The Home Depot (Atlanta) has announced that it will reorganize its EXPO Design Center division into three operating and merchandising divisions by early 2001, to facilitate the expansion of the interior design and decor showroom format. The three divisions will be: the Northeast, located in South Plainfield, N.J.; the West, located in Orange, Calif.; and the Southeast, which will continue to operate from Atlanta.

Like its parent, the EXPO division management structure will include a division president, regional vp and merchandising vp. These positions are planned to be filled over the next year. Bryant Scott, currently EXPO Design Center president, will continue to lead the overall organization and report to group president Barry Silverman. Scott also will serve as president of the newly created Southeast division until a newpresident is named. Scott, president of EXPO since 1995, has been credited with playing an instrumental role in developing the EXPO concept.

Bob Wittman, senior vp of strategic business development for Home Depot, will add to his responsibilities the newly created position of president – EXPO Northeast division. Wittman currently oversees theVillager's Hardware four-store test in New Jersey.

In making the announcement, Home Depot president and ceo Arthur M. Blank said the new team would be integral to EXPO Design Center's expansion from 20 stores currently. “We are just beginning our aggressive expansion to 200 EXPO Design Center stores by 2005. As we grow, we plan to duplicate the success of our decentralized Home Depot operating structure within EXPO.”

Launched in 1991, the first EXPO Design Center locations – San Diego, Dallas, Atlanta and Long Island – were part of the experimental phase of the EXPO concept – to sell quality products, design expertise and installation services for home-decor projects in a custom showroom environment. There are currently 20 EXPO Design Centers, in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Monrovia, and San Diego, Calif.; Miami, Boynton Beach, and Davie, Fla.; Alpharetta and Atlanta, Ga.; Burlington, Mass.; Troy and West Bloomfield, Mich.;Union, N.J.; Westbury, N.Y.; Plano, Dallas, N. Richland Hills and Houston, Texas; and Fairfax, Va.