King Koil Licensing Co., which was acquired in early 2015 by one of its international licensees, King Koil Malaysia, has named industry veteran David Binke chief executive officer.
David Binke
The role had been vacant since the departure of interim CEO Teck Hong Goh in 2015. Owen Shoemaker, the company’s president and chief operating officer, had performed many of the CEO duties.
Binke’s appointment is a homecoming for him as he had served as executive vice president of sales for the Willowbrook, Illinois-based company from 2007 to 2012. He left to join E.S. Kluft & Co. as president of sales and marketing for North America and then became its CEO in 2015. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade as executive vice president of sales for Spring Air, where he also held an ownership position in the company’s largest licensing group. Binke started his career in buying and management positions with a number of well-known department stores.
“We are very happy to have David return to King Koil to help us grow and strengthen our brand,” said Jin Hoe Yeoh, chair of King Koil. “His exceptional vision and sales leadership will be key components of our growth strategy both in the United States and abroad. I want to personally thank Owen, who has been a great steward of our brand, especially given the various challenges in the last 12 to 18 months. We look forward to his continued contributions to our brand.”
Binke said he and his family welcomed his return to King Koil and the Chicago area.
“King Koil is one of the oldest and most respected mattress brands in the industry,” Binke said. “This was a unique opportunity for me to lead one of the biggest names in the mattress industry. For my family, it also meant my ability to be closer to home in Chicago, something we all welcomed. There is a tremendous opportunity for us to grow and expand the King Koil brand, and I look forward to working closely with our licensees, dealers and corporate staff to expand our business in the United States and internationally.”
