Gardner White Furniture Co. Inc. in Warren has named Rachel Stewart as CEO of the company, effective April 1.
As the fourth-generation leader of the 112-year-old, family-owned and operated company, Stewart has been Gardner White’s president since 2017 and succeeds her parents, Barbara and Steven Tronstein, who have served as co-CEOs of Gardner White. They take on new roles as executive chair and chair, respectively.
“Rachel’s strong leadership, innovative thinking, and dedication to our employees, our company, and our community give us confidence that she will continue to move Gardner White forward as she elevates to her new role as CEO of Gardner White,” say Barbara and Steven Tronstein in a joint statement.
Stewart has been instrumental in Gardner White’s continued expanded footprint in southeast Michigan, which now includes 13 retail locations throughout metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Saginaw. The company has more than 1,000 employees.
Stewart currently serves on the board of directors for Business Leaders for Michigan, The Parade Co., Math Corps, the Detroit Economic Club, and the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation. Under her leadership, Gardner White has been named to the “Best Places to Work” list by the industry publication Furniture Today for three consecutive years.
Prior to returning to Detroit to work in the family business, Stewart spent nearly 10 years working in the clean energy sector. Her last position was at the U.S. Department of Energy on a program working for Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu to drive down the installed price of solar energy to be competitive with other forms of electricity.
“I am determined to continue the thoughtful expansion of the Gardner White brand and am committed to strategic innovation to benefit the industry and our customers,” says Stewart. “It is a privilege to work alongside a team that shares the vision for the future and comes together to do remarkable work.”
At the same time, Gardner White named industry veteran Brad Bailey as president of Gardner White. Bailey was selected for his ability to work cross functionally to develop vision, strategy, and plans to deliver growth and profits, according to the company.
Prior to joining Gardner White, Bailey served as chief sales officer at Casper, where he led sales and operations for 65 retail stores throughout the country as well as the mass channel and wholesale sales divisions.
He also has held leadership positions at Simmons, Serta Simmons, and Tempur Sealy where he was credited with delivering growth in both profits and market share. Bailey will relocate to Michigan and assume his new role on April 1.
To read a DBusiness magazine feature about Gardner White, visit here.
