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Bassett Mirror has promoted one of its employees to president and hired three new executives in time for this week’s High Point Market.
"Their abilities and experience enable them to manage effectively," said Spencer W. Morten III, chairman and CEO. "They have already hit the ground running."
Lewis Canter was promoted to president and COO in March, succeeding Jerry Dodson, who retired earlier in the year. Canter gained sourcing experience during his time as a vice president at Direct Access International. He also managed domestic wood production at six sites for Hooker Furniture, where he was a vice president.
The new hires include two product development leaders who also handle national accounts: Melissa Whitaker, director of home décor, and Keith Weisglass, director of accents and dining. Derek Pennington manages production and quality assurance on the ground in Asia, where he is based.
Whitaker grew up in Virginia and holds an accounting degree from Virginia Tech. She began her furniture career at Cooper Classics in 2001, where she was most recently director of sourcing and national sales manager. Her responsibilities at Bassett Mirror include product development for all home décor and growing the company’s sales in the e-commerce channel.
Weisglass grew up in New York City and holds a degree from Clark University. He began his career at Hooker Furniture in 1994, where he was a sales representative and merchandising executive. His assignments at Bassett Mirror include managing selected national accounts, and merchandising accents and casual dining.
Pennington grew up in Virginia and studied furniture management at Catawba Valley Community College before starting his career at Bassett Furniture. He moved to south China in 2001 with Hooker Furniture to manage quality assurance, and speaks Mandarin. Assisted by his Taiwanese wife, Eunice, he is responsible for Bassett Mirror’s quality assurance and product development support in Asia.
