January 30, 2025 • 44 mins
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
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Episode Transcript
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Voice Over (00:00):
The following podcast iDesign Lab is an SW
Group production in associationwith Five Star and TW Interiors.
This is iDesign Lab, a podcastwhere creativity and curiosity
meet style and design.
Curator of interiors,furnishings and lifestyles.
Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, aninterior designer and a style
(00:22):
enthusiast, along with herserial entrepreneur husband
Scott, idesign Lab is yourultimate design podcast where we
explore the rich and vibrantworld of design and its constant
evolution in style and trends.
Idesign Lab provides industryinsight, discussing the latest
trends, styles and everything inbetween to better help you
style your life, through advicefrom trendsetters, designers,
(00:45):
influencers, innovators,fabricators and manufacturers,
as well as personal stories thatinspire, motivate and excite.
And join us on this elevated,informative and lively journey
into the world of all thingsdesign.
Welcome to the iDesign Labpodcast.
Today we're thrilled to have JimDuckworth with us.
Jim has spent over 30 years inthe furniture industry, starting
(01:07):
right after college in 1986.
He first worked with Simmons,best known for their Beautyrest
mattress, before moving toDrexel Heritage.
In 1993, jim joined CenturyFurniture, where he's been ever
since.
In 2014, he helped bringHighland House into the Century
family and he continues to playa pivotal role at Century and
its parent company, rockhouseFarms.
(01:28):
Jim is also actively involvedwith Woodridge Furniture,
working alongside his wife,marci.
We're excited to dive into hiswealth of experience and
insights today.
Tiffany Woolley (01:39):
Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast.
Today we would like to welcomeJim Duckworth, who is involved
with Rock House Farm family ofbrands, top being Century, my
favorite being Highland House.
But we're going to have a greatconversation today about the
furniture industry and we wantto welcome Jim and tell us how
(02:01):
you got your start.
Jim Duckworth (02:03):
Okay, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and went to
school, went to play tennis atOle Miss in Oxford, Mississippi,
Graduated from there in 1986and was a business major and was
interviewing with a lot ofdifferent companies you know
your bigger, whether it beCoca-Cola, IBM, those kind of
companies.
My father was a stockbroker,was looking at some of that.
(02:25):
But I had an uncle who was inthe furniture industry, had been
his whole career with DrexelHeritage.
Tiffany Woolley (02:31):
Wow.
Jim Duckworth (02:33):
And so they were visiting and we started talking
and at the time Drexel was apretty big company.
Scott Woolley (02:39):
back in the 80s.
Jim Duckworth (02:40):
They didn't necessarily hire kids.
I thought Drexel, he's had agreat career.
And he, they didn't necessarilyhire kids.
I thought Drexel he's had agreat career and he's like well,
we don't really hire kids rightout of college, but the Simmons
Company, which is BeautyrestMattresses they are very well
known for hiring young peopleand they had one of the best
training programs because theytaught you not just to sell
(03:01):
furniture to your customers buthelp to sell through and help
move it and get rid of it.
And mattresses are verypromotional-oriented.
And so, long story short, inthe Southern Division they had
three different factories, onein Atlanta, one in Jacksonville
and one in Dallas, and so theyhired me to be a trainee there
(03:23):
out of the Atlanta plant, whichwas great because I could live
at home after being in collegeand save some money.
And I was hired in, I guess,july, after I graduated in May
of 86.
And then at the OctoberFurniture Market, the rep that
was in Jackson Mississippi, whowas a Florida guy, had gone to
the University of Florida.
(03:43):
There was an opening in Floridaand so they moved him there and
there was three trainees, onein Jacksonville, one in Dallas
and myself, and I was the newest.
But it also made a whole lot ofsense to send the guy to
Jackson Mississippi that hadgone to school in.
Tiffany Woolley (03:58):
Mississippi, in Mississippi, oh wow.
Jim Duckworth (04:00):
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 doingthat for two and a half years
and the Drexel Heritage rep thatlived in Jackson was fairly old
and he retired and so I wasable to move on to Drexel
(04:22):
Heritage, which would have beenin, I guess, the first part of
89.
Scott Woolley (04:27):
Was that a goal that you were trying to
hopefully?
Yeah, it was.
I knew how old.
Jim Duckworth (04:30):
Milton was, and I had a feeling, I had a hope
that I could possibly get thatjob and had interviewed with one
other company an upholsterycompany at the time and had
gotten offered a position, butrolled the dice that Milton
wasn't far from retiring, andsure enough that happened and
he'd gotten offered a positionbut rolled the dice that Milton
(04:51):
wasn't far from retiring andsure enough that happened.
