iDesign Lab
Welcome to the iDesign Lab a Podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design hosted by Tiffany Woolley an Interior Designer, a style enthusiast along with her serial entrepreneur husband Scott. A place where they explore the rich and vibrant world of interior design and it’s constant evolution in style. iDesign Lab is your ultimate Interior design podcast where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and it’s constant evolution in style and trends. iDesign lab provides industry insight, discussing the latest trends, styles and everything in between to better help you style your life through advice from trend setters, designers, influences, fabricators and manufacturers as well as personal stories that inspire, motivate and excite. Join us on this elevated, informative and lively journey into the world of all things Design. For more information about iDesign Lab and Tiffany & Scott Woolley visit the website at www.twinteriors.com/podcast.
iDesign Lab
Jim Duckworth: Journey Through the Furniture Industry: Insights and Strategies
Ever wondered how a seasoned expert like Jim Duckworth transitioned through the high-end furniture industry with such finesse? Join us as Jim shares his captivating journey from his early days in Atlanta to securing key roles at Century Furniture and Highland House. With over 30 years of experience, Jim's narrative offers profound insights into the industry's evolution, from his initial steps inspired by his uncle's successful career to his strategic decisions that shaped his path. You'll learn about the importance of embracing opportunities for financial growth and gaining a comprehensive understanding of both case goods and upholstery.
Discover the unique dynamics of the Florida furniture market through Jim's lens. We explore how his move to the region capitalized on its concentrated wealth and second-home opportunities, allowing for minimal travel yet maximum impact. Jim's story delves into the strategic acquisitions and visionary leadership that have redefined company offerings to meet diverse market needs. The conversation also touches on how the evolution of showroom locations and accessibility are pivotal to designers, capturing the changing landscape of furniture retail and the distinctive nature of the Florida market.
Experience the world of domestic manufacturing with a focus on the Rockhouse Family of Brands, where the benefits of customization and flexibility are paramount. Jim highlights the significance of maintaining a manufacturing facility in Hickory, NC, and the growing COM business trend among design firms. We also touch on personal favorites in design, from cherished restaurant interiors to boutique hotels, and the thrill of attending prestigious events like The Masters and the Kentucky Derby. Whether you’re a design enthusiast or industry professional, Jim’s insights offer a rich tapestry of knowledge and experience that’s sure to inspire.
Learn more at:
https://twinteriors.com/podcast/
https://scottwoolley.com
The following podcast iDesign Lab is an SW Group production in association with Five Star and TW Interiors. This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design. Curator of interiors, furnishings and lifestyles. Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, an interior designer and a style enthusiast, along with her serial entrepreneur husband Scott, idesign Lab is your ultimate design podcast where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and its constant evolution in style and trends. Idesign Lab provides industry insight, discussing the latest trends, styles and everything in between to better help you style your life, through advice from trendsetters, designers, influencers, innovators, fabricators and manufacturers, as well as personal stories that inspire, motivate and excite. And join us on this elevated, informative and lively journey into the world of all things design. Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast.
Voice Over:Today we're thrilled to have Jim Duckworth with us. Jim has spent over 30 years in the furniture industry, starting right after college in 1986. He first worked with Simmons, best known for their Beautyrest mattress, before moving to Drexel Heritage. In 1993, jim joined Century Furniture, where he's been ever since. In 2014, he helped bring Highland House into the Century family and he continues to play a pivotal role at Century and its parent company, rockhouse Farms. Jim is also actively involved with Woodridge Furniture, working alongside his wife, marci. We're excited to dive into his wealth of experience and insights today.
Tiffany Woolley:Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast. Today we would like to welcome Jim Duckworth, who is involved with Rock House Farm family of brands, top being Century, my favorite being Highland House. But we're going to have a great conversation today about the furniture industry and we want to welcome Jim and tell us how you got your start.
Jim Duckworth:Okay, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and went to school, went to play tennis at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, Graduated from there in 1986 and was a business major and was interviewing with a lot of different companies you know your bigger, whether it be Coca-Cola, IBM, those kind of companies. My father was a stockbroker, was looking at some of that. But I had an uncle who was in the furniture industry, had been his whole career with Drexel Heritage.
Tiffany Woolley:Wow.
Jim Duckworth:And so they were visiting and we started talking and at the time Drexel was a pretty big company.
Scott Woolley:back in the 80s.
Jim Duckworth:They didn't necessarily hire kids. I thought Drexel, he's had a great career. And he, they didn't necessarily hire kids.
Jim Duckworth:I thought Drexel he's had a great career and he's like well, we don't really hire kids right out of college, but the Simmons Company, which is Beautyrest Mattresses they are very well known for hiring young people and they had one of the best training programs because they taught you not just to sell furniture to your customers but help to sell through and help move it and get rid of it.
Jim Duckworth:And mattresses are very promotional-oriented. And so, long story short, in the Southern Division they had three different factories, one in Atlanta, one in Jacksonville and one in Dallas, and so they hired me to be a trainee there out of the Atlanta plant, which was great because I could live at home after being in college and save some money. And I was hired in, I guess, july, after I graduated in May of 86. And then at the October Furniture Market, the rep that was in Jackson Mississippi, who was a Florida guy, had gone to the University of Florida. There was an opening in Florida and so they moved him there and there was three trainees, one in Jacksonville, one in Dallas and myself, and I was the newest. But it also made a whole lot of sense to send the guy to Jackson Mississippi that had gone to school in.
