Global Sourcing

During Don's Ethan Allen career period one of key key senior mananagemnt roles was Vice President of Product Development and Global Sourcing .

• During this period, he took on the major strategic directional change responsibility of developing and managing the transition from an exclusive internal manufacturing company to a integrated blend of internal and outsourced supply chain, which resulted in Ethan Allen ultimately reducing Upholstery & Wood manufacturing operations in the USA and adding facilities in Mexico and Honduras. Implemented plant efficiency best practices utilization/layout innovations.
• Responsible for developing and managing an outsourced business that was the top profit contributor to the company. This includes developing and managing all vendor relationships,demand planning and logistics..

• Created an integrated and focused organization worldwide to source products/components directly with vendors that also holds the manufacturer responsible for the execution of construction and quality standards that are one of the highest in the industry and including timely delivery.
• Responsibility for managing the production scheduling, inventory, quality assurance and determining where products are produced in corporately owned manufacturing facilities in the USA, Mexico and Honduras.
• Responsible for developing best practices/managing the corporate quality assurance aspects in all key product categories and especially in Wood and Upholstery.
• Managed the successful transition of domestic casegoods manufacturing to “just in time” custom options with dramatically reduced finished goods inventory.
• Directly involved in product development with the Vice Presidents of Product Design and Merchandising. including the pricing of products.
* Senior Director of Corp. product engineering was a direct report.
• Played a direct role in negotiating and developing the Ethan Allen China retail that is currently 100+ design centers with Markor, while also managing international retail development.