Published
Articles
Originally
Published in The Daily Times (June 18, 1998).
Ross
Furniture Enters Third Generation
Of Family Business
Corrine Dixon/The Daily Times
Tammy Wilkerson (left) and Nancy Webber (right) at Ross
Furniture. |
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Sixty-one
years after Ross Furniture opened its doors, its third generation
is now taking the helm of the company that operates two stores:
Ross Furniture Galleries Showroom on Foothills Drive and Ross Furniture
Discount Outlet on Harper Street.
Nancy Webber
and Tammy Wilkerson have officially taken the titles and responsibilities
of vice president of operations and vice president of sales and
marketing, respectively. These sisters literally grew up at Ross
Furniture, just like their dad, Ross Birchfiel Jr, who remains active
in the business as chairman and senior adviser.
"When I
came to the business full-time, my father was 72 years old, and
I was the only child," says Birchfiel. "It was a natural
progression. He let me make mistakes, and I did. He was wise enough
to transition gradually, not all at once, and that's how' I've done
it. Nancy and 'Tammy have gradually received and exercised increasing
responsibilities."
Working with
Dennis Hoppe of Change Management Implementation, Inc. in Rochester, New
York, the Ross Furniture family used the objective advice of a professional
"change agent" to make official the transformation that
Birchfiel had already begun.
"We put
on paper what people basically already knew, and Ross blessed
it in front of everybody," Hoppe explains. His company uses
surveys, employee interviews, company visits and database analysis
to assess clients needs and to aid in organizational change.
Along with his
in-depth analysis, change was necessary to ensure the company's
continued longevity, according to Hoppe.
"Typically,
very little is left of a company by the third generation. That's
not the case here. Ross has the advantage of having gone through
this with his father, and he and his daughters have worked hard
to make it crystal clear who's in charge of what. In addition, there
have been many changes in the marketplace," Hoppe says. "Newcomers
to the area, national furniture chains, our younger generation's
orientation to the malls - they have all impacted Ross Furniture."
Need for
change
Hoppe notes that recognizing the need for change is often overlooked
as companies age.
"For example,
even in the throes of change, Ross Furniture's sales increased by
10 percent by 1997. It would be easy to say that things are going
well. Why change? But it's dangerous to do that. The world changes,
and successful companies must also change For example, Ross Furniture
now has the capability for immediate analysis of what is selling.
Tapping this constant flow of information will help us serve customers
better"
Other changes
that have arisen from the transition include refining the distinct
personalities of the two stores that make up Ross Furniture.
The Harper Street
focuses on discontinued items, close-outs, a bedding outlet and
other value-oriented merchandise with daily discounts of up to 70
percent.
Ross Furniture
Gallery on Foothills Drive features mid-priced room settings and
gallery showrooms, with special areas dedicated to bedding and home
office furniture.
"We will
always be a hometown store, with two convenient locations away from
heavy traffic and congestion," says Tammy Wilkerson. "Together,
these stores offer a very wide range of selection with prices that
fit everyone's pocketbook. We're also paying more attention to making
the stores fun and easy places to shop, with lots of ideas to choose
from."
Other changes
arising from the transition include working with a professional
marketing firm, Patrick Marketing Group, "to get the word out".
Administrative functions have been enhanced with new technology
and financial reporting restructuring to consolidate both stores.
In addition, new Systems have been put in place to find and retain
the furniture industry's best employees
Special philosophy
Everyone agrees, however, that some things will never change. "The
reason Ross Furniture has succeeded is because of Dad's philosophy;"
says Birchfiel. "He always treated every customer the way he
wanted to be treated in business."
Birchfiel tells
of stories he's heard about his father helping people through "hard
times" in the 1930s by allowing them to pay as little as $1
a month, as long as they didn't forget their debt, until the purchase
was paid for.
For one promotion,
Birchfiel sent a penny to regular customers, which was to be used
as the customers' down payment on whatever they wanted to purchase
during the special sale. What be didn't envision is that hundreds
of loyal older customers who did not need anything would bring the
penny back, because the family had always been so good to them.
Time for
grandchildren
"It is remarkable to me the number of people who say they started
out their married life by buying from Ross and their grandchildren
buy from Ross today," Wilkerson says.
As more leisure
time becomes available to Birchfiel, he and his wife, Linda, spend
more time with their grandchildren. After three daughters, three
grandsons are a special treat.
"Hopefully,
one or more of the grandchildren will be the fourth generation of
Ross Furniture," Birchfiel says. "We hope to do this forever."
Dennis Hoppe is President of Change Management Implementation, Inc. in Brockport, NY. He has been a small business advisor to owners of hundreds of companies since 1989. Visit his web sites at www.dhoppe.com and www.hmcexecutivecoaching.com, or call him at 800-724-3525.
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