Barbeques Galore Names New Top U.S. Executive
By SHERRI CRUZ
Australia’s Barbeques Galore Ltd., mired in an earnings slump, last week named department store executive Michael Lindblad as chief executive of its Lake Forest-based U.S. arm.
Lindblad replaces former president Sydney Selati in the newly created chief executive’s spot.
He’s set to start Sept. 15.
Selati will become chairman of Barbeques Galore’s U.S. operations.
The company brought in Lindblad to grow sales, company spokesman Roger Pondel said.
“It reached the size where they wanted to add a new senior exec to help grow the company,” Pondel said.
Lindblad most recently was vice president of Bloomingdale’s Inc.’s Midwest and Western regions. Selati was president of Barbeques Galore since 1988.
Shares of Barbeques Galore closed near its 52-week high of around 5 on news of the appointment last week.
The company has been struggling.
This past year it closed three U.S. stores and its Irvine distribution center and headquarters.
Distribution moved to Ontario and its headquarters switched to Lake Forest. The company also has shifted some production from Australia to China.
Barbeques Galore’s second quarter operating income fell 78% from a year earlier to $890,000.
But sales showed signs of improvement, rising 5.1% to $52 million.
Same-store U.S. same-store sales rose 3.2% in the quarter from a year earlier.