Scott Woolley (04:52):
Was there a certain aspect of that job that
you had your heart set to try toget More?
Jim Duckworth (04:55):
money would be number one and I felt like if
you were going to branch outinto any of the other furniture
companies you needed to havecase goods and upholstery
background.
Now with Simmons they did havethe hide-a-beds which was a
trademark, so I did sellsomewhat upholstery sleepers a
little bit, but that was thegoal to do the full brand.
Scott Woolley (05:21):
And I knew a little bit from Uncle Charlie
about the company and it was awonderful company.
So was your uncle yourinspiration to get into the
furniture business.
Jim Duckworth (05:26):
You know it was, and I'll tell you, ironically,
it was real interesting.
The companies I wasinterviewing with even though
they were really the bigcompanies, when your entry-level
salaries or stuff, I mean theywere okay.
And then you interview withSimmons and they're like okay,
so you have these goals.
If you're able to hit them, youcan make X amount of dollars,
and it was a lot of money for a23-year-old and so they were
(05:48):
just you know, because it's fullcommission.
The sky's the limit, and so thatwas one of the things that
enticed me, and I like the ideaof having your office at home
being your own Like.
Voice Over (06:00):
I have never walked into an office at a time in my
entire life, wow.
Scott Woolley (06:05):
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 COVIDcurve.
Yeah, way ahead.
Jim Duckworth (06:11):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Scott Woolley (06:13):
Yeah.
Jim Duckworth (06:13):
So I did that for five and a half years and was
covering Mississippi, louisianaand Arkansas those three states.
Scott Woolley (06:25):
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 thefurniture stores, every place
that carries and there were, ifyou think of that time period,
there were stores.
Tiffany Woolley (06:36):
Right a lot of book and mortar the design
community had not yet beentapped.
Jim Duckworth (06:40):
It was like if you got a call from a designer
that was almost like tab, butyou didn't even really pay much
attention to them.
You actually really had storesthat you went to, and so my
typical week would be I would bein the office on pretty much
all day Monday and do officetype work At home, at home In
the office, and I had my ownoffice in there.
(07:01):
You know, when I was in anapartment it was two bedroom
Right, and when I got married in93, moved into a home and had
an office actual office.
Scott Woolley (07:09):
So you had to have a lot of discipline because
at 23, 24, working at home notgoing to an office.
Oh it's real easy to just notget up.
Jim Duckworth (07:19):
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 whetheryou're.
Tiffany Woolley (07:29):
You know that's your report card.
Jim Duckworth (07:30):
You're sleeping on the exactly right, so I would
be in the office usually doingpaperwork all day.
There's a lot more paperworkback then than there is now,
it's all you're right on yourphone.
You save it digitally, so I dothat on uh mondays I I even
remember when fax machines cameout and you'd come home and it
would have been rolled up thattype of paper laying on the
(07:51):
floor.
Voice Over (07:52):
Those were orders Exactly.
Jim Duckworth (07:54):
Yeah, that's right.
How many orders did I getTuesday morning?
Usually leave early, be outTuesday and Wednesday night, get
back in late Thursday, work inthe office on Friday morning and
then be at the country club toplay golf by lunch on Friday
afternoon.
Tiffany Woolley (08:13):
I love it.
That was kind of the routine.
That's a great routine.
Jim Duckworth (08:17):
It was a great opportunity.
I did it for five and a halfyears and the century rep in
Jackson Mississippi decided hewas fairly young and it was a
real.
I'll never forget this.
It says a lot about Century.
The gentleman's name was TomDumontier and he was the first
guy to ever leave Century on hisown that either didn't retire
(08:44):
or was maybe fired.
Tiffany Woolley (08:46):
So never left to go to another company, which
was really pretty impressive,that's so interesting.
Jim Duckworth (08:51):
And so I knew I wanted to go to work for them.
Tiffany Woolley (08:53):
So what put Century on your radar when you
were with Drexel?
Jim Duckworth (08:57):
You thought that as being a step up, you know it
was real interesting becauseDrexel at the time was a much
bigger name than Century.
Kind of back in that era Drexelusually sold the number one
major retailer in the town andCentury might have sold the
secondary one.
That was kind of the way itwent because there was a lot of
(09:20):
selective distribution.
You didn't sell them bothusually back then.
I mean, one had one line andone 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?
wasn't the.
