Los Angeles—Jim Harley, long-time leader and president of Bentley Mills, Inc., California’s largest commercial carpet manufacturer, will retire effective June 1, 2022. Jay Brown, a seasoned industry executive who joined Bentley two years ago as vice president of operations, will take the helm as president and chief operating officer, according to the company.
“Bentley is the strong, resilient, competitive company it is today because of Jim’s leadership,” said Cyrille Ragoucy, chief executive officer of Bentley’s parent company, Balta Group nv, the Belgium-based manufacturer of textile floorcoverings. “We are thankful for his vision, strategy and commitment to our brands. I am confident Jay will continue the momentum and lead Bentley into its next chapter.”
Brown expressed excitement about the future of Bentley Mills, Inc., according to the company. “We have an extraordinary group of people and I look forward to working more closely with them as we deliver on our plans to grow our brand and address the evolving needs of our customers and the industry,” Brown said.
Richard French, who has been with Bentley since 2017, said he will continue to further bolster Bentley’s growth trajectory and meet the demands of a dynamic market as senior vice president and chief commercial officer. He remains based in Atlanta.
Harley will remain onboard in an advisor role to assist Brown as needed in the transition, according to the company.
“The decision to retire is bitter-sweet, but with Jay as my successor I leave knowing Bentley is in good hands,” Harley said. “Jay is exactly the right person for the job.”