MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Supporting its recently announced strategy for its legacy brands, Hooker Furnishings has named Caroline Hipple as its chief creative officer, a new role with the company, and Jeff Behmer as executive vice president of merchandising for Hooker Casegoods.
Reporting to Jeremy Hoff, CEO of Hooker Furnishings, Hipple joins the executive leadership team, responsible for executing a collaborative merchandising approach across the company’s legacy furniture brands that integrates case goods, import and domestic upholstery and outdoor furnishings, as well as lighting, accessories and décor.
In his new EVP role, Behmer will oversee merchandising for Hooker Furniture’s case goods division. He will report to Hipple.
“Over the decades, Hooker Furnishings has been well-known for its adaptability and willingness to evolve to drive the business forward,” said Hoff. “Our strategic acquisitions of Bradington-Young in 2002, Sam Moore in 2007, Shenandoah Furniture in 2017, Sunset West in 2022 and BOBO Intriguing Objects in 2023 position us — as we enter our 100th year in business — to evolve once again, this time into a truly whole-home, consumer-centric resource for our customers.”
He added, “Through more intentional collaboration across our brands, we can better utilize the remarkable talent and resources we have across our legacy organization to build a foundation for growth and put ourselves in the best position to meet the needs of our partners and tomorrow’s home furnishings consumer.”
To support execution of the new strategy from an operational perspective, Hooker Furnishings’ Chief Administrative Officer Anne Smith, who also previously led the company’s domestic upholstery group, will refocus her responsibilities toward corporate customer care policies and processes. In addition to the customer care initiative, she will continue to lead the company’s human resources, leadership development and succession planning efforts across the larger enterprise.
“As we evolve our merchandising strategy, evolving our customer care efforts are equally – if not even more important – to ensure that we provide our customers with best-in-class service,” said Hoff. “I’m confident that Anne can help us achieve this vision.”
The strategic shift does not affect the company’s HMI division. HMI will continue with its focus on building its core business with its Pulaski, Samuel Lawrence, PRI and SLH brands.
An industry veteran with more than 45 years of retail, sales, marketing and creative merchandising experience, Hipple most recently served as president at Norwalk Furniture. Previously, she co-founded HB2 Resources with Dixon Bartlett where she spent 17 years consulting with industry-leading brands. Bartlett will also be joining Hooker Furnishings in a consulting role.
Prior to HB2 Resources, Hipple was president of Storehouse Furniture, a retail chain based in Atlanta, and began her career at This End Up Furniture in Richmond, Va.
Previously serving as senior vice president of merchandising at Hickory White/Sherrill Furniture and A.R.T. Furniture, Behmer has nearly 30 years of experience in the furniture industry. Previously, he worked with companies including Bernhardt Furniture and Broyhill Furniture.
Hooker Furnishings’ brands include: Hooker Furniture, Bradington-Young, HF Custom, Shenandoah Furniture, H Contract, M, BOBO Intriguing Objects, Pulaski Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Furniture, Prime Resource International, Samuel Lawrence Hospitality and Sunset West.