Tiffany Woolley:Mississippi, in Mississippi, oh wow.
Jim Duckworth:That's how that worked out, and I went there and covered Mississippi, louisiana, the panhandle of Florida and parts of Alabama and I was doing that for two and a half years and the Drexel Heritage rep that lived in Jackson was fairly old and he retired and so I was able to move on to Drexel Heritage, which would have been in, I guess, the first part of 89.
Scott Woolley:Was that a goal that you were trying to hopefully? Yeah, it was. I knew how old.
Jim Duckworth:Milton was, and I had a feeling, I had a hope that I could possibly get that job and had interviewed with one other company an upholstery company at the time and had gotten offered a position, but rolled the dice that Milton wasn't far from retiring, and sure enough that happened and he'd gotten offered a position but rolled the dice that Milton wasn't far from retiring and sure enough that happened.
Scott Woolley:Was there a certain aspect of that job that you had your heart set to try to get More?
Jim Duckworth:money would be number one and I felt like if you were going to branch out into any of the other furniture companies you needed to have case goods and upholstery background. Now with Simmons they did have the hide-a-beds which was a trademark, so I did sell somewhat upholstery sleepers a little bit, but that was the goal to do the full brand.
Scott Woolley:And I knew a little bit from Uncle Charlie about the company and it was a wonderful company. So was your uncle your inspiration to get into the furniture business.
Jim Duckworth:You know it was, and I'll tell you, ironically, it was real interesting. The companies I was interviewing with even though they were really the big companies, when your entry-level salaries or stuff, I mean they were okay. And then you interview with Simmons and they're like okay, so you have these goals. If you're able to hit them, you can make X amount of dollars, and it was a lot of money for a 23-year-old and so they were just you know, because it's full commission.
Jim Duckworth:The sky's the limit, and so that was one of the things that enticed me, and I like the idea of having your office at home being your own Like.
Voice Over:I have never walked into an office at a time in my entire life, wow.
Scott Woolley:I mean, obviously I don't think I could do it, to be honest with you. Right, You're able to make your. You're way ahead of the COVID curve. Yeah, way ahead.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, that's exactly right.
Scott Woolley:Yeah.
Jim Duckworth:So I did that for five and a half years and was covering Mississippi, louisiana and Arkansas those three states.
Scott Woolley:So when you're covering states like that, working for a furniture company, I guess you're driving a lot, but you're going to all the furniture stores, every place that carries and there were, if you think of that time period, there were stores.
Tiffany Woolley:Right a lot of book and mortar the design community had not yet been tapped.
Jim Duckworth:It was like if you got a call from a designer that was almost like tab, but you didn't even really pay much attention to them.
Jim Duckworth:You actually really had stores that you went to, and so my typical week would be I would be in the office on pretty much all day Monday and do office type work At home, at home In the office, and I had my own office in there. You know, when I was in an apartment it was two bedroom Right, and when I got married in 93, moved into a home and had an office actual office.
Scott Woolley:So you had to have a lot of discipline because at 23, 24, working at home not going to an office. Oh it's real easy to just not get up.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, if you're not motivated and driven yourself. It's not the right occupation, I can tell you, but you know what the companies. It's not the right occupation, I can tell you, but you know what the companies. It's real easy. I can look at the numbers. They're going to know whether you're.
Tiffany Woolley:You know that's your report card.
Jim Duckworth:You're sleeping on the exactly right, so I would be in the office usually doing paperwork all day. There's a lot more paperwork back then than there is now, it's all you're right on your phone. You save it digitally, so I do that on uh mondays I I even remember when fax machines came out and you'd come home and it would have been rolled up that type of paper laying on the floor.
Voice Over:Those were orders Exactly.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, that's right. How many orders did I get Tuesday morning? Usually leave early, be out Tuesday and Wednesday night, get back in late Thursday, work in the office on Friday morning and then be at the country club to play golf by lunch on Friday afternoon.
Tiffany Woolley:I love it. That was kind of the routine. That's a great routine.
Jim Duckworth:It was a great opportunity. I did it for five and a half years and the century rep in Jackson Mississippi decided he was fairly young and it was a real. I'll never forget this. It says a lot about Century. The gentleman's name was Tom Dumontier and he was the first guy to ever leave Century on his own that either didn't retire or was maybe fired.
Tiffany Woolley:So never left to go to another company, which was really pretty impressive, that's so interesting.
Jim Duckworth:And so I knew I wanted to go to work for them.
Tiffany Woolley:So what put Century on your radar when you were with Drexel?
Jim Duckworth:You thought that as being a step up, you know it was real interesting because Drexel at the time was a much bigger name than Century. Kind of back in that era Drexel usually sold the number one major retailer in the town and Century might have sold the secondary one. That was kind of the way it went because there was a lot of selective distribution. You didn't sell them both usually back then. I mean, one had one line and one would have the other. But since it was family owned, it's still the same family Schubert family the entire time, whereas Drexel was owned by Masco at the time who really?
