Stephen Shuford named interim CEO at Shuford Mills

Company also launches new Web site

-- Casual Living, 6/25/2007 6:49:00 AM

Stephen Shuford, fifth generation owner and STM Industries board member, will serve as interim CEO of Shuford Mills, effective in July. Shuford Mills President CP Davis will relinquish his day-to-day responsibilities with the company to serve as president of Poseidon Enterprises Inc., a consumer goods company based in Charlotte, N.C. Davis will continue to serve Shuford Mills as a board member and advisor. 
      Shuford will actively lead Shuford Mills while the company conducts its search for a permanent replacement for Davis, who was hired in June 2006 to assist with the spin-off of Shuford Mills’ yarn operations and to establish the infrastructure required to support the explosive growth of its Outdura line of outdoor fabrics.
      “CP is an extremely talented businessman and a personal friend,” Shuford said. “I knew that his experience in private equity and the consumer products industry made him the ideal candidate to lead Shuford Mills during its transition from a traditional yarn-spinner to a progressive, growing designer and weaver of branded performance fabrics. I am thankful for the tremendous value that CP brought to the organization during the preceding 12 months, and I look forward to working with him as a airector.”
      Shuford expects the position of president will be filled within 90 days, but he does not intend to rush the process.  “We are already in touch with several candidates who have expressed an interest in the position;” Shuford said, “nonetheless, we are going to take our time to ensure that our new president has the skills, passion and energy to continue driving our phenomenal growth.”
     
Shuford Mills also has launched a new Web site for its Outdura brand of performance fabrics. Key features of the new site include detailed care and cleaning instructions that manufacturers, retailers, fabricators and customers alike will find useful as well as many new Outdura fabric styles and colors available for online viewing. These new fabrics include the ADEX Gold award-winning collection Urban Essentials and the Platinum award winner, Horizons. The site includes expanded FAQ’s and details Outdura’s warranties for both marine and outdoor casual fabrics.

Outdura also encourages customers who use Outdura in unique ways and interesting settings to submit photographs of the fabric “in action.” If the photograph is selected to be used on the site, the Hudson, N.C.-based fabric manufacturer will send the winner a garment bag made from tough, weather-ready Outdura.

“We believe the new Web site will be a great tool our customers and our customer’s customer can use,” said Jeff Jimison, vice president of Shuford Mills. “Not only can the customer see online all the great colors, patterns and styles we offer in Outdura, they can use it as a resource to learn why it’s so important to know what to look for as they shop for a boat, awning or outdoor furniture, and how the selection of a true quality fabric designed for outdoor use is so important to their long term satisfaction.”