Steve Pawl Now the First Chief Marketing Officer of Sunbrella Fabrics

Repositioning the Sunbrella Brand in Crowded Market

August 8, 2019

Steve Pawl is now the chief marketing officer of Sunbrella Fabrics, the first in the company’s history.
Steve Pawl is now the chief marketing officer of Sunbrella Fabrics, the first in the company’s history.

BURLINGTON, N.C. -- Steve Pawl is now the chief marketing officer (CMO) of Sunbrella Fabrics, the first in the company’s history.

Steve joins Sunbrella with more than 20 years of experience building international consumer brands, having led companies like Husqvarna Group, Fruit of the Loom, Newell Brands, and Pfizer.

As CMO, Pawl will direct the global brand strategy for Sunbrella as well as other trade brands within Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, best known as the makers of Sunbrella fabrics.

The new position reflects the increased emphasis Glen Raven is placing on building connections with customers. Pawl reports to David Swers, president and chief operating officer of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics.

Pawl was most recently vice president of eCommerce for Husqvarna Group, where he also served as vice president of brand and product marketing for the company’s Consumer Brands division. As a leader for the $1 billion global division, Pawl crafted a strategy for Husqvarna Group’s retail portfolio, including repositioning and refreshing its brands.

Pawl, who holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, says in a release the challenge for global brands is how to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. For Sunbrella, he says this means fostering greater engagement within targeted customers.

"Brands that are focused on the customer journey are the ones poised for sustained success," he says in a release. “Once a user enjoys their Sunbrella Bimini top, we want them to turn to Sunbrella for their patio furniture, their indoor upholstery needs and for window fabrics, and realize similar enjoyment from those spaces.”

Glen Raven President and CEO Swers says in a release: "As Sunbrella continues its growth trajectory, this [new CMO] position is a natural step in expanding the brand across complex markets globally.”

ABOUT SUNBRELLA FABRICS

Sunbrella fabrics give consumers, designers, fabricators, and architects the materials they need to create in the marine, indoor- and outdoor-upholstery, window, commercial and contract sectors, according to the company.

Introduced in 1961, Sunbrella fabrics are manufactured and marketed by Glen Raven, Inc., a 139-year-old family-owned company based in North Carolina with operations worldwide. Sunbury Textiles recently joined Sunbrella.

 


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