International retail chain Calumet Photographic has promoted operations VP Gabriel Garcia to president.
Garcia, a 25-year veteran of the imaging industry, joined Calumet 15 months ago from Ritz/Wolf Camera, where he last served as Eastern VP.
In his new post he will focus on expanding product availability, exploring new marketing opportunities and "solidifying Calumet's role as a leading force in the photographic industry," the company said.
He reports to CEO Christof Bergman, who said Garcia "brings a strong retail background to his new role, as well as exceptional leadership, team building and people development skills.
Bergman added that "All of these attributes are key to Calumet's continued growth and our ability to partner with our vendors in order to create new opportunities that will benefit our loyal customers."
Bergman, who previously headed Calumet Europe, and Garcia assumed the duties of former president/CEO Brian Carroll.
Calumet, which turns 75 this year, ranked 97th in TWICE's Top 100 CE Retailers report with $18 million in CE sales in 2012. More recently the chain entered the new markets of Washington, D.C. and Florida, launched a new web platform, and continued to "grow and improve" its line of proprietary products, the company said.
Calumet operates 29 retail and photographic rental stores in the U.S. and Europe, and going forward "will be seeking new ways to expand its market share while continuing to provide a stable customer experience," the chain said.
