Michael Straaton

Straaton will represent Austin in a selected area, as well as Loloi, Kennebunk Home, Replogle Globes, Ibolili, Bella Rose by Chateau and others.

“I'm pretty excited about it,” Mike Straaton, president, told Home Accents Today. “It's a challenging time, but I think that there is a tremendous amount of opportunity for road-centric sales groups to be positioned for success as the economy improves.”

Straaton said he has added seven reps to his existing force of 16.

“It's a very unique time in the industry, and the people who are going to succeed are those who are committed to moving forward,” he said. “And it's a rare day when you can add an entire region, which ultimately comes right back to our great road reps.”

Showroom plans are pending. Straaton closed its Chicago showroom in November.