For the Week of Dec. 11th

Management Changes:

 (Grayslake, Ill., provider of in-store visual communications solutions) has promoted Gary McWhorter to director, account management; Jakub Kar-Ali to head of its Boston office; John Columbus to director, project management; and Greg Hildebrand, to director of digital operations.

Mannington Commercial Flooring (Calhoun, Ga., flooring manufacturer) has hired Natalie Jones as director, marketing. Jones was previously vp, brand management, at Lees Commercial Carpet.

Mergers and Acquisitions:

Pay By Touch (San Francisco provider of biometric transaction technologies for retailers) has acquired S&H Solutions and its parent company, S&H greenpoints (Delray Beach, Fla., provider of customer-based loyalty marketing and retail solutions).

Best Tile Distributors (Ludlow, Mass.) has acquired four Boston Tile showrooms in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island.

Relocations:

Food Marketing Institute to 2345 Crystal Dr., Ste. 800, Arlington, VA 22202. Its phone and fax numbers are unchanged.

Avila Design to 2471 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704. Its phone and fax numbers are unchanged.

Store Openings/Contracts:

L2M Inc. (Glen Burnie, Md., design firm) has been named national architect for Perfumania (Sunrise, Fla., perfumery retailer).

Business Briefs:

FRCH Design Worldwide (Cincinnati) has opened an office in Las Vegas, in conjunction with its work as architect of record for the $2 billion redesign of the Tropicana mega-resort. The company said the new office is permanent, and will eventually serve other FRCH clients.

Sign Supply USA (Pompano Beach, Fla., provider of sign-making and digital-imaging products) has been named a reseller of MacDermid ColorSpan UV flatbed printers at its 14 locations.

Southtech Plastics (New Bern, N.C., manufacturer of extruded and laminated decorative plastics) announced it has been certified as meeting the ISO 9001:2000 quality-management standard, which will allow the company to broaden its reach into overseas markets.

Awards:

The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (New York college for the business of fashion) announced that the window display by students Brittni Weiner and Stephanie Ragusa has won the design competition sponsored by fashion retailer Rebecca Taylor. The students’ entry, titled “A Winter Fantasy,” has been installed in the Taylor boutique’s windows at 260 Mott St., New York. “The students’ display really communicates the playful femininity of our line,” said Taylor.