They didn't do the greatest job, in my opinion.
(09:40):
They had Drexel Heritage, HenryDon Thomasville.
Tiffany Woolley (09:42):
I guess we all know what's happened with those
companies, correct, yeah, yeah,it's so crazy.
Jim Duckworth (09:47):
I like the idea of going to work for a
family-owned company.
I'd heard a lot about theShuford family and uh, just,
they just were really where isCentury based out of Hickory,
north Carolina, which?
Is where most of them.
Yeah, matter of fact.
At that, you've got Hickory hasCentury Cheryl Vanguard
Bernhardt, and then you've gotHickory has Century Sherrill
Vanguard Bernhardt, and thenyou've got Morganton, north
(10:07):
Carolina, which is only 15minutes away.
That was Drexel Heritage, henryDunn.
Ej Victor, they're all rightthere and so real close towns
and so I've been.
Tiffany Woolley (10:17):
That was 93, same territory, so what does it
look like to go after that jobto make a flip from like a
Drexel to Century?
Like I mean, do you put thefeelers out, do you?
Jim Duckworth (10:30):
Well.
So I knew about Tom's loomingretirement and so I reached out
to a couple of my big customersthat I sold, told them I was
interested in that particularjob and they were like, and it
was really interesting.
They were like what really?
You know, we're never going tosell as much century as we do
Drexel Harriers.
I said, well, we'll have towait and see about that.
Scott Woolley (10:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So when you're in that as a repfor a furniture line, do you
get to become friendly with thereps of all the other furniture?
Jim Duckworth (10:59):
lines.
You do somewhat, but sometimesI mean some would come into town
and we'd go out to eat.
I mean there was a lot of themthat I did have friends with.
Scott Woolley (11:05):
I mean, you know so any animosity of, like you
know, sales.
Jim Duckworth (11:09):
There's healthy competition, no every now and
then you maybe have a rep youdon't really care for, but I
wouldn't necessarily spend anytime with him, right?
Tiffany Woolley (11:16):
right.
Jim Duckworth (11:17):
But I did have a lot of friends that were
competitors.
Tiffany Woolley (11:20):
You know Right, competitors you know, and
healthy competition is good.
Jim Duckworth (11:24):
It is yeah, no, absolutely it is, and we could
kind of bounce idea trade, youknow, 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 floridawith century.
He took my old territory withcentury.
I moved from henry don tocentury.
So you know, sometimes it helpsto know these people and it
(11:51):
helps to tell management this iswho you need to get so was that
sort of.
Scott Woolley (11:53):
Your next step in the career was coming to
Florida.
Jim Duckworth (11:56):
So at High Point there was four of us shared a
house.
There was a rep in Arizonawho's since retired, one on the
east coast of Florida and livedin 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 Simmonsand other companies before and I
always thought that he had thatin his blood to get back into
(12:18):
the home office.
He had the opportunity to goback to North Carolina to be the
senior vice president of salesand I'd always said if you go
back in, I want your territory.
Because I went from travelingthree states to going to.
Melbourne, miami, that's it.
I have no overnight travel.
(12:41):
It's unheard of in thisindustry Now when I go to the
Keys.
Scott Woolley (12:45):
I will stay overnight, of course, why?
Jim Duckworth (12:46):
not yeah exactly.
And I have San Juan in theBahamas and obviously those are,
but I mean you just don't getthat kind of territory.
And what you really want with ahigh-end company like Century
is you want to be in a secondhome market where there's a lot
(13:08):
of condensed wealth.
And we've got that down here.
Tiffany Woolley (13:11):
Wow, that's an interesting fact.
Scott Woolley (13:14):
So at what point along the line did you start
picking up other brands?
Jim Duckworth (13:19):
So I was, you know, not until Century bought
Highland House.
I don't even know, I can't evenremember the year now and I
didn't initially have HighlandHouse.
I don't even know, I can't evenremember the year now.
I didn't initially haveHighland House.
They didn't really think.
First of all, when we first gotit it was really a northern
company, very brown.
I would say it probably reallythrived in New York and the
(13:40):
northeast.
It didn't have to look as muchfor floor.
I would say it probably reallythrived in New York and the
Northeast and that.
Voice Over (13:45):
It didn't have to look as much for.
Scott Woolley (13:47):
Florida Right right.
Jim Duckworth (13:48):
And then when the current president, nathan
Copeland, was announcedpresident, he had a vision and I
kind of thought that visionsounded a whole.