Jim Duckworth:wasn't the. They didn't do the greatest job, in my opinion. They had Drexel Heritage, Henry Don Thomasville.
Tiffany Woolley:I guess we all know what's happened with those companies, correct, yeah, yeah, it's so crazy.
Jim Duckworth:I like the idea of going to work for a family-owned company. I'd heard a lot about the Shuford family and uh, just, they just were really where is Century based out of Hickory, north Carolina, which? Is where most of them. Yeah, matter of fact. At that, you've got Hickory has Century Cheryl Vanguard Bernhardt, and then you've got Hickory has Century Sherrill Vanguard Bernhardt, and then you've got Morganton, north Carolina, which is only 15 minutes away. That was Drexel Heritage, henry Dunn. Ej Victor, they're all right there and so real close towns and so I've been.
Tiffany Woolley:That was 93, same territory, so what does it look like to go after that job to make a flip from like a Drexel to Century? Like I mean, do you put the feelers out, do you?
Jim Duckworth:Well. So I knew about Tom's looming retirement and so I reached out to a couple of my big customers that I sold, told them I was interested in that particular job and they were like, and it was really interesting. They were like what really? You know, we're never going to sell as much century as we do Drexel Harriers. I said, well, we'll have to wait and see about that.
Scott Woolley:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So when you're in that as a rep for a furniture line, do you get to become friendly with the reps of all the other furniture?
Jim Duckworth:lines. You do somewhat, but sometimes I mean some would come into town and we'd go out to eat. I mean there was a lot of them that I did have friends with.
Scott Woolley:I mean, you know so any animosity of, like you know, sales.
Jim Duckworth:There's healthy competition, no every now and then you maybe have a rep you don't really care for, but I wouldn't necessarily spend any time with him, right?
Tiffany Woolley:right.
Jim Duckworth:But I did have a lot of friends that were competitors.
Tiffany Woolley:You know Right, competitors you know, and healthy competition is good.
Jim Duckworth:It is yeah, no, absolutely it is, and we could kind of bounce idea trade, you know, ideas off of each other and things like that. So, uh, I, as a matter of fact, one of the ones that was my toughest competitor back then, ended up coming to work and take when I moved to south florida with century. He took my old territory with century. I moved from henry don to century. So you know, sometimes it helps to know these people and it helps to tell management this is who you need to get so was that sort of.
Scott Woolley:Your next step in the career was coming to Florida.
Jim Duckworth:So at High Point there was four of us shared a house. There was a rep in Arizona who's since retired, one on the east coast of Florida and lived in Parkland and one on the west coast of Florida. The east coast of Florida rep, whose name was David Blair, had been in management with Simmons and other companies before and I always thought that he had that in his blood to get back into the home office.
Jim Duckworth:He had the opportunity to go back to North Carolina to be the senior vice president of sales and I'd always said if you go back in, I want your territory. Because I went from traveling three states to going to. Melbourne, miami, that's it. I have no overnight travel. It's unheard of in this industry Now when I go to the Keys.
Scott Woolley:I will stay overnight, of course, why?
Jim Duckworth:not yeah exactly. And I have San Juan in the Bahamas and obviously those are, but I mean you just don't get that kind of territory. And what you really want with a high-end company like Century is you want to be in a second home market where there's a lot of condensed wealth. And we've got that down here.
Tiffany Woolley:Wow, that's an interesting fact.
Scott Woolley:So at what point along the line did you start picking up other brands?
Jim Duckworth:So I was, you know, not until Century bought Highland House. I don't even know, I can't even remember the year now and I didn't initially have Highland House. I don't even know, I can't even remember the year now. I didn't initially have Highland House. They didn't really think. First of all, when we first got it it was really a northern company, very brown. I would say it probably really thrived in New York and the northeast. It didn't have to look as much for floor. I would say it probably really thrived in New York and the Northeast and that.
Voice Over:It didn't have to look as much for.
Scott Woolley:Florida Right right.
Jim Duckworth:And then when the current president, nathan Copeland, was announced president, he had a vision and I kind of thought that vision sounded a whole. I liked what I was hearing and so I picked up the Highland House for the exact same area that I've got now.
Tiffany Woolley:So how does that work with Century and Highland House, before they were even aligned? Do you have to get approvals?
Jim Duckworth:Well, obviously, not only would Nathan have had to sign off on it, but Alex Shuford would have had to sign off on it as well which he did In a lot of cases. Some of your customers sell both. A lot of them don't sell one, they sell the other. A lot prefer Highland House over, you know, Century. I mean it just depends on the look and what they're trying to achieve in their business, and so and were you affiliated with, like Century's showroom and the design center Like how does that?
Jim Duckworth:cross over. So we didn't. We started the To the Trade showroom in Dakota in like after I got here and it would have been around, I think, 2001 or 2002 or somewhere in there, and at the very first manager there was a gentleman named John Welker and he ran that showroom. And so I am, I do that is my account and I take care of them. Now they're pretty self-sufficient. I mean, you know you're scanning their fabrics a couple times a year, but they really are dealing with the factory and doing most of the stuff on their own. They have their own customer service rep and obviously I'll jump in when they need me and if they have events down there and things like that. So it's been in place there now since about 2001,. And us and baker are like the only ones left I know, I know, I know that was.
