Michaels Stores has named Chuck Rubin as CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. He currently is President/CEO of Ulta Beauty, a publicly-held chain of 550 cosmetic stores. He will assume his new roles after a brief period of transition. Chuck Sonsteby, who acted as co-CEO, will continue as the Company’s Chief Administrative Officer and CFO. Previous employers of Chuck Rubin include Office Depot, Sportmart, and Federated Department Stores. “Michaels is an iconic brand and a category leader in the large and fragmented arts and crafts industry, with considerable potential moving forward,” said Mr. Rubin. “With its diverse product offering of industry defining brands and unique customer engagement strategy, Michaels has built a loyal customer base. I am honored and excited by the opportunity and look forward to working with the company’s talented management team and dedicated associates.”
With great sadness we report the peaceful passing of our own David Swancey on February 2nd. David worked for many years in a number of leadership capacities at MacPherson’s Atlanta Distribution Center. Jim Semitekol, our COO, echoes the sentiments of David’s large group of friends at MacPherson’s when he said, “David was a valuable member of our team for many, many years. Always putting the company’s best interest first and always putting forth his best effort with a smile and an infectious dry sense of humor”.
The NAMTA Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Beth Bergman will be inducted into the NAMTA Hall of Fame. Beth is the owner of Wet Paint, located in Saint Paul, MN and is a long time NAMTA member and former member of the board of directors. Beth will receive this honor at the upcoming Art Materials World this May in Minneapolis.
School Specialty Inc. (SCHS), a money- losing distributor of non-textbook school supplies including art materials and classroom equipment, filed for bankruptcy protection and put the company on the auction block. The Company had annual sales of $732 million and is based in Greenville, WI. The Company reportedly has obtained a capital commitment of $50 million to help it meet its ongoing obligations and is working with a trustee to restructure their debt.
Artists Guild of Sturgeon Bay, WI is the iAMart group’s latest member.
Nancy Doubler, long time National Sales & Marketing Manager at Flambeau Inc/ArtBin Division, has recently left the company.
Adrienne Van Veen, long time art supply buyer at the University of California at Davis store, has been promoted to Asst. Director of Merchandise. Congratulations Adrienne! Staff member Mary Testa will be taking over the art supply buying duties.
ColArt, has announced it will be rolling out Microsoft Lync, a new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony system to 16 offices across Europe, America and China. The installation has already enhanced communication across the group, especially among mobile workers, and has fostered a richer collaborative environment for ColArt’s UK staff.
Check out this great article from the Orange County Register about San Clemente Art. OC Register
A former MacPherson’s alum, Mike Wiener, and his store are in the news! Check out the whole story here: The Drawing Board
NAMTA’s Council for Arts Advocacy received 16 grant applications and, in December, a committee selected the 3 recipients listed below. Each will be featured in an upcoming issue of NAMTA’s eNews and 2 of the 3 have indicated they are able to send a representative to Minneapolis. The remaining funds in the Foundation account plus an additional $1,600 from NAMTA were used to award this money.
1. North Shore Academy of the Arts, Grafton, WI was awarded $4,000
2. Art With a Heart, Indianapolis, IN was awarded $3,500
3. Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO was also awarded $3,500