By Dianne M. Pogoda
Company News
Pilar Cosentino Named CEO Amid Exec Changes: The board of Spanish surfacing giant Cosentino has named Pilar Cosentino CEO, part of a transition of governance to the next generation of the family-owned company. She was previously EVP. Eduardo Cosentino now assumes the EVP role, adding marketing and digital business, expansion, and pricing to his global responsibilities and role as CEO of Cosentino Americas. Eduardo is also Chair of the NKBA board of directors. In a separation of the Chairman and CEO functions, Francisco (Paco) Martínez-Cosentino continues in his role as Chairman, ceding the CEO role to his daughter. Francisco is a 2015 inductee into the Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame. Álvaro de la Haza assumes the new role of Chief Corporate Officer, reporting to the Chairman. The company also created a Management Committee to act as a coordinating body for management, supporting the CEO executive functions. Learn more here.
Nobilia North America Names Ocampo: Jenn Ocampo has been named vice president of marketing and communications for premium cabinetry and kitchen furniture maker nobilia North America. She reports to Cheryl Fenelle Dixon, chief marketing and communications officer. Ocampo has more than 15 years of industry experience, most recently as director of marketing and communications for Dornbracht Americas. KBB has more.
LIXIL, American Bath In Partnership: LIXIL Americas and American Bath Group have formed a strategic partnership in the North American region to bolster their bathing businesses. The venture will expand LIXIL’s bath-sector brands, including American Standard, DXV, and Elger, and leverage both companies’ core competencies to enable growth through cross sales. LIXIL will license exclusive rights to ABG to produce and distribute bath products under the three brands, and ABG will also acquire LIXIL’s manufacturing facility in Salem, OH, and a portion of the manufacturing assets of sites in Mansfield, OH, and Monterrey, Mexico. More details here.
BHS Taps Funk: Christian Funk has been named Chief Financial Officer for the North American region for BHS Home Appliances Corp., a leader in premium and luxury home appliances based in Germany. He succeeds Jesús Egido, who is returning to Europe after successfully completing his long-time North American assignment. Funk joined the company’s German headquarters last October after serving in several roles with the larger Bosch Group in Europe and China, including VP of Controlling for the Business Unit Video Systems and Solutions at Bosch Security Systems B.V. in the Netherlands, and as Head of Controlling, Purchasing and Logistics for Robert Bosch B.V., Energy and Building Solutions, also in the Netherlands. KBB has more.
Chapter Updates
AI and ID with Northern New England: Learn about “Designing for the Future: AI’s Impact on Interior Design” with the Northern New England Chapter, May 13, 5 to 7 pm, at OHM International stone showroom, 129 York Avenue in Randolph, MA. This CEU event is presented by Vanessa DeKoekkoek, Global Training Manager at 2020, who will explore how AI technology can enhance space planning, furniture arrangement, and color selection, how it can increase efficiency, enable customization, and help with decision making. Cost is $35. Register here.
May on the Move in Minnesota: The Minnesota State Chapter’s annual May on the Move all-day bus trip to St. Germain’s Cabinet showroom in Brainerd, MN, takes place on May 8. Depart from the Maple Grove Home Depot at 8:30 am, enjoy fun on the way out, and a showroom social and lunch, and a build-your-own-bouquet stem bar. The showroom event runs from 12 to 2 pm for local members, and the bus arrives back in Maple Grove at 4:30. The cost is $10 for those taking the bus. More info here.
Industry News
Visionary Architect David M. Childs Dies at 83: David M. Childs, FAIA, the innovative architect behind One World Trade Center, died on March 26 from complications of Lewy body dementia, a few days shy of his 84th birthday. Childs, a partner and two-time chairman of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was the visionary behind many iconic buildings that transformed the skyline of Manhattan from the 1980s to the 2010s. He joined the storied architectural firm in 1971 In Washington DC, after earning a master’s degree in architecture from Yale. One World Trade Center, also known as Freedom Tower, which was completed in 2014 adjacent to the site of the original twin towers destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, served as an anchor for the resurrection of downtown Manhattan. Among his other best-known projects are the redevelopment of Penn Station, the 72-story building at 35 Hudson Yards, 1540 Broadway in the heart of Times Square, the International Arrivals Building at JFK International Airport, and 7 World Trade Center in New York. He also designed the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, the expansion of Dulles International Airport and the master plan for the National Mall in Washington, and the Changi Airport international terminal in Singapore. Architect Magazine has more.
Barcelona Updated: The Barcelona line, one of the most iconic furniture collections ever designed, is getting a facelift. Until recently, the modernist chair designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and produced by Knoll, only came in leather with polished chrome frames. Now, the chair, daybed and footstool will be available in options including upholstery choices of twill, velvet, and linen, and an ultra-matte black frame. CNN Style has more.
