Ira F. DeVorkin
Apt. ****
Carrollton, Texas 75010
Phone : Dallas cell 214-***-****
China cell - 86-136********
Email: abof4a@r.postjobfree.com
www.homedecorsourcing.com
OBJECTIVE: To further my career in Asian sourcing, merchandising, and
product development in the home furnishings, giftware,lighting, giftware,
home decor and hospitality furnishings industries.
QUALIFICATIONS
I have spent my career in sourcing,merchandising,product development,QC,and
marketing from Asia. I have established offshore sourcing for the past 25
years in the Far East for many OEM manufacturers in lighting, home decor,
furniture, accessories, framed art and giftware, as well as contract
hospitality. I have strong communication skills, product development /
design abilities and have outlined aggressive qc as needed. I am known for
my ability to work and find new factories in China and the Philippines, as
I have spent 20 years nurturing relationships in both countries. I possess
tremendous initiative, problem solving and negotiation skills. I bring
positive, creative results to the table and have lived in China for
extended years. I do speak some Mandarin. I am known for getting results in
China as I profess humility, respect, and patience working with Chinese
factory owners. My time in China and the Philippines has given me a keen
insight into Asian culture. My scope of travels working with clients and
factories has taken me on extensive locations throughout China. I have been
based in DongGuan City.
EMPLOYMENT
February 2009 to present - Contract Sourcing - Sunlight Sales & Associates
/ HomeDecor Sourcing - Dallas, Texas & DongGuan City, China
Developed China sourcing in the home furnishings, hospitality furnishings,
case goods, seating, giftware, men's and women's leather accessories and
plush toys industries for wholesalers and distributors in the USA and
China. My role is to source projects given to me and introduce my customers
to China factories that can manufacture competitive products. I actively
manage the relationships between the factory and my customer. I also do
domestic China outsourcing for case goods makers that need to find more
aggressive makers to work within China. I am involved in hospitality
furnishings for USA suppliers that service the hotel marketplace. My
factories sell well-known hotel brands in the USA. I have actively sourced
retail displays for one of the oldest national retail display makers. I
have sourced giftware items for e-commerce retailers and catalog retailers
in the USA.
January 2006 to January 2009 - China Sourcing, Product Development, China
Office Manager - IMAX Worldwide Imports - Tulsa, OK
Duties were to open and manage a new sourcing, design support and product
development office to oversee IMAX's growth activities in Mainland China.
This included locating and building an office in DongGuan City, China. This
four-story venture in the DongChen District of DongGuan City required my
supervision over a six month period of time. Duties included hiring and
managing the Chinese office staff that assisted my sourcing of six new
factories a month, supporting the Vice President and four buyers that came
to China six times per year, and working to maintain an aggressive product
development criteria of 600 new introductions twice a year. I supported in-
house and out-of-house designers that were sent to China throughout the
year to design and develop new product. In total, I was involved with over
70 factories in China. I also managed factories that were located in
Vietnam, India, and the Philippines. I assisted the QC office which was in
Shenzhen, China. Additional tasks included assisting the Global Sales
Division in China, as well as arranging all Mainland China travel for the
company. I was responsible for working with many of the company's larger
retailers such as
Pier One, TJM, Kirkland's, Cracker Barrel, Ashley Furniture and other
international accounts as they traveled China. I exceeded all company needs
and I was responsible for bringing famous industry designers to IMAX, such
as Carolyn Kinder. I was involved in the ground floor development of
product for Donald Trump Home brands. We designed and manufactured wall
d cor, accent furniture and home d cor for the Trump Corporation.
April 2003 to January 2006 - Product Development / Global Sourcing, China
Office Manager - CompLex Industries, Inc. - Memphis, TN
Duties included product development/design and working with OEM customers
within the lighting, giftware, home d cor, furniture, and accessories
industries. I increased the company's sourcing by establishing an office in
the Philippines with two employees located in Cebu, as well as expanding
into China. I spent 50% of my time overseas working with factories and
customers to develop proprietary products and assisted in managing the
China office which consisted of 20 people. Developed custom product for OEM
manufacturers such as Basset Furniture, Bassett Mirror, Stylecraft Home and
Uttermost.
October 2002 to April 2003 - Offshore Sourcing / Product Development -
Majestic Mirror - Hialeah, FL
Headed offshore resourcing and product development for this framed-mirror
manufacturer whose business was primarily in the hospitality industry. I
was hired to help source and launch their home furnishings division. I
applied my China and Philippines resourcing programs as the sole developer
of product.
February 2000 to March 2001 - Offshore Sourcing Manager - Lamp
Crafters/TomLin Designs - Lexington, NC
Successfully established company's offshore presence so they could grow
private label business with several major retailers in the USA. I
coordinated offshore purchasing, manufacturing, packaging, quality control
issues, and shipping logistics. I had direct retail account involvement
with the marketing and sales departments. LampCrafters/TomLin Designs sold
decorative accessories, portable lighting, accent furniture, and lighting
fixtures to companies such as Ethan Allen, Bombay and Rooms to Go.
April 1999 to February 2000 - Offshore Resourcing, Giftware Purchasing /
National Sales & Marketing - Lasting Products, Inc. - Dallas, TX
Accomplished all offshore giftware, accent tables, and tabletop
manufacturing goals in the Far East for this OEM maker. I initiated
additional manufacturing production from China factories. The company's
Mexican-owned manufacturing abilities were sold out. I headed marketing of
national sales within the retail mass merchant category. I introduced many
mass-market key representatives to Lasting Products to help sell home d cor
and table-top lines into the marketplace. I resourced 70 gift items for a
national brand product launch. I worked directly in merchandising products
for the company's retail stores. Our customers included Dollar General,
Pottery Barn, Bombay, Smith & Hawkins, Macy's, Dillard's Home Interiors and
Ballards.
April 1997 to March 2003 - Sunlight Sales Group - Austin, TX / Pacific
Brighten, Inc. - Orange, CA
I started a partnership sourcing for USA manufacturers. Working as Vice
President, I headed all marketing and selectively established China
resourcing for lighting, lighting fixture, furniture, accessory, home
d cor, candle, giftware and plush toy manufacturers across the country. I
worked to continuously find USA manufacturers that wanted to establish
offshore relationships in an effort to increase their pricing advantages in
their respective marketplaces. OEM customers I sourced for included
Bassett Mirror, Iris Worldwide, Northern Lights Candle, Casa Bisque, TomLin
Designs, John Richard Collection, Thomasville, Lasting Products Inc.,
Quoizel and A'Homestead Shoppe. I provided additional resourcing strengths
in Mexico and the Philippines.
1981 to April 1997 - Berman Sales Company - Chicago, IL
Sold lighting parts to portable lamp and fixture makers across the country.
My working sales territory covered eight states with 40 accounts. I managed
several sales associates in other parts of the country. I helped with
offshore relations, was involved in USA marketing and worked with the
company's largest customers, including major USA retailers. Over my 16
years with the company, I was directly responsible for Berman Sales
Company's aggressive growth. I was chosen to go to Taiwan with the
President of the company.
Previous to 1981 - Stein Furniture - Milwaukee, WI
Managed a Retail Furniture Store. Additionally became assistant case goods
buyer and lighting buyer for the company
which had 5 store locations around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Managed 3 full-
time and two part-time employees. I had complete control of store
merchandising, advertising and in-house promotions.