Experienced IKEA Store Manager Recruited to Lead Michigan Store, Opening in Summer 2006

Furniture World Magazine

IKEA, a leading home furnishings retailer, today announced the appointment of Mark McCaslin as store manager for the IKEA store opening this summer in Canton, MI. The store will be the Swedish company's first in Michigan and 28th in the U.S. (The closest IKEA stores are in the Chicago area and in greater Toronto.) "We are very excited about opening a store in Canton, where the location will attract customers from throughout the state and region," noted IKEA North America president Pernille Lopez. "Mark McCaslin's experience as a store manager, and Midwestern roots, have prepared him for managing our store in the Detroit area, where there are customers who already are IKEA fans as well as consumers who may not know us yet." "IKEA recognizes the strong customer base that exists for us in Michigan, so I am very pleased about the opportunity to provide these customers with a store right here in Canton," explained McCaslin. "I also look forward to introducing new customers to our unique family-friendly shopping experience and wide selection of stylish, functional and affordable home furnishings." McCaslin, who has relocated recently to the Detroit area from Long Island, New York, has served in several key retail positions prior to becoming store manager of IKEA Canton. A native of Illinois, he started his IKEA career in Summer 1998 as the logistics manager of IKEA Schaumburg (IL), that opened in November of that year, and in 2001 became assistant store manager of sales at that store. The following year, McCaslin was named store manager of IKEA Hicksville (NY), on New York's Long Island. Previous to joining IKEA, McCaslin began his post-college career for 10 years at a Chicago branch of a national retail chain, ultimately becoming store manager. Under construction on 21 acres at Ford and Haggerty Roads off I-275 in Canton, MI, the 311,000 square-foot IKEA store will create 500 construction jobs and welcome 400 coworkers into the IKEA family when IKEA Canton opens. Besides 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA Canton will present 50 different room settings, three model homes, a supervised children's play area, and a 300-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features will include a Children's IKEA area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. IKEA has more than 225 stores in 33 countries, including 26 in the U.S., where the company aims to open five new stores a year. Other U.S. stores being planned will be located in: Brooklyn, NY; Draper, UT; Dublin, CA; Portland, OR; Round Rock, TX; Somerville, MA; and West Sacramento, CA. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" List (two years in a row), Working Mother magazine's annual list of "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" (three years in a row) and Training magazine's annual "Top 100" ranking of companies that excel at human capital development (three years in a row). IKEA is recognized as a socially responsible company, and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to http://www.IKEA-usa.com. For information about working at IKEA, please visit http://JobsAt.IKEA-usa.com.