THE L.A. MART® NAMES DAVID THOMPSON AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Long-time management veteran to oversee operations for
West Coast’s pre-eminent market center
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 22, 2005): The L.A. Mart,® the Western United States’ premier resource for gifts, home accessories, trend/lifestyle products and furniture, has appointed David Thompson to the position of director of operations, reporting to Gerry Seibel, vice president and general manager of the L.A. Mart.
“David has tremendous management and operations experience with commercial, retail, industrial and specialty properties,” said Seibel. “His knowledge, skills and strong work ethic will be a great asset to our efforts here at the L.A. Mart.”
In his new position, Thompson will be responsible for the supervision of all engineering, security, material handling and housekeeping departments; the coordination of tenant-improvement projects; construction management; and the execution of all service contracts for the L.A. Mart. “It is a privilege to join this management team, and to have the opportunity to become involved with such a compelling and interesting industry,” said Thompson.
An operations and management veteran, Thompson most recently served as operations manager for the AON Center, a 62-story high-rise office building in downtown Los Angeles, Calif. His prior experience also includes five years with Maguire Thomas Partners as operations manager of the Wells Fargo Center, the largest high-rise in downtown Los Angeles, as well as branch manager for ABM Engineering Services.
ABOUT THE L.A. MART
The L.A. Mart is the pre-eminent market center for gift and home furnishings products in the Western United States. With nearly 300 showrooms encompassing 724,000 square feet of showroom space, the L.A. Mart is dedicated to showcasing a wide array of lifestyle merchandise including gifts, fine furniture and home décor, decorative accessories, tabletop, stationery, collectibles, holiday ideas, gourmet foods, floral, linens, paper products, bath & body items, apparel, children’s giftware and handcrafted products.
The L.A. Mart is centrally located in the heart of the Furniture & Decorative Arts District at 1933 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, Calif., 90007, at the corner of Broadway and Washington Boulevard. For more information about the L.A. Mart, please visit www.lamart.com (click on “L.A. Mart” under “Properties”) or call 800.LAMART.4.
The L.A. Mart is a registered trademark of MMPI. The Gift & Home Furnishings Market is a trademark of MMPI. Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.
MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart, 350 W. Mart Center and 33 North Dearborn in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Washington Office Center in Washington, D.C.
Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado¹s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.
MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:
Joanna Mineau
Managing Director of Public Relations
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI)
Phone: 312.527.7074
E-mail: jmineau@mmart.com
Debra Gold
Gold & Company
Phone: 818.567.4653
E-mail: debra@goldsco.com