more than 3 million square feet of manufacturing facilities in Rugao, Jinjiang and Hangzhou, China, currently producing more than 300 million yards of fabric every year.
See also: HFI opening LV showroom for mattresses, sleep accessories