Alfresco Home, manufacturer of distinctive casual furniture and garden accents (and the exclusive North American distributor of the Fornetto™ wood-fired dual-purpose oven and smoker), has named Rick Baker as gourmet brand manager. An industry veteran, Baker has vast knowledge and expertise in the world of outdoor living, and these are integral to establishing Alfresco Home and its Outdoor Gourmet division.

Joseph Cilio, CEO of Alfresco Home, says, “Since the launch of our Outdoor Gourmet category with the Fornetto product line, I’ve realized that as the brand develops at retail, we would need a brand leader. Rick and I have been doing some independent projects together, and when presented with the opportunity to work closely on growing Fornetto and furthering our presence in the outdoor-cooking category, we both jumped at it.”

Baker brings outdoor-living salesmanagement, wholesale, and manufacturing- operations experience (as well as a strong retail background) to Alfresco Home. He has served on the editorial review boards of several trade magazines, and he was president of the Casual Furniture Retailers Association. His familiarity with all segments of the industry positions Alfresco Home well, as it drives the Fornetto brand further into the independent marketplace. In addition, Baker will continue to conduct field sales in the Southern United States.

The addition of the outdoor category in 2013, combined with Alfresco Home’s casual furniture and garden accents, further solidifies the company’s position in the outdoor-living marketplace. With showrooms in Chicago Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—and a seasoned network of sales representatives across the country—Alfresco Home continues to make outdoor living easy.