As Symphony Sleep prepares for the grand opening of its brand-new Las Vegas Market showroom, the company is highlighting its sales leadership team who play integral roles in the launch and growth of the residential brand for Innovative Sleep Technologies.
With Jason Hodge as vice president of sales, the heart of the Symphony Sleep sales and training team includes Gerald Steinbaum, John Gruber, Tony Joseph, and Weston King. They will be at the Las Vegas Market, Jan. 28-Feb. 1, in showroom C-1507 to introduce visitors to a bevy of innovative adjustable bases and accessories in addition to the engaging marketing programs that differentiate the Symphony Sleep brand.
“With decades of experience, each of our seasoned sales executives can help transform the retail floor by providing timely and insightful sales leadership that is the basis of great relationships with our retail partners,” says John Schulte, president of Innovative Sleep Technologies.
A proven builder and leader of high-performing sales teams, 25-year furniture industry veteran Jason Hodge guides the Symphony Sleep team. Before joining Innovative Sleep Technologies, he served as vice president of sales at Restonic. He began his career at a retail furniture store in Vermont before transitioning to manufacturer sales, first at Kingsdown then Serta Mattress and later Serta Simmons Bedding where he held various management roles for key accounts and business development. Hodge brings a global business perspective to his leadership role from his time in pharmaceutical sales for Abbott Laboratories.
Gerald Steinbaum is a key account manager focused on large retailers to provide comprehensive service, sales, and product education to support their needs. In this role for the past six years, he was previously a territory sales representative responsible for several states and hundreds of customers. Steinbaum has a broad range of experiences spanning more than 30 years as a retailer, e-tailer, wholesaler, distributor, and consultant in the mattress industry.
John Gruber, regional vice president of sales, is responsible for most of the middle states, including Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. After playing college football in Southern California, he began his bedding career in sleep shops as a retail manager for five years. He spent the next 14 years in sales of sleep products, specializing in adjustable beds, memory foam and hybrid mattresses, and had a successful 16-year run at Glideaway, earning multiple sales performance awards during his tenure.
Tony Joseph, regional vice president of sales, focuses on developing creative solutions and programs for retail partners through private label and product mixes. He is responsible for much of the northern Midwest states from Minnesota to Ohio. With a bedding career start in 1998, Joseph has made significant contributions working for national brands, including Sealy Mattress and I Love My Pillow. He also brings to his role at Symphony Sleep, experience in consumer packaging focused on designs that appeal to consumers and increase sales.
Weston “Wes” King is regional vice president of sales for the Southeast, responsible for territory growth through key accounts and overseeing an independent team of representatives. His 20-year bedding career includes 13 in retail and merchandising and seven as a sales leader with manufacturers. In his previous sales role, he was recognized for highest existing customer growth in 2021and highest new account revenue in 2022.
“Our sales team brings the industry’s best practices for RSA sales training, product intelligence and key partnerships to grow closing and attachment rates for retailers. Ultimately, RSAs are the key to the sale and our sales team works continually to help them hone their skills and become even better at their craft,” said Schulte.