Jim Harley Named President of Bentley
Los Angeles, CA, November 13, 2017-Bentley Mills has announced several changes at the top of its organization. Ralph Grogan is leaving his post as president, returning permanently to the east coast for personal reasons. Jim Harley, a seasoned industry executive who rejoined Bentley nearly five years ago as chief operating officer, will take the helm as president. Richard French, a proven leader in commercial carpet sales, moves into a newly created role as vice president of sales.
Harley started his career with Bentley, which became part of the Balta Group in March of this year, more than 30 years ago, as part of the management team that built the company from a small start-up carpet manufacturer in 1980 into a brand widely recognized for its products and customer service. He returned to Bentley in 2013 after spending eight years in executive roles at Tandus (now Tarkett), Monterey Carpets and Chroma Systems.
To further bolster Bentley’s growth trajectory and meet the demands of a dynamic market, the company has created a new position to oversee its sales strategy. French takes on the role, following more than 21 years at Interface, where most recently he served as its vice president of sales for the Americas. French brings strong experience in exporting to Latin America and developing national accounts across North America for which Bentley now has a competitive mid-market positioned product in Modulyss.