Tiffany Woolley:We were so lucky when that was what it was, dakota it was something else. It really was. I mean people, I can't. It's kind of a bummer.
Jim Duckworth:But well, and we, we've looked, we. We just want to make sure we find if we're going to move, it's got to be the right place and it really needs to be with everybody else, because, that's you know, it makes it so much easier for the designers when they go to one area and do all the shopping. So we just haven't found what we feel is ideal for us yet, right?
Tiffany Woolley:in that area.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, we've looked, because it's kind of quiet around there.
Tiffany Woolley:I know.
Jim Duckworth:It is, and you know it's mixed use.
Tiffany Woolley:There's many different businesses crack up that there's like chewy's headquarters it's like such a like when really it was such a special.
Jim Duckworth:And I even hear my uncle, um, so that was with drexel heritage. He started off in plantation florida and I'll hear him talk about the design district in Miami and how big that was. Obviously that was before. By the time I got here it wasn't, but I hear that was just something else back then.
Tiffany Woolley:I know, and then it died, and now it's coming back, it's not all furniture, it's a lot.
Jim Duckworth:No, it's more, but it's definitely thriving.
Tiffany Woolley:It is definitely thriving. More fashion right. It's definitely more fashion, it's all fashion. That's what it is, whether it be interiors or whether it be clothing. It's fashion, and the two industries have collaborated and crossed over so much. Nowadays, it kind of lends itself to evolve that way it does. Yeah, it is interesting. So when you're a rep, what is like your? We just kind of touched on your day-to-day that you get to work mainly from home.
Jim Duckworth:Well, it's a whole lot. What I gave you is that day-to-day was back in in the early 90s in jackson, mississippi. It is completely changed right now you just don't have the furniture retailers that you did have now this this area down here is very, very unique in that you do have Bears Robin Stuckey and Clyde Daniel.
Jim Duckworth:You just don't have that anywhere else in the country. You've got three big-time, thriving retailers that are in the upper-end business and then after that you've got a few out there, but it really is design business after that. I mean, that's where it has changed totally, and Century was one of the first to really go after that business.
Tiffany Woolley:Interior designers.
Jim Duckworth:And Hickory Chair as well. Yep, and I notice now that there's many other of these companies that are taking the time to really cultivate that design business.
Scott Woolley:How many of the lines that you represent will sell to the general public online? Are any of them?
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, we do. Now what we do is we have a when we're selling, it's typically distressed and discontinued merchandise, right or pass-through. That you know are imports that you can only get them one way Right. And what we have is we have a map. Our price that we have on there is much higher than if they were to go into a retailer and get it.
Scott Woolley:Which is great for us.
Jim Duckworth:It is, and it was, one of Alex's thoughts was that when we started, this was the consumer really doesn't know what a good price is. The consumer really doesn't know what a good price is. Now, if they see our price at X amount of dollars and they walked into a retailer or deal with the designer and that designer has a better price because they're able to do that, then they automatically associate the design firm or the retailer with having a value. And so that was the thought process of doing that, and it also helps us clear out merchandise we need to get rid of.
Scott Woolley:So what percentage? Is there, a percentage of business that is really derived from designers? Is it more?
Jim Duckworth:We are probably, you know, I would say we're probably about 60-40, 60 probably still retail, Because the big retail can do so much volume, but the design business is probably about 40% of it which is really grown.
Tiffany Woolley:I mean that's a much bigger number.
Scott Woolley:Yeah, we find that the average consumer doesn't understand an interior designer. I'm going to pay so much, so much more. Right, you know, it's one of the reasons why we have the podcast is trying to help educate people that going to a designer, you're most likely going to get a better price than you will if you go to a store. I hate to say it or find it on, you know, online, but you're getting the designer to help you put everything together. Yeah, so at the end of the day, the cost and what you're getting the designer to help you put everything together yeah, so at the end of the day, the cost and what you're getting is so much better.
Jim Duckworth:It's basically I've always equated to design because my father was in the brokerage industry for his entire career but he's not selling stocks. He's a financial planner Right Financial planners like interior designer. I mean, you can always be the one that wants to deal with Charles Schwab and go buy your one-piece furniture at a furniture store and do it yourself, but it's a whole lot, makes a whole lot more sense, probably monetarily, in the long run. After you make all your mistakes, you just have someone do it for you from the get-go.
Scott Woolley:I like that and that's the. Thing that people don't realize, and they realize it after they've made the mistakes yeah, they think they're saving money.
Voice Over:Yeah, totally, because in the long run.
Jim Duckworth:you know, oh, wait a minute, and then they, you know, they want to go back and return it because it was too big.
Tiffany Woolley:Right.
Jim Duckworth:You know, or whatever reason, or the finish isn't what I really thought it was going to be.
Tiffany Woolley:Totally so, and I always say people fall in love with a finished palette, a finished project.
Jim Duckworth:It's that cohesive, you know, pulled together look well, that's where y'all are putting it all together for them and you know it's real interesting. Um, I would say 15 years ago very rarely did you ever have a designer have their customer with them at high point.
Tiffany Woolley:Now we're seeing it so true time.
