Longtime HFA member Gorman’s Home Furnishings and Interior Design has promoted its president and Chief Operating Officer Tom Lias to the company’s CEO.
Lias will remain Gorman’s president and oversee merchandising, marketing and sales for the company, which has showrooms in the metro Detroit area and Grand Rapids, Mich., as well as a recently-opened clearance center at its Farmington Hills, Mich., warehouse.
The new position “only further cements my commitment and passion for the company and its staff, customers and partners,” said Lias, who has been a part of the Gorman’s team for more than 32 years.
Before joining Gorman’s in 1983, Lias was a co-owner of several La-Z-Boy stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He was named Gorman’s president in 1996 and helped the retailer expand its brands to include exclusive lines such as Stickley and Lexington Home Brands.
Lias inherits the CEO position from Bernie Moray, who purchased the original Gorman’s store in downtown Detroit in 1965. Lias and Moray are partners in Gorman’ s along with Jeff Roberts and John Moray.
Moray called the promotion an easy one. “(Tom) has a keen sense of style and a passion for this industry, which I know will keep Gorman’s a leader in the furniture space both locally and nationally,” Moray said.
