— Furniture Today,
Young is interim president; search for successor begins

HIGH POINT — Seamus Bateson has resigned as president of importer Maitland-Smith to become president, CEO and board chairman of contract furniture supplier Commercial Furniture Group.

Jeff Young, president and CEO of HDM Furniture Inds., the Furniture Brands International division that oversees high-end companies Maitland-Smith, Henredon and Drexel Heritage, will be interim president of Maitland-Smith.

Commercial Furniture, known as the CF Group, is the parent of the Shelby Williams, Falcon, Howe, Thonet and Epic brands.

Bateson had been running Maitland-Smith since 1999. Young said the company will immediately begin searching for a replacement.

“An exciting new Maitland-Smith product lineup has already been developed for the upcoming April market and we will be conducting business as usual throughout the market,” Young said. “The Maitland-Smith leadership team will continue to operate under the current sound business model which is serving our company so well today.”

Mickey Holliman, chairman and CEO of Furniture Brands, said Bateson had done “an outstanding job” at the division.

“We are sad to see him leave, but he has been offered an outstanding opportunity outside the residential furniture industry and we wish him the best as he pursues that opportunity,” Holliman said. “Seamus leaves behind a strong foundation that will continue to drive Maitland-Smith on the path to sustained growth.”