History

The Beginnings of Hastings

Hastings Tile & Bath has been at the forefront of design, providing architectural products to the building industry, beginning with pavers for large-scale installations such as the walkways that surround New York City’s Central Park. In the 1970s, we began importing tile and bath products from Italy for the high-end home furnishings industry. Today, Hastings products are sold through leading bath and kitchen dealers across the country, including our own 4,600 square foot showroom in the Architects & Designers Building in New York City.

Known for providing a full range of innovative and functional products to architects and designers, Hastings Tile & Bath continues its long tradition of sourcing striking tile and plumbing products from Europe. Our collections have included some of the finest names in the industry: Fornasetti, Philippe Starck, Andrée Putnam and Gio Ponti. We are also the exclusive importer and distributor of the Arne Jacobsen designed, multiple award-winning VOLA line in the United States.

Ronnie Lofton

Order Processor, Shipping and Warehouse Maintenance

cs@hastingstilebath.com

A Jack-of-all-Trades, Ronnie’s role at Hastings is multi-pronged; he might say he’s the resident Handyman, but we know that his role is bigger. Since 1992 Ronnie has kept us in good stead – you cannot run a warehouse without someone like Ronnie.

Favorite product(s):  VOLA’s showerheads because of the variety of designs.

Outside of Hastings:  Ron is a serious bowler, he has 45+ of 300 perfect games, 10+ 800 series games – serious!

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  I have a twin sister, our nicknames are: me – peanut, my sister – jelly, we are known as “peanut butter & jelly”.

John Ardila

Warehouse Manager

john@hastingstilebath.com

John has been keeping our warehouse in order since 2002, making sure that our customers receive their orders on time. Nothing escapes John; he takes his role seriously, as he is actually the first person to see and handle customer’s products.

Favorite product(s):  VOLA’s T39 Towel Warmer because of its minimalist design, variety of colors and of course ability to keeps towels warm.

Outside of Hastings:  Along with spending time with his family, John is a bit of a technologist; he loves reading about technology and experiencing it. His home right now is 30% “smart” and he’s aiming to get that percentage much higher.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  He claims he is not a cook, but he does love to eat!

Charlene Hynes

General Accounting Manager

charlene@hastingstilebath.com

Charlene has been keeping our numbers straight since 1994. A huge fan of Hastings complete catalog of products, Charlene somehow manages to keep everything in order, which is not easy when you have such a rich catalog. She considers herself to be a great team player, which is important when you are juggling as much as the accounting department juggles.

Favorite product(s):  Charlene just cannot choose a favorite. She loves every product. We tried to pin her down – couldn’t do it.

Outside of Hastings:  When not at work, Charlene teaches CCD (religious education for confirmation) classes.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  I volunteer
within my community and I go on spiritual retreats a few times a year.

Janet Allison

Customer Service & Purchasing Manager

jallison@hastingstilebath.com

Janet has been part of the team since 2003, and her position is twofold; as purchasing manager, she is responsible for all stock and special order products which she secures by communicating on a daily basis with the many European factories that Hastings works with. She also oversees the customer service department as the manager and handles calls if her team needs additional help.

According to Janet, she feels her roles involve two particular skills; problem-solving and being a magician. She loves making customers happy and though she never expects thanks, when they do thank her, she feels especially good about the work she does.

Favorite product(s):  The VOLA T39 Electric Towel Warmer because of its unique design. It is a truly beautiful piece.

Outside of Hastings:  Enjoys cooking, and enjoys sporting events with her two college aged sons (go Buckeyes!). She also professes to being a fan of tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  I wanted to be a stockbroker and the market crashed the year I graduated and my plans changed. I’ve only had two jobs my entire adult life. I was at the first one for 15 years. I am very loyal.

Kevin Mashia

Director of Tile Products & Showroom Sales

kevin@hastingstilebath.com

Kevin has been in the Hastings family since 1999, learning from and working alongside Mario Paone, the President of Hastings at that time. Kevin is the resident expert on all things tile; traveling to Italy and Spain in search of the best and most unique tiles to bring to market via the Hastings showroom. His aesthetic can be seen everywhere in the showroom; he collaborates with Bob Gifford to design the layout and the vignettes that provide visual expressions of all that Hastings’ offers.

Favorite product(s):  Tagina Ceramiche’s Antica Umbria Mondeschi

Outside of Hastings:  Kevin loves cooking and entertaining around a big table with family and friends.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  I’ve been playing Bocce since I was a kid – try me!

Nazarena Febrero

North East Regional Sales Manager
Architectural and Dealer Sales

nazarena@hastingstilebath.com

Nazarena has had a long career with Hastings, first in 2003-2010 and again since 2018. Her educational background in Industrial Design fuels her passion for product design; particularly products used in daily life. Her experience and knowledge that comes from visiting factories and seeing product production up close is as asset when working with architects. Her focus at Hastings is on architectural sales; presenting Hastings’ CEU, promoting, training and teaching architects and designers about the value of the VOLA brand. She works specifically with the architect and design communities in the Metro New York and New Jersey regions, assisting them with project specifications and coordinating distribution through the Hastings dealer network.

Favorite product(s):  VOLA’s KV1 because of its proportions and balance between it being both a cylinder and a square without colliding plus its absolute sense of functionality.