Scott Woolley:You're right, it was my first time going to High Point. Tiffany. She's gone many times, but for me, this year going, we were on the plane flying back and I said to her I said every house that you do that client's spending a fair amount of money, you need to take them here for two days.
Tiffany Woolley:He's like is it open year-round?
Scott Woolley:Yeah, I said to him I think it was maybe the first or second day we were there is this open? Like she's like yes, this place is open.
Jim Duckworth:It's a great question Now. First of all, so this was our second market at marking all of our product at retail on the floor. We hadn't done that in the past. It's always been at wholesale.
Voice Over:Really Yep.
Jim Duckworth:And I guess you know obviously the designers that were bringing their customers there when it was marked. They probably had their arrangements set up front. They were probably paying by the hour and they were doing it on a cost plus so it didn't really matter, but it does make it easier to bring your customer in if it's marked retail. As far as being open year-round okay it is would tell you probably what is right about now, if not even before. It's starting to get sparse from samples we wanted to sell off after market then being picked up, starting to plan for april.
Jim Duckworth:So while it is open, you're probably not going to get really a good representation of what that showroom was at market, and unless you do it within six to eight weeks after market. Okay, that makes sense.
Tiffany Woolley:That does make sense. Because the other thing I feel like that's different from a furniture store versus like going to market or to Dakota was, I feel like the, the presentation. You know people can sense the value immediately where a furniture store sometimes gets so cluttered. You know people can sense the value immediately when a furniture store sometimes gets so cluttered. You know it's not as like they're trying to curate spaces where I feel like the actual showrooms in like Dakota. You actually can sense the high end. You can.
Jim Duckworth:You can, you feel it. You really do Not. All retailers are created equal as we know. And some of them put more emphasis on the best price. Some put the most emphasis on the best presentation. And so there is a difference. But yes, that's what I've always said. If someone comes to see us in High Point, they're going to have a real appreciation for what they're buying. They're going to understand the price point.
Tiffany Woolley:A whole lot easier than looking at something online, so much so I mean that was my big takeaway from my most recent visit to market was just people wouldn't question the price anymore. The value is felt.
Scott Woolley:Well, there's the other side to it which I know that we're going through with you right now on some items is the customization of items. I've only been really involved with Tiffany. She's been doing it for 25 years. I've only in the last maybe two and a half years gotten involved, helping her because the business is doing so well, but realizing, going into the furniture store, it's what they have on the floor typically, but when you look at, like Highland House, where you can just change every aspect of the item and it's like Tiffany tells me that item is actually 5,000 different items, I'm like what do you mean by that? It's endless, because virtually any fabric that you want you could change the finishes. So the process of that, I mean that's an interesting process.
Jim Duckworth:Well, that's a way we'll sometimes come up with how many SKUs we've actually got. If you take that one piece, 60 different finishes okay, that's 60 right there Exactly, and you can just make the number so grand. But that's the luxury of having a domestic manufacturing facility, Right? So I would say you know, ourselves and most all of our competition are doing the upholstery domestically, but we're literally the only ones left that have a case goods manufacturing facility that's actually making case goods still in Hickory.
Tiffany Woolley:So tell us about that.
Jim Duckworth:Well, it's wonderful because we can custom size not just upholstery but case goods. As long as it's something we're making, then we're able to. You know, you can reach out to customer service and you can give them the dimensions you want on that cocktail table or that credenza or that dining table, and usually within 24 hours you're going to have a price and lead time.
Tiffany Woolley:Amazing.
Jim Duckworth:And that's only because we manufacture still. But it's not just the size.
Scott Woolley:It's also the fabrics, it's the wood finish Correct, yeah, it's, everything Is that for both brands?
Tiffany Woolley:It? It's the wood finish, correct? Yes, it's everything. Is that for both brands? Century and it is. It is because they're both being made in the same factory. Same factory, yep, yep.
Jim Duckworth:Highland House and Century are manufactured in the exact same factories.
Tiffany Woolley:Century. I always like think of using their fabrics more than I do of customizing, for some reason. Is there one that is easier to work with?
Jim Duckworth:I mean, it's just what you know, Highland House has a ton of color, you know. That's kind of what they're known for. Everybody's got the same planes. I mean you know they're not really reinventing much of the game there and they've all got the same performance fabrics. But I would tell you, with both companies I think we get 50 to 60 COM shipments in a day. I mean, that is how much that's a lot.
Jim Duckworth:I mean, we do a ton of COM business Because a lot of the design firms they're smaller, they don't want to keep all the fabrics. They know what they love, If it's a perennials or if it's a shoe market. They know what they like and they feel like they've got all their books and things that they work with. So as design business grew, so did COM business.
Tiffany Woolley:Right, and I feel like when you say Schumacher is mainly their fabric house, I mean they do have some furniture, but they're known as the—.
Scott Woolley:Tiffany is a COM junkie.
Tiffany Woolley:I love that, I love.
Jim Duckworth:COM. Well, you know what you get, exactly what you want, exactly. Well, one of the real luxuries, now that you bring that up, is so, as you were mentioning, the family of brands.
Scott Woolley:So just for the listeners will know that it is.
Jim Duckworth:Century Highland House Hancock Moore, jessica Charles, maitland Smith, hickory, chair, pearson and then Cabot Wren, which is more of a contract.
