Happy Feet International, a producer of luxury vinyl plank and tile, has added four new team members to help meet growing customer demand across the United States. Headquartered in Chattanooga, the company has hired Mike Ernest, Bill Pefanis and Darby Warren into sales positions. In addition, Allison Bethen will help support the sales team and lead customer service for the company’s West Coast operations.
“We’re expecting 2022 to be an even stronger year for Happy Feet, and our new sales team members will help increase our reach in markets across the country while delivering great customer care,” said CEO Casey Johnson.
“Our new additions are very experienced in the flooring industry and will be able to expertly assist our growing network of independent dealers.”
At Happy Feet, Mr. Ernest will be responsible for sales across Louisiana. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the flooring and carpeting industry, most recently with T&L Distributing. He has an extensive background in sales and building strong customer relationships.
A native of Baton Rouge, Mr. Ernest has spent most of his career in Louisiana. Prior to T&L Distributing, he worked for Emerson Carpet One for about 20 years in various sales positions. "Mr. Ernest is dedicated to his profession and has completed numerous sales schools, seminars and training programs over the years," officials said.
Mr. Pefanis is also joining Happy Feet as a territory manager and will be responsible for attracting new clients, securing accounts and maximizing profitability within his market, which includes Trenton, NJ. He has about 20 years of experience in the flooring industry in a range of sales positions spanning the east coast.
Most recently, Mr. Pefanis worked for Stone Access and was responsible for sales across the Northeast. "He’s knowledgeable in retail sales, design and installation of a range of products, including hardwood, laminates, ceramics and stone. The new position with Happy Feet brings Mr. Pefanis home to his native New Jersey," officials said.
Happy Feet’s expansion across the U.S. has led to the addition of new team members, including Ms. Warren, who will be responsible for sales in the Washington and Oregon markets. She will lead business development, building relationships with customers and generating sales in her territory in the Northwest, which she has called home for the last seven years.
Ms. Warren’s previous experience includes sales, most recently with Granite Top Inc., where she prepared countertop estimates and facilitated transactions with dealers, as well as residential customers. "A driven and quick learner, she got her start in the industry with Great Floors, where she coordinated relationships with vendors and managed multiple accounts including Costco,: officials said. "Ms. Warren has always been results-oriented, once placing third on beam in gymnastics at a New York state competition."
Supporting the sales team is Ms. Bethen, who just joined Happy Feet and will handle west coast customer service.
"She brings a robust background in customer care, having worked as a front desk coordinator in commercial real estate for 10 years, as well as multiple years in healthcare as an office coordinator," officials said.
Based in Southern California, Ms. Bethen plans to apply her established approach in handling client relationships to her work at Happy Feet. She will be responsible for scheduling sales appointments, processing orders and acting as a liaison to the sales team on various projects. Outside of work, Ms. Bethen enjoys going to the beach with her husband Jason and their chihuahua, Lucy.