CMC hires L.A Mart president John Weiglin
Show expansion under way
Gifts & Decorative Accessories -- Home Accents Today, 3/17/2006 11:22:00 AM
By Bessie Nestoras
The California Market Center has tapped Jon Weiglin, most recently president and COO of the L.A. Mart, as director of leasing for gift and home. With 24 years of industry experience under his belt, Weiglin has a track record of increasing sales volume and tenant occupancy -- just what John Kim, general manager of the CMC, hopes to bring to the market center. At the L.A. Mart, Weiglin increased sales volume from $7 million to $15 million, and increased tenant occupancy from 51% to 98%. Kim courted Weiglin as a way to expand the gift and home sector of the CMC, and to help strengthen the building's new lifestyle theme. "We're thrilled to have Jon on board," said Kim. "We are committed to aggressively growing the gift and home sector of the building, and we believe that Jon's expertise will help us get one step closer to achieving our goals." Weiglin's immediate goals are already in the works. There are plans to consolidate the gift and home floors of the CMC, and work with core tenants to retain and grow the retail base. In addition, construction is under way on a trade hall that will house 300 10x10 temporary booths, as well as another trade show facility to hold 500 10x10 booths. The new temporary spaces will be located under one roof in The Gift & Home Building. "Our long term goals are to be 80 percent leased in four years, as well as to feature trade shows, theme days and special events relevant to the building. The traffic generated will benefit the permanent showrooms," Weiglin said. A shared vision is one of the main reasons Weiglin took the job at he CMC. "They have a vision for the building that reminded me of the vision of the LA Mart when I joined them. (CMC executives) have a vision of where they want to see the building. We aspire to be a market center like Atlanta and Dallas."The potential Weiglin saw for the building was another incentive. "We have great strength in fashion accessories and juvenile products, which are thriving in the gift industry right now, and the cross merchandising opportunities appealed to me," he said. Before his stint at the L.A. Mart, Weiglin worked at PPC, a consumer stationery company, where he increased sales volume from $2 million to $5 million. At AMC tradeshows, he served as director of sales and marketing, and sales grew from $8 million to $16 million, while attendance grew to over 80,000 per year.
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