La-Z-Boy Promotes Sawyer to SVP Corporate Operations

Furniture World Magazine

La-Z-Boy Incorporated announced that Otis S. Sawyer has been promoted to Senior Vice President Corporate Operations, a newly created position. Sawyer, who previously was the company's Chief Information Officer, will continue to report to La-Z-Boy's Chief Executive Officer, Kurt Darrow, and will be responsible for Information Technology, Transportation/Logistics and Corporate Fabric Procurement. Darrow commented, "Otis has worked in a number of different capacities during his 13 years at La-Z-Boy and, in each, has added significant value to our organization. As our supply chain becomes increasingly more global, Otis will play a pivotal role in seamlessly integrating systems, transportation and fabric procurement to make our operations more efficient and improve service to our customers. He has done excellent work on our company-wide IT infrastructure and he will continue to oversee that operation to ensure our systems and technologies support the company's objectives." Before being named La-Z-Boy's Chief Information Officer in August 2004, Sawyer was Senior Vice President of Finance at the company's England, Inc. subsidiary, where he had previously held a series of increasingly responsible positions. Prior to joining England, Sawyer was Controller at Councill Companies and was with Hanes Incorporated earlier in his career. He holds a B.A. in Accounting from Guilford College, an MBA from Wake Forest University and is a Certified Public Accountant. About La-Z-Boy: With annual sales of approximately $2 billion, La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world's leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home, as well as for the hospitality, health care and assisted-living industries. The La-Z-Boy Upholstery Group companies are Bauhaus, Centurion, Clayton Marcus, England, La-Z-Boy, and Sam Moore. The La-Z-Boy Casegoods Group companies are American Drew, American of Martinsville, Hammary, Kincaid, Lea and Pennsylvania House. The corporation's vast proprietary distribution network is dedicated exclusively to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 336 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries(R) stores and 338 La-Z-Boy In- Store Galleries, in addition to in-store gallery programs at the company's Kincaid, Pennsylvania House, Clayton Marcus, England and Lea operating units. According to industry trade publication In Furniture, the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries retail network is North America's largest single-brand furniture retailer. Additional information is available at http://www.la-z-boy.com/ .