Scott Woolley:There's some powerful brands there, very powerful.
Tiffany Woolley:And are you involved in all of them?
Jim Duckworth:No, I'm only Century and Highland House. The other ones have their reps. So Highland House was the first company that was purchased, then the next would have been Hancock and Moore, jessica, charles and Maitland. And along with that purchase came the 200 Steel Building, which is where you shopped with us at Market, which is beautiful and it's literally now the high-end place to go.
Tiffany Woolley:I know what an amazing addition. That's a big building.
Jim Duckworth:It is, it is, and you've got John Richards. It's unbelievable.
Tiffany Woolley:You've got Chaddock. You've got John Richards. It's unbelievable. You've got.
Jim Duckworth:Chaddock. I mean, it's got all the. If you're a high-end designer, you can spend the day there, day there, without a doubt?
Tiffany Woolley:Tell us about the Rock Creek, tell us about. I always find it interesting hearing about the ownership groups and the family, the mentality.
Jim Duckworth:So the Schuford family is fourth generation. Alex is the present CEO now of Rockhouse and so the Rockhouse name came about, I believe after the purchase of Hancock Moore, because it was just like Century and we owned Highland House, you know before. But they're horse people, They've been in the horse business their whole life. The Shufords, One of the daughters, they had a kind of.
Jim Duckworth:Wellington at the Polo Club, because the daughter rode and so they've always. So that's how the Rockhouse Farms, which is part of their horse businesses, that's how they came up with the name. So you'll see Rockhouse Farms sometimes or you'll see Rockhouse Family of Brands. Like we just opened up a, there are actually two to-the-trade showroom Rock House showrooms right now.
Tiffany Woolley:Really.
Jim Duckworth:Yep, there's one on the west coast Of Florida, IDS, which is Hazard. And then we opened up one Designer Resource that's in Boca just opened up one in Palm Beach and so it's got. There's two entrances. There's the Rock House entrance, which is all the Rock House brands I had no idea and then there's a design center in the middle and then on the other side are all the other brands that aren't Rockhouse ie, vanguard, lexington, woodbridge those kind of companies, and so, yes, one of the great things that you can do within the Rockhouse family of brands is all the fabrics are interchangeable and you don't have to COM them.
Jim Duckworth:Really. So, yeah, wow. So you know, if you have a grade 18 on Century and you want to put it on Highland House, there's a crossover that tells you how to find that grade and you just price it out. So it really gives you a whole lot of fabrics at your fingertips that you're able to use.
Tiffany Woolley:Huh, that is. I know. It's fascinating how that all falls in. I didn't realize that they were opening. Does that? Part of their model now is to probably?
Jim Duckworth:entertaining. Yeah, I think you'll see more. We're actually we've never been a part of the Las Vegas market. We will be for the very first time in January and we are opening up our own 10,000-square-foot to the trade showroom in Vegas, which we will use for markets in January and July, but it will be open year-round, year-round. It would be like having Dakota in an area that has a market.
Tiffany Woolley:Right.
Jim Duckworth:And that will be a rock house showroom there, and so we're actually going out. We're having a meeting in Vegas in January that we're going to kind of see the showroom and for those people that want to hang out for the market like I don't have anybody that goes to the Vegas- market from around here.
Tiffany Woolley:Right, but you probably will.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, but it'll be really strong for the West Coast reps though, because that's you know, it's a lot of work and expense to come to High Point from California and Washington and Oregon.
Voice Over:Oh, that's true.
Jim Duckworth:So this is somewhere where they can go and not have to travel quite as far. So we feel like it'll be a really great kind of regional market.
Tiffany Woolley:So, now that Rockhouse has so many under their umbrella, do they besides obviously, in-house switching fabrics? But do they collaborate? Do they do any collaborations with designers? Do they?
Jim Duckworth:There are. I mean they typically have their own Like if one we have yet to have one. Do a licensing collection for multiple companies Like Century just did one with Terrishaw this past market and it was fabulous.
Tiffany Woolley:And that was the first time that they had done that.
Jim Duckworth:That was no no, no, we've done, we've got thomas o'brien, we've got many that we've done over the years. But there's never been like one designer that's done for two different companies of ours. Once they've done for that company, they're pretty much stuck with that particular company. But the tara shaw introduction went over very, very well and uh exciting, yeah, it was. Uh, she did the whole thing with all brought, all of her accessories and antiques.
Scott Woolley:I don't know who she is.
Jim Duckworth:She is a designer that has her own shop on Magazine Street in New Orleans. Okay, and she has been a European antique shopper her whole life and I can tell you, while this was you know it might be a little early for florida we can see these traditionals coming back. It is coming every single day it really is, which is great.
Scott Woolley:So did you guys go to her or did she come to?
Jim Duckworth:now that one I can't answer because I wasn't involved in that, but I imagine it's probably both had been talking for a while, to be my guess. And uh, you know, one of the great things that you can do that we do after each market and be worthwhile for you all. Since you haven't seen it, when you go onto the website and into the portal, we do a 360-degree tour of the showroom where you can go and walk through it.
Tiffany Woolley:Oh, that's. Cool, it's fabulous, I'll show you how to do that after we get done here.
