by After 14 years working in various positions for Markor International Home Furnishings, industry veteran Jeff Young has stepped down from his most recent leadership role as president and CEO of the Jonathan Charles Designs brand.
Young joined Markor in 2009 as president and CEO of Schnadig International Corp., which was acquired by Markor the same year. The company credits Young with being the driving force behind Markor’s effort to transform Schnadig into a distinctive Caracole brand. Today, the Caracole brand is known as a major high-end resource with distribution in cities throughout the world. Young later served as Markor’s chief branding officer and led Markor’s other U.S. home furnishings divisions. He was president and CEO of A.R.T Home Furnishings from 2019 to 2021 and had led Jonathan Charles Designs since 2021.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed each of my many stops along the Markor furniture highway these past 14 years,” Young said in a news release. “It seems like just yesterday that Chairman Richard Feng and I met in a Los Angeles hotel meeting room in 2009, where together we charted a most innovative and new course for Markor, namely, the design and production of a new-generation of pace-setting products to serve both Markor manufacturing and its China-based retail furniture stores.”
“Jeff is an extraordinary product talent and an effective leader,” said Mark Feng, chair of Markor International Home Furnishings and CEO of Markor International. “His contrition to solidifying our product design and industry position is most consequential. We are deeply grateful for his service, dedication and loyalty. We wish Jeff the best of time with his family and friends.”
Young’s tenure with Markor caps a 50-year career in the home furnishings industry. After graduating from Wake Forest University in 1972, Young joined family-owned businesses Dixie Furniture, Link Taylor, Young Hinkle and Henry Link. Following the sale of the companies in 1987 to Masco Corp., Young served as president and CEO of the newly named Lexington Furniture Industries from 1990 to 1999. He later served as president and CEO of Fine Furniture, Drexel Heritage and HDM (consolidation of Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland Smith, divisions of Furniture Brands International).
