Matthew Haworth appointed as Chairman of the Board

Richard "Dick" Haworth announced that his son, Matthew Haworth, will succede him as Chairman of the Board. Dick Haworth will become Chairman Emeritus.

From Dick Haworth:

"It has long been my dream to build on and strengthen the Haworth legacy that my father started in his garage in 1948.  Central to making this a reality has been maintaining our company as a family-owned, value-oriented and successful business that our family and members can feel proud to be a part of.  That's why it gives me a tremendous amount of gratification to announce that Matthew will become Chairman of the Board and carry my dreams into the next generation.

I feel especially confident in making this move now because our executive team, led by President and CEO Franco Bianchi, is talented and experienced.  We have a strong position and strategy that has traction and respect in the marketplace.  Yes, we are currently mired in this recession along with the rest of the world, but the fact that we can make this transition now is a strong testament to our organization's underlying strength.

I plan to stay actively involved in the business that I have been a part of for 45 years - especially in some of the areas where I have special passion, such as customer interaction, product development and engineering.  However, my new position will offer me more personal flexibility and more time to devote to my family.

This move has been in planning stages for at least 10 years.  My health is good, our financial position is strong and our commitment to remain privately held is steadfast.  It is simply time to pass the torch to the next generation.  Matthew is ready for the challenge and is eager to take our company to the next level.

Matthew has literally been preparing for this new role his whole life.  He developed a passion for our business early, which has continued to grow.  He has held a variety of positions at Haworth - from production worker, to sales associate, to the leader of our largest single business unit.  He has been intimately involved in our vision and governance.  Haworth will thrive under his leadership."

From Matthew Haworth:

"I'm proud that we are a strong private company and I can continue the building process of my father and grandfather in support of our members, customers, dealers and community.  Franco and I are excited about our future and the great team we have here at Haworth."

"Also, I'm grateful for my father's ongoing guidance and contributions.  We are celebrating his 45 years of dedication to our company.  Since my grandfather asked him to step into the CEO role in 1976, he has led this company to what it is today."

From Franco Bianchi, Haworth President & CEO:

"I would like to congratulate Matthew - this is something we have been working towards for a long time and it is rewarding to see it come together.  I'm convinced that we have the right strategy and management team to best serve our customers and build our business."