CALHOUN, GA - Surya
has named
longtime home furnishings industry professional John Haste to the newly
created position of senior vice president of Business Development. In
his role, Haste will focus on growing Surya's lighting business, working
closely with the brand's sales, product development and sourcing teams
to create a product roadmap and strategy for increasing lighting
penetration in Surya's key business channels.
Since its
launch in fall 2013, Surya's lighting category has achieved
year-over-year revenue increases of more than 200%, making it the
brand's fastest growing product category. The line currently includes
350+ trend forward options - including table, floor and task lamps,
along with weather-resistant outdoor lamps - all of which are available
across a broad range of lifestyles and price points.
"As
our lighting business continues to gain strong momentum among our
retailer and designer customers, we decided it was the right time to
bring in a seasoned professional who can help us to take the category to
the next level," said Satya Tiwari, president, Surya. "John has a proven
track record of identifying and developing new market opportunities for
multiple categories within the home furnishings industry including, most
recently, the $5.85 billion lighting segment. He pairs great business
insight with a firm understanding of what it takes to create a winning
strategy for long-term growth and will be a great asset to the Surya
team."
Haste has
spent more than 20 years in senior leadership roles, where he has
managed business operations, along with sales and marketing functions -
specializing in developing new product lines and distribution channels
to generate organic growth and revenue. Previously, he served as senior
vice president of Sales & Marketing for ELK Group International, a key
player in the lighting showroom and furniture/accessory distribution
channels, where he launched a new division and oversaw multiple major
corporate acquisitions. Prior to that, he was vice president of sales at
IMAX Corporation, a multimillion-dollar importer and distributor of home
furnishings.
Haste will
report to Surya President Satya Tiwari.