Owen Shoemaker, chief operating officer of Willowbrook, Illinois-based mattress maker King Koil, retired Aug. 31 after nearly a decade with the brand and 40 years in the sleep products industry.
Owen Shoemaker
“Advancing international marketing and activity in the King Koil global community has been the most important contribution for me,” Shoemaker said. “King Koil around the world is decidedly dynamic and effective as a brand of preference, style and leadership. I have enjoyed my years with King Koil. Our people are exceptionally bright and enthusiastic in every corner of the earth. Our new team here in the U.S. will carry our success forward. I have been truly blessed.”
David Binke, chief executive officer, said: “Owen has a been a wonderful steward of our brand. The board and I are grateful for his hard work, commitment and dedication to our customers, licensees and business partners. Even during some of the most trying times in his personal life, his leadership kept our company at the forefront of our industry. He has been a personal friend of mine for a long time. When I assumed my new position with the company, he stood by me as a partner in helping me create our new business model and working with our licensees as we moved the company in a new direction. He also has been a terrific mentor to some of the new talent we have brought to the company since I came aboard.”
In addition to his international success with King Koil, Shoemaker was credited with refocusing its brand identity by updating and unifying its logo, messaging and innovative products. The World Luxury collection was one of his major successes, the company said in a news release, adding that it brought a consistency of design and focus that had never existed before in the company.
Before joining King Koil, Shoemaker was the regional vice president of business development at Kingsdown Inc.; vice president of business development at Nature’s Rest; head of business development and sales at Latex Foam Products, which is known today as Talalay Global; and director of stores and vice president of sales at Ortho Mattress.
