NEW YORK–Yamazaki Tableware has appointed Raymond I. Basanta president, effective June 1. He succeeds Kazuhiro (Kasey) Yawata, who has served as Yamazaki president since its offices opened in 1981.
Basanta has worked for Yamazaki since 1994 as vice president for marketing and product development. A well-known figure in the international tabletop industry for more than 40 years, Basanta previously worked in sales, product management and marketing for Towle, Gorham, and Nachtmann USA.
“The work that Kasey has done over the past 30 years has put Yamazaki in position to continue its growth in today’s challenging environment,” Basanta said. “I look forward to working with the company team in Japan and China as we solidify the gains that have been made in past years.”