Glideaway Appoints Industry Veteran New Vice President of Sales
Glideaway Sleep Products announced it has appointed Dan Baker its vice president of sales. Joining the company with over 15 years of industry experience, Baker will oversee Glideaway’s entire sales force and will assist in the overall marketing and merchandising of Glideaway’ brand and product lines.
Most recently, Baker led sales for the U.S. division of Natura World’s NexGel brand. In 2008, he joined the founders of NexGel as general manager and vice president. Baker is credited with setting up the company’s Utah manufacturing facility, merchandising a complete line of products and hiring more than 20 U.S. sales representatives who collectively opened 250 doors. His initiatives propelled the brand to the forefront of the emerging gel category and after six months, Natura World purchased NexGel. Baker stayed with the company as the vice president of sales for the United States.“We’re excited to have someone with Dan’s extensive sleep products experience on our team,” said Ron Fredman, executive vice president of sales. “Through his past work with major brands, Dan really understands the category and what retailers are looking for, which will greatly enhance our abilities to serve the market.”
Previously, Baker spent over a decade in key sales positions with leading bedding sleep products companies, including one year at Southerlands. In 2006, he joined International Bedding Company (IBC) as vice president of sales for the company’s southwest division. Prior to that post, Baker spent five years as executive vice president of sales and marketing at Spring Air’s Salt Lake City licensee, where he delivered a 47 percent increase in sales through the strategic implementation of unique marketing strategies. Baker started his bedding sales career in 1997 with a six years stint as key account manager at Simmons.
“Glideaway has developed one of the nation’s finest value-added sleep products brands,” said Baker. “They provide customers with a one-stop shop because they have the unique ability to fill up a truck with various components of the sleep system – from mattress protectors to bed frames – which is a really innovative service in the industry.”
For more information, visit www.glideaway.com.
About Glideaway: Founded in the 1920s as a furniture retailer in Illinois, Glideaway is a full-service bedding supplier to full-line furniture retailers, specialty sleep shops, and web-based e-tailors. Their products include a complete line-up of visco and latex mattresses, adjustable bed bases, bed frames, pillows, mattress protection products, metal beds and youth sleep products. Based in St. Louis, the company employs more than 140 people in its 185,000 square-foot manufacturing, distribution, and showroom complex.
