Phoenix Footwear Group, Inc. announced that Larry Stuart Torchin has been appointed to the newly created position of Vice President of Design. Mr. Torchin will be responsible for overseeing product design of the Company's footwear products which include: Trotters(R), SoftWalk(R), and the recently acquired H.S. Trask(R) and Ducks Unlimited(R) brands. He will also be responsible for overseeing the Company's direct private label business.
Greg A. Tunney, President and Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Footwear Group, commented, “With the addition of Mr. Torchin to our design team, the Company not only acquires a well-respected industry veteran, but also strengthens our capabilities in this critical area.”
Mr. Torchin brings to the Company over 30 years of footwear industry experience. He was previously involved in the design and sourcing of footwear from countries such as Italy, India, and Taiwan. Mr. Torchin has also served as Vice President of Product Development for Benco International and later G.H. Bass Shoe companies. Mr. Torchin also founded Larry Stuart Ltd., a better grade brand of women's footwear produced in Italy, which grew to national status and was acquired by Brown Shoe Company in 1995. Recently, Mr. Torchin was the President of MTI, which sources and designs footwear for many branded companies and retailers in the U.S.
