Auburn-based Zones, Inc. recently announced that Murray Wright will serve as president and chief executive officer effective Sept. 1.

An information technology veteran, Wright most recently served as president of the Americas region at IT distributor Tech Data Corporation.

Firoz Lalji, Zones’ chairman of the board and CEO, will continue as chairman and assume the newly-created role of chief strategy officer, also effective Sept. 1.

“With a proven track record of scaling IT-centric businesses and an unsurpassed understanding of the channel and partner ecosystems, Murray is the natural choice to lead Zones to the next level of accelerated growth,” Lalji said. “We welcome Murray to the company and look forward to the positive impact he is sure to have on the organization as a whole.”

Wright has more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry, holding executive-level positions at organizations including Tech Data Corporation, Lenovo Canada and Ingram Micro Canada.

“Zones, with its focus on providing comprehensive technology solutions to its customers, is uniquely positioned for growth,” Wright said. “Few organizations possess the relationships, the technical acumen and the solutions and services approach that Zones has today. I look forward to working with Firoz and the entire Zones leadership team as we aggressively scale the business.”

Lalji, Zones’ CEO since 1998, continues to serve as chairman and will fill the newly-created position of chief strategy officer. In this role, he will drive global expansion opportunities and additional strategic initiatives, with a focus on extending and expanding Zones’ solutions and services capabilities.

Zones, Inc. supports business, healthcare, the public sector and specialty markets by applying innovative technology solutions across a variety of specializations including networking, security, software, storage, data center and virtualization. Zones holds more than 55 of the highest distinct certifications in the industry.

A repeat winner of the Microsoft Operational Excellence Award, Zones was named the 2013 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Volume Licensing. Incorporated in 1988, Zones is headquartered in Auburn and is a certified MBE company.

For more information, visit www.zones.com or call 800-258-2088.

Elsewhere

Sweet Rock’n Kids Resale & Toy Boutique has opened in Auburn. One-half of the store, located at 4329 A St., Suite B, offers gently reused clothing items and equipment, the other half specialty new toys. The store also supports local vendors.

“A place to come and enjoy affordable clothing and toys as well as playful events that inspire community, imagination and creativity,” store owners and operators, Dareen and Nick Puhlick, described on their website. “We are proud to open our doors with high-quality children’s clothing, toys and equipment at prices you can afford. We hand select our entire inventory, choosing only the best items from local parents, designers and vendors. Recycling our kids clothing and helping our local economy are two main reasons why we love what we do.”

City leaders, Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and staff at Sweet Rock’n Kids held a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 30. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 253-397-4461, or visit sweetrocknkids.com. The business can be found on Facebook. …

City leaders joined Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and staff at Don Giovanni’s Ristorante and Wine Bar to officially welcome the new restaurant, 18 Auburn Way S. A ribbon cutting/grand opening was July 27. The restaurant – under the operation of Ernesto Nardone and his mother, Michelina – specialize in authentic, made-from-scratch Italian dishes. …