Jim Duckworth:It's really great, then you can go through you and when you're trying to remember, something at market that you saw, or you want you can go right through there and find it, so it's really uh, it's a great tool that is cool.
Tiffany Woolley:So being a rep is what would you say, are some of the benefits, the perks like is your house full of century and highland? Well, I would say that's definitely a perk.
Jim Duckworth:I've got uh, we, uh, my wife and I are, uh, more traditional at the time when we were getting married and furnishing it, so there's probably more drexel heritage in there, because that's who I was working for there is century.
Jim Duckworth:Um, what I like to do is, when we're closing stuff out, we got a nice discount on that's, when that's the best time, nothing wrong with it. We're just not gonna, right. So, yeah, over time that's definite fringe benefit for sure. I mean, you're getting the best stuff in your home at a much better price than most people would. Right, that's great.
Jim Duckworth:I think the freedom to make your own schedule would be the number one thing. It's really funny. My wife says I've never taken a single. The only vacation that anybody knows I've officially ever taken in my life was the honeymoon for a week. Because I'm always working, even when I am out of town, because you've got your phone, you've got the text and the emails from, got to take care of these designers. They're pretty needy and uh. So, uh, you know. And I got reprimanded one more, uh, mother's Day lunch, because I took a phone call and she's like Jim, are you kidding On Mother's Day? I was like, well, if they're going to make money for us, then we're going to certainly answer their phone calls. But the freedom of making your own schedule would be really, I would say, the top thing about being a rep. I like that.
Jim Duckworth:I like that and what are like one or two of the things that you've learned along the way in this career that have been like a really important.
Scott Woolley:Follow-up. Oh yeah, well, I guess maybe to summarize her question is what's the best advice that you would give someone who wants to be a rep? Was thinking about being a rep you better follow-up, follow-up.
Jim Duckworth:That's it. And you know, the thing that's most telling to me is when I'll have a call and where you really get a lot of them. It's not necessarily as much the designers on the weekend, but the retail operations, because they can't get in touch with the factory, obviously on Saturdays and Sundays. So they're calling us and when you answer and they go hey Jim, this is so-and-so. Thank you so much for picking up. That just tells me that my competitors aren't picking up, aren't answering, and so that right.
Jim Duckworth:There is where you usually can separate yourself If you follow up and get them the things they need, because nowadays that's the biggest part of our job is. You know, before you were going out when I was covering Mississippi and there were all these furniture stores, you're literally going out sitting down writing orders and think that's. You're not doing that as much anymore when you're dealing with the big retailers. They pretty much have their floors set and you're just reordering, but designers are needing finished chips. They're needing fabrics.
Jim Duckworth:They're needing you to price things, so following up would be the absolute number one thing I would say.
Scott Woolley:Well, I'll tell you, from an interior designer's perspective, that's the single most important thing as well is the follow-up with the client. Yeah, it is. I mean, you could be off on a little bit of a design, you could be late in getting things, but if you're following up, and you're communicating and you're keeping them informed there's nothing better.
Jim Duckworth:And the emails, you know I try and stay on top of them and answer them as quick as I can, because you know, if you don't, they're just going to build up. But it drives me crazy when I'm waiting on an answer and I haven't gotten one. It happens sometimes. It happens sometimes with our own company, you know, and I just think there ought to be a 24-hour rule. You certainly can answer within 24 hours.
Tiffany Woolley:I know, and I try to tell myself that because so many clients, you think they can go online and buy a lipstick in 10 seconds and they don't understand. Well, what do you mean? You don't have the price yet. What do you mean? You don't. They think it's all instantaneous.
Jim Duckworth:It is funny. Funny, though, because you can get hope. You can get our answers um usually on purchasing an automobile much quicker than you can in the furniture industry. I mean, it's just a very hands-on it's very detailed it's a billion multi-billion dollar industry it's still a mom and pop industry you're right, that's still a mom-and-pop industry.
Tiffany Woolley:You're right that's actually a great little spin on that that it is a big industry.
Jim Duckworth:So, in what you do, how important in today's world, so important to so many people social media, being involved in it, not involved in it, it's obviously and I'm at the age that I'm not as probably involved in it as I should be but I can just tell you that it is probably the number one thing. It may be the number one thing. I've seen just the careers of some of these people.
Jim Duckworth:It's insane, you don't want to say there's more sizzle than steak there, but they're putting themselves out there. They are, they're being noticed and I just watch it with my kids.
Tiffany Woolley:Right.
Jim Duckworth:They're right on top of it.
Tiffany Woolley:They just you know they, it's just a big thing so, speaking of your kids, isn't your daughter in the industry now?
Jim Duckworth:no, your wife well, my wife is the woodbridge rep right okay, and then she uh wasn't able. She had a little health issues the last couple markets and so my daughter was there to uh fill in for her during market, but Mary Elena was actually coming from school doing that. She graduated from Ole Miss in May.
Jim Duckworth:And she now is. She majored in finance and real estate with a minor in entrepreneurship, and she's got a flair for this business and I think would love to be maybe a rep one day. But she went to work for a boutique wealth management firm in Atlanta.
Tiffany Woolley:Oh, good for her In.
Jim Duckworth:Buckhead and it's five employees. But I believe she'll probably take a vacation day on Friday and Monday of the hot weekends of market because she loves coming and doing it so much. And she worked for John Richards about two or three markets in a row as well.
