The Häfele Group, with headquarters in Nagold, Germany, has tapped Paul K. Smith as president of Häfele America Co., the company’s North American subsidiary. Smith succeeds John Hossli who is retiring as president after serving in that role since 1999. Smith will oversee all company operations in the United States.
“We believe Paul’s 25 years of proven management experience combined with his expertise in architectural interiors, engineering, and solutions will lead Häfele America toward continued growth and success,” says Sibylle Thierer, CEO and President of The Häfele Group. “His expertise, passion and leadership also make Paul extremely well-suited to contribute to the expanding Häfele global enterprise.”
Smith joined Häfele in mid-2011 after a successful career at Haworth, Inc. where he served as vice president, directly responsible for all North American products and the development of the company’s global product portfolio. Smith’s previous experience at Haworth included executive positions in the company’s architectural interiors and wood businesses. Prior to Haworth, Smith served in management positions with General Electric Company and Whirlpool Corporation.
Häfele has provided high-quality hardware products and services to the furniture, cabinet, and architectural industries since its founding in 1923 by Adolf Häfele. Today, Häfele has offices in 46 countries around the world.
In other company news, Häfele has introduced the LOOX LED Lighting System which uses a universal, worldwide power system where its switches, lights, and drivers are “plug and play.” The unique identification system for the operating system (12v, 24v or 350 mA) allows the user to go by color-coded symbols rather than a specific plug. For instance with the 24-volt system, you can simply look for the green labels and all green-labeled products work together. Not only does this easy-to-follow system bring design flexibility, but it is affordable, U- listed, has 50,000 hours of lamp life, lower power consumption, and no electrician is required. For more information on LOOX LED Lighting and other lighting systems, visit www.hafele.com/us
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