Gautier CEO Retires
Staff -- Kids Today, 3/15/2007 12:00:00 AM
By Jeff Linville
Contemporary case goods maker Gautier USA has a new CEO as José Gosselin has retired and Stefan Brugger took his place.
Brugger worked for Migros, Switzerland’s biggest retailer, in multiple positions such as product manager, leading buyer/merchandising manager for furniture, and category manager.
The 24-year-old Gautier USA is known for its youth and master bedroom furniture, but also produces wall units, dining and home office furniture. The U.S. division of Gautier France accounts for about $10 million, while the corporation has more than 150 million Euros annually. Gautier USA has a 35,000-square-foot warehouse here and also has product in distributors’ warehouses in Atlanta, Brooklyn and Chicago.
“I knew Gautier France for more than 10 years from the eyes of a customer, and I always had a big respect for the work they were doing,” said the 37-year-old husband and new dad. “Gautier is very well known in Europe for the high product and process quality and their environmental efforts.”
Gautier’s environmentally friendly Salto and Birdie collections have received recognition from France’s eco-labeling program, Norme Française Environnement. It has obtained the ISO 14001 certification regarding reduced environmental impact from manufacturing. The company also has achieved ISO 9001 certification for quality management.
“After all the years, the relation became more amicable with the owners,” Brugger said. “At one occasion we talked about the retirement of José Gosselin … and a possible opportunity for myself. After multiple meetings and conversations I finally decided to succeed as new CEO of the U.S. subsidiary.”
Brugger said he likes the infrastructure in place and will look to expand upon it with distribution into new cities and regions. “I’m sure that there is a potential, especially in urban regions, for our contemporary high-end K.D. furniture,” he said.
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