Tiffany Woolley:So it is a family affair.
Scott Woolley:It is A minor in entrepreneurship.
Jim Duckworth:I haven't heard that. You know what's really interesting. She went to high school in Oxbridge.
Tiffany Woolley:Oh shit right here.
Jim Duckworth:And they had entrepreneurship in high school.
Scott Woolley:Well, all the same, all kids go to American Heritage and they have it.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, but I didn't realize it was a college, yeah, and what's so cool about Oxbridge was that they really prepare you for college.
Tiffany Woolley:Such a good school it's treated more like a college. Right, yeah, yep, and that's the luxury of Bill Coco.
Jim Duckworth:He can do whatever he wants with it.
Tiffany Woolley:Yeah, I know what a cool. Yeah, that's so true.
Jim Duckworth:But she had at Ole Miss too, entrepreneurship. So to me I mean, I hear the things they're doing.
Tiffany Woolley:I'm like this is way more important than a life's all about. That's the truth, I agree. So we want to ask a couple of questions yeah so as we wrap up. We like to just for personality and get to know you. What is your favorite restaurant design wise? Design wise yeah or it could be, it could be.
Jim Duckworth:Well, two different things there. I'm going to say the restaurant that's in the Ray Hotel.
Tiffany Woolley:I know.
Jim Duckworth:Akira, akira.
Tiffany Woolley:Bak yeah Akira.
Jim Duckworth:Bak. I think that's a really, really, really cool place. Yeah, Food's great too.
Tiffany Woolley:Ambience is. The Echo in Palm Beach is also really a kind of a cool, and that's that. Staying power too, yes, so that says a lot.
Jim Duckworth:That's a really cool place too, but those two come to mind, they're very similar to that, that Asian fusion feel to it Fusion.
Tiffany Woolley:Yep, I like that.
Scott Woolley:So is there a hotel that comes to mind from a design standpoint that sticks out Delano, the Delano okay, delano, I remember going to it when I first moved here.
Tiffany Woolley:Right In 2000,.
Jim Duckworth:And that was when, I guess, Madonna had made it famous. Correct White everywhere and you didn't even know. You had to know where you were going because there's no sign out there. You just had the cloth hanging down.
Tiffany Woolley:So true.
Jim Duckworth:I actually stayed there one night with a buddy of mine coming from out of town and we hadn't moved as a family yet and went down there because I'd heard all about it. That's a pretty cool place.
Tiffany Woolley:Yeah, and I love that you said that too, because it was such an iconic design element with Philippe Starck.
Voice Over:Philippe Starck did it, that's right, and the table in the middle.
Tiffany Woolley:And just like all those pieces and, like you know, the table in the middle and just very.
Jim Duckworth:And I typically prefer, you know, like the boutique hotels versus I mean, look, the Fountain Blue is great, but I mean it's a monster. You know I like, especially if we we love New Orleans and if you go there, those little boutique hotels around the quarter are really kind of cool to go to.
Tiffany Woolley:Very, very cool, very cool. What is your favorite event to attend? The masters have you been?
Jim Duckworth:I have a few times now I would tell you as close are you love golf? Yeah, I mean, I'm a golfer, it's. I've been to. I've been lucky enough to go to almost every. I've been the super bowls. I've been the world series. I've been to ma championships Bowls. I've been to the World Series. I've been to the NBA Championships. That is the greatest run sporting event that I've ever been around.
Scott Woolley:The Masters.
Jim Duckworth:But now I will say, if Marcy were sitting here, she would say the Kentucky Derby.
Tiffany Woolley:That would be fabulous.
Jim Duckworth:And kind of got the president of Woodbridge, kevin Henshaw, who's a good close friend of mine. He's a big horse guy and that's how we went for the first time with them, and so we've gone and done that a number of times and as far as the pomp and circumstance goes, it's hard to be me.
Tiffany Woolley:That's pretty special.
Jim Duckworth:Yeah, it is. It's the one flight you'll go on where every overhead compartment is hat-locked.
Scott Woolley:So you're a sports person.
Jim Duckworth:I am, yeah, I, I, you know, played college tennis, grew up playing sports, and I mean real uh, real uh. I am a definitely a sports person.
Scott Woolley:So, masters, did you go for just for a day, or did you go for?
Jim Duckworth:tip. I've gone to the practice rounds. I've gone on thursday and and friday, never been for the week. My perfect plan with the masters is to go either on thursday or friday or, if you have the opportunity to go both, flight home saturday morning and be in my home watching it on the way. I agree really the great. That's my. That's the perfect plan for me. But you don't turn down any day if you get the opportunity that's so true.
Tiffany Woolley:Well, I actually think that's a great way to wrap up on a high note of the masters and yep, kentucky Derby.
Scott Woolley:We appreciate you coming in today.
Jim Duckworth:Thank you, we appreciate the opportunity and look forward to a long and lasting relationship with you.
Tiffany Woolley:Definitely Thank you.
Voice Over:Thank you iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW Group production in association with the Five Star and TW Interiors Group Production in association with the Five Star and TW Interiors. To learn more about iDesignLab or TW Interiors, please visit twinteriorscom.
