John Case Named President Of La-Z-Boy

Furniture World Magazine

John J. Case has been named president of La-Z-Boy Residential, a division of La-Z-Boy Incorporated. The appointment was announced today by Gerald L. Kiser, president and chief operating officer of La-Z-Boy Incorporated, who positioned Case as the head of anew management team dedicated exclusively to the La-Z-Boy Residential Division. "Based on the accelerated growth of our residential business, which accounts for more than 50 percent of our corporate sales, we felt the time was right to separate the day-to-day management of this division from the corporate management function, " explained Kiser. "This is our heritage business, which is why we are especially pleased to have someone with John's experience and capabilities at the helm," Case joined La-Z-Boy in 1977 as assistant national accounts manager. Since then, he has held a variety of sales and marketing management positions within the organization., including national accounts sales manager, director of advertising and public relations, director of marketing, and vice president of advertising and sales communications. He was vice president of marketing when he left the company in 1989 to join Stone, August, Baker Communications of Troy, Mich., a full-service advertising agency. In 1990, he formed Case Communications, a firm specializing in advertising and marketing consultation for companies in the home furnishings industry. During this time, Case also served as acting executive director of the Home Furnishings Council. Case rejoined La-Z-Boy in January 1992 as vice president of retail development and services. He planned and implemented all support programs for the company's 250 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries licensed stores, including standardization of the computerized retail operating system, video cataloging technology and sales training programs for store owners, managers and sales staff. In 1993, he became vice president of marketing and took on additional responsibilities, including e-commerce initiatives and market research, as well as all national and retail advertising for the La-Z-Boy Residential Division. "There are very few people who know this company as well as Jelin, " said Kiser. "The positions he has held and the role he has played here have allowed him to acquire the experience needed to take this next step." As president of La-Z-Boy Residential, Case is responsible for overall management of the division, reporting directly to the executive committee of La-Z-Boy Incorporated. Case is a member of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association Blue Ribbon Committee and executive committee of City of Hope, as well as a former member of the Home Furnishings Council Marketing Committee, He is a graduate of Michigan State University and earned a teaching certificate at Eastern Michigan University's Graduate School of Education. Additionally, he completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He resides with his family in Plymouth, Mich. Additionally, David A. Layman has been promoted from vice president of manufacturing to senior vice president of residential and contract manufacturing. In addition to his current responsibilities, which include overseeing all operations at the company's nine residential plants nationwide, he now adds responsibility for product development and engineering. Kurt L. Darrow has been promoted from vice president of sales to senior vice president of sales with responsibility for sales, real estate development, international sales, Canadian sales and retail development. Headquartered in Monroe, Michigan, La-Z-Boy Residential is the world's leading producer of reclining chairs. It is a division of La-Z-Boy Incorporated, the nation's third largest furniture manufacturer and its largest manufacturer of upholstered furniture.