Outside of Hastings:  Nazarena takes advantage of as many of the cultural opportunities that living in the New York area provide: Art galleries, architecture, the High Line, people watching, yoga, even observing construction sites.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  My favorite hobby is fixing and building small projects.

Walter Meyers

Sales Coordinator

walter.meyers@hastingstilebath.com

Walter has been with Hastings since March 7, 1988! A true renaissance employee, Walter has performed virtually every position with the company; paving, warehousing, customer and tech services (each capping off in a management role), regional sales manager and now sales coordinator. His support to the staff, the dealers, the architects, designers and end users cannot be overestimated. He derives satisfaction from helping everyone with whom he comes in contact. At trade shows you will find Walter happily engaged in conversation with everyone who wants to learn more about Hastings’ collections.

Favorite product(s):  There has been a long list of products (since we are always searching for the latest and greatest European designs) that has passed through Hastings over my many years but one item has been consistent most of our furniture is the VOLA HV1.The fact that it’s 50+ years old and still looks good on just about every sink we’ve put it on. Timeless.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  Walter says he’s an open book – but we all think he’s our version of the “World’s Most Interesting Man”.

Cary Hergenrother

National Sales Manager

cary@hastingstilebath.com

Cary has been inspiring and motivating the Hastings’ sales teams and showroom partners from 2001-2012 and again beginning in 2017. He is the most enthusiastic brand ambassador for Hastings; educating everyone about the benefits of bringing the most beautiful, innovative European faucetry and bath products to the US market. His experience as a US Navy Seabee is where he learned his plumbing and mechanical skills. He loves to share his passion about the Hastings products with architects, designers, builders and showroom salespeople – it is this skill that makes him such a valuable member of the Hastings’ family.

Favorite product(s):  The Class vanity from Italy, because, as he says, “Have you seen it?” It encompasses elegance and luxury for any taste.

Outside of Hastings:  A classic car enthusiast, Cary spends weekends driving and restoring classic cars, primarily 60’s Chevelles and El Caminos.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  I am a cat person and animal lover.

Bob Gifford

Director of Business Development

bob@hastingstilebath.com

Bob came on board in 1991 as Designer of ShowerTech systems and his roles have steadily expanded within the company. Today he is responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing, showroom and product training. When not going between headquarters in Ronkonkoma and the New York City showroom or visiting dealer accounts all across the US, Bob travels to Europe to source products for the Hastings collection and increase brand awareness for Hastings. Bob’s degree from Island Technical Drafting Institute and his studies in architectural drafting, design and CAD have helped him in his role as chief trade show and showroom vignette designer. And it might surprise many people that Hastings’ most popular bathtub, the Chelsea, was designed by Bob.

Favorite product(s):  The Chelsea Tub, as it is his original design and he is thrilled that for 10 years it has remained their most popular bathtub. Of course the VOLA brand as a whole; it is an honor to represent this iconic brand here in the United States and to be able to work with the amazing team at VOLA.

Outside of Hastings:  Bob enjoys boating and fishing and time with his four kids.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  He designed and built his own home, all aspects EXCEPT the roof. He swears he does NOT do roofs.

Kerry Kennedy

Customer Service Representative

kerry@hastingstilebath.com

Kerry is a recent addition to the Hastings family, having joined the company in February 2018. In her role as a customer service representative she handles all incoming orders and helps resolve any customer service issues. Kerry has found that having been trained (and certified) as a Private Investigator is excellent background and training for her job. She prides herself on her natural people skills and is relentless about tracking down and fixing issues.

Favorite product(s):  VOLA’s FS3; she loves the look and feel of the product and that it can be used outside.

Outside of Hastings:  You will find Kerry spending time with her two children looking for adventures.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  With my background as a private investigator, I’m always looking for clues.

John Kamuda

Technical Services Manager

john.kamuda@hastingstilebath.com

John has been with Hastings since 2005, and because he is a man of few words, the best way to describe his role is with this one word: essential. His strength is his ability to think outside the box when it comes to solving any/all technical issues that might arise.

Favorite product(s):  The VOLA KV1 kitchen faucet – for its looks and functionality.

Outside of Hastings:  John enjoys live shows and he collects movie posters. He travels whenever he has the opportunity.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  I’ve been here so long there are no surprises. I don’t hold back.

Ryan Homola

Controller

ryan@hastingstilebath.com

Ryan began his career at Hastings in 2015 as a member of the sales team in Hastings New York City showroom. As a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Business Management, he quickly showed his aptitude for accounting and finances and was promoted to Controller in 2018. His role includes guiding and managing all financial and accounting operations. He works with the accounting staff to analyze and monitor activities related to finance; overseeing cash flow management and company performance. For Ryan, all of the various pieces of financial management are ripe for problem-solving, which he feels is one of his strengths.

Favorite product(s):  The VOLA 060 showerhead – it is a pristine work-of-art with minimalist intentions that embodies VOLA’s pursuit.

Outside of Hastings:  Ryan really enjoys weight-training/nutrition, dancing and golfing in his spare time.

Something co-workers would be surprised to know:  Some of our co-workers already know, but I can dance pretty well…especially Salsa.