Five new directors have been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association (IHA), the full-service trade association for the housewares industry.
The new directors are: Neal Asbury, president & CEO, The Legacy Companies; Steve Greenspon, CEO, Honey-Can-Do International; Yvette Laugier, general manager, PSP North America/Peugeot; Thomas Nichols, president, Pretika Corporation; and Michael Stoll, president, UT Brands. Their three-year terms begin Oct. 1, 2017 and end Sept. 30, 2020.
Also elected were new board officers:
- Chairman – Brett Bradshaw, president, Bradshaw International, Inc.
- Vice Chairman/Chairman Elect – John (JC) Collins, president & chief marketing officer, Neatfreak Group
- Treasurer – Philippe Trudeau, president, Trudeau Corporation
All officers serve one-year terms from Oct. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018.
Retiring from the board are: Richard Joseph, managing director, Joseph Joseph; Anthony E. Kircher, president, Winix America & Winix Europe; Paul Rowan, co-founder, Umbra LLC; David Sabin, CEO, The Fuller Brush Company; and Gary Seehoff, chairman, Sophistiplate, LLC. Re-appointed for a second three-year term were: Philippe Trudeau and Robert Kay, chairman/CEO, Filament Brands.
Asbury is president & CEO of The Legacy Companies, founded in 1999. The company manufactures and markets a portfolio of iconic brands that have morphed over time to strengthen their energy and relevance. Products range from kitchen appliances and cold refrigeration to wine essentials, kitchen tools and utensils. Housewares brands include Chef’sChoice, Excalibur, General, Maxx, Nautilus, Omega, Vinturi, WestBend, Yonanas and Zeroll. Asbury is a strong advocate of entrepreneurship and free enterprise, having written over 400 articles on global trade issues. In 2008, he received the coveted United States National Champion Exporter of the Year Award. He is the host of the Radio America talk show “Neal Asbury’s Made in America,” which is nationally syndicated and broadcast by more than 100 affiliates from coast to coast.
Greenspon founded Honey-Can-Do in January 2008 as a provider of home storage and organization products. Through the years, the company has expanded its offerings to become a leading brand of home storage, organization, garment and laundry care, kitchen storage, bakeware and accessories and kitchen utensils. The company has grown both organically and through acquisition. Prior to entering the housewares industry, Greenspon was owner of a leading provider of bath and plumbing products from 2001-2007, and COO of a wholesaler of heating and air-conditioning equipment from 1991-2001. Active on IHA committees since 2010, Greenspon is a member of the Government Affairs Committee and has served on the Industry Affairs Committee.
Laugier joined PSP North America/Peugeot in 2013, when she opened it as a wholly owned subsidiary of PSP SNC/Peugeot based in France. Peugeot, the world leader in mills since 1840, offers high-performance pepper and spice mills, coffee mills and wine and spirit accessories. Before coming to Peugeot, Laugier served as national accounts manager for Taylor Precision Products (now Filament Brands) from 2007-2013, and was managing director of Click Clack USA (now Innova Products) from 2003-2006. She is a member of both IHA’s Government Affairs Committee and Exhibitor Trade Show Advisory Committee.
Nichols has served as president and founder of Pretika since 2000. The company is a science-based innovator, marketer and vertically integrated manufacturer of branded consumer and professional FDA-cleared aesthetic skincare and haircare appliances. He is a member of IHA’s Government Affairs Committee.
Stoll has served as president of UT Brands since 2003. The company creates innovative housewares that solve problems with clever solutions, including Urban Trend™ kitchen gadgets that add a unique twist to kitchen tools, Barbuzzo™ fun and cheerful barware and KidsFunwares™ that encourage interaction and family unity at the table. Stoll is a member of IHA’s Exhibitor Trade Show Advisory Committee.
Bradshaw joined his family-owned company in 1994. He also serves as co-president of Bradshaw Holdings. A leading supplier of kitchen tools, bakeware and cookware marketed under the Good Cook, Betty Crocker, Bialetti and T-fal brands as well as various retailer private labels, the company was started in 1966 by brothers Doug and Ben Bradshaw and their father, Buzz. Before becoming the 4th generation in the family business, Bradshaw was a key account manager for Nestle from 1990-93.
Collins joined Neatfreak in 2008. The company designs, manufactures and distributes innovative home organization and laundry products globally. Prior to becoming a partner at Neatfreak, Collins worked in the sporting goods industry with world-recognized brands including Nike Inc. He also served as a board member of the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers Association.
Trudeau is the fourth generation to run the family company that was established in 1889. In 1984, he joined the designer and manufacturer of kitchenware and housewares products, including barware, kitchen tools, mills and On the Go products. From 1988-93 he worked for Glaxo before rejoining Trudeau in 1993.
Also serving on the IHA Board are Hildy Abrams, CEO, Gourmet Settings Inc.; Gregory Cairo, president, Groupe SEB USA and immediate past IHA chairman; Fred Dohn, CEO, Arc; William Endres, president, Select Brands; Melissa Kieling, CEO, PackIt, LLC; Kristine Malkoski; Alejandro Peña, managing director, North America, Keter North America; Howard Steidle Jr., CEO, John Ritzenthaler Co.; Will Symonds, president, DKB Household USA Corp.
Serving on the executive committee of the board are Brett Bradshaw, Gregory Cairo, John (JC) Collins, William Endres, Howard, Steidle Jr. and Philippe Trudeau.
The International Housewares Association is the 79-year-old voice of the housewares industry, which accounted for (US)$346.9 billion at retail worldwide in 2015 ($82.2 billion at retail in the U.S.). The not-for-profit, full-service association sponsors the world’s premier exposition of products for the home, the International Home + Housewares Show, and offers its 1,700 member companies a wide range of services, including industry and government advocacy, export assistance, State-of-the-Industry reports, point-of-sale and consumer panel data through Housewares MarketWatch, executive management peer groups, a unique Web-based community at www.housewares.org and group buying discounts on business solutions services.
