Empire Today® Appoints Brian Hutto as Chief Executive Officer

7/22/2024

Northlake, IL, July 22, 2024 – Empire Today (“Empire” or the “Company”), one of the country’s leading shop-at-home direct-to-consumer flooring company, today announced the appointment of Brian Hutto as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Hutto succeeds Keith Weinberger, who will be retiring after nine years as CEO.

Empire Today is a portfolio company of lead shareholder Charlesbank Capital Partners, as well as H.I.G. Capital. The Company, with its well-known 800-588-2300® jingle, has been a leading provider of installed carpet and flooring for both residential and business customers for over 60 years and now operates in over 70 markets across the US. Empire was named to the Forbes 2023 list of “America’s Best Mid-Size Employers,” and received the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Torch Award for Ethics in 2023.

Mr. Hutto brings over 30 years of experience and a proven track record in the home improvement and services industry. He most recently served as President and CEO of SageHome, a company he founded and grew, through acquisitions and organic expansion, into one of the largest fully dedicated providers of aging-in-place bath remodeling services in the United States. Prior to SageHome, Mr. Hutto was the CEO of Staymobile, a technology provider specializing in mobile and desktop device deployment, protection and service solutions. He also was an executive for Best Buy, where he led Best Buy for Business and Geek Squad’s strategy, in-home services, repair centers, remote technical support and warranty divisions. Additionally, Mr. Hutto spent seven years at The Home Depot, where he led their multi-billion-dollar home services programs.

“I am excited to join Empire Today, a company I have long admired for its rich history of delivering exceptional flooring solutions and unparalleled customer service,” said Mr. Hutto. “I look forward to collaborating with the team at Empire to further our mission of providing a convenient and professional home improvement experience for our customers.”

Mr. Weinberger said, “It’s been a privilege to serve as CEO of Empire Today and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together. I am confident that Brian will continue to grow the company and lead it to new heights for our customers and our employees. And I know that he will have the advantage of an entire organization of dedicated and talented people to support him in achieving those goals.“

“We are grateful to Keith for his leadership and contributions over the past 12 years,” said Andrew Janower, Managing Director at Charlesbank. “We look forward to working with Brian and are confident that his extensive leadership experience in the home improvement space will enable Empire Today to build on its accomplishments and drive accelerated growth in the coming years.”

About Empire Today

Empire Today, LLC, also commonly known as Empire Carpet and for its famous 800-588-2300® jingle, has been a leading provider of installed home improvements and home furnishings for 60 years. Empire serves residential and business customers with a wide selection of products for homes, small businesses, organizations, and commercial applications. Empire offers quality name-brand products including carpet, hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, tile and vinyl flooring. Empire’s customers enjoy shop-at-home convenience or on-site consultations, next-day professional installation on many products, quality products at great prices, and award-winning service in over 70 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. With more than 3 million satisfied customers, Empire Today is dedicated to customer satisfaction. For more information, visit EmpireToday.com.

About Charlesbank Capital Partners

Based in Boston and New York, Charlesbank Capital Partners is a middle- market private investment firm with more than $18 billion of capital raised since its 1998 inception. Charlesbank focuses on management-led buyouts, growth capital financings, opportunistic credit and technology investments. The firm seeks to invest in companies with sustainable competitive advantage and excellent prospects for growth. For more information, please visit www.charlesbank.com.

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. is a leading global alternative investment firm with $64 billion of capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in the United States, as well as international affiliate offices in Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Dubai, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to middle market companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion.

* Based on total capital raised by H.I.G. Capital and its affiliates.

Contact for Empire Today:
Mark Krolick Chief Marketing Officer, Empire Today
mkrolick@empire-today.com

Contact for Charlesbank Capital Partners:
Ryan FitzGibbon / Alexa Ottenstein / Peter Gavaris Prosek Partners
pro-charlesbank@prosek.com