I liked what I was hearing andso I picked up the Highland
House for the exact same areathat I've got now.
Tiffany Woolley (14:04):
So how does that work with Century and
Highland House, before they wereeven aligned?
Do you have to get approvals?
Jim Duckworth (14:11):
Well, obviously, not only would Nathan have had
to sign off on it, but AlexShuford would have had to sign
off on it as well which he didIn a lot of cases.
Some of your customers sellboth.
A lot of them don't sell one,they sell the other.
A lot prefer Highland Houseover, you know, Century.
(14:32):
I mean it just depends on thelook and what they're trying to
achieve in their business, andso and were you affiliated with,
like Century's showroom and thedesign center Like how does
that?
cross over.
So we didn't.
We started the To the Tradeshowroom in Dakota in like after
(14:53):
I got here and it would havebeen around, I think, 2001 or
2002 or somewhere in there, andat the very first manager there
was a gentleman named JohnWelker and he ran that showroom.
And so I am, I do that is myaccount and I take care of them.
Now they're prettyself-sufficient.
I mean, you know you'rescanning their fabrics a couple
(15:13):
times a year, but they reallyare dealing with the factory and
doing most of the stuff ontheir own.
They have their own customerservice rep and obviously I'll
jump in when they need me and ifthey have events down there and
things like that.
So it's been in place there nowsince about 2001,.
And us and baker are like theonly ones left I know, I know, I
(15:36):
know that was.
Tiffany Woolley (15:37):
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 (15:44):
But well, and we, we've looked, we.
We just want to make sure wefind if we're going to move,
it's got to be the right placeand it really needs to be with
everybody else, because, that'syou know, it makes it so much
easier for the designers whenthey go to one area and do all
the shopping.
So we just haven't found whatwe feel is ideal for us yet,
right?
Tiffany Woolley (16:03):
in that area.
Jim Duckworth (16:04):
Yeah, we've looked, because it's kind of
quiet around there.
Tiffany Woolley (16:09):
I know.
Jim Duckworth (16:10):
It is, and you know it's mixed use.
Tiffany Woolley (16:14):
There's many different businesses crack up
that there's like chewy'sheadquarters it's like such a
like when really it was such aspecial.
Jim Duckworth (16:22):
And I even hear my uncle, um, so that was with
drexel heritage.
He started off in plantationflorida and I'll hear him talk
about the design district inMiami and how big that was.
Obviously that was before.
By the time I got here itwasn't, but I hear that was just
something else back then.
Tiffany Woolley (16:39):
I know, and then it died, and now it's
coming back, it's not allfurniture, it's a lot.
Jim Duckworth (16:44):
No, it's more, but it's definitely thriving.
Tiffany Woolley (16:47):
It is definitely thriving.
More fashion right.
It's definitely more fashion,it's all fashion.
That's what it is, whether itbe interiors or whether it be
clothing.
It's fashion, and the twoindustries have collaborated and
crossed over so much.
Nowadays, it kind of lendsitself to evolve that way it
does.
Yeah, it is interesting.
So when you're a rep, what islike your?
(17:10):
We just kind of touched on yourday-to-day that you get to work
mainly from home.
Jim Duckworth (17:15):
Well, it's a whole lot.
What I gave you is thatday-to-day was back in in the
early 90s in jackson,mississippi.
It is completely changed rightnow you just don't have the
furniture retailers that you didhave now this this area down
here is very, very unique inthat you do have Bears Robin
(17:35):
Stuckey and Clyde Daniel.
You just don't have thatanywhere else in the country.
You've got three big-time,thriving retailers that are in
the upper-end business and thenafter that you've got a few out
there, but it really is designbusiness after that.
I mean, that's where it haschanged totally, and Century was
(17:59):
one of the first to really goafter that business.
Tiffany Woolley (18:02):
Interior designers.
Jim Duckworth (18:03):
And Hickory Chair as well.
Yep, and I notice now thatthere's many other of these
companies that are taking thetime to really cultivate that
design business.
Scott Woolley (18:13):
How many of the lines that you represent will
sell to the general publiconline?
Are any of them?
Jim Duckworth (18:19):
Yeah, we do.
Now what we do is we have awhen we're selling, it's
typically distressed anddiscontinued merchandise, right
or pass-through.
That you know are imports thatyou can only get them one way
Right.
And what we have is we have amap.
Our price that we have on thereis much higher than if they
(18:39):
were to go into a retailer andget it.
Scott Woolley (18:41):
Which is great for us.
Jim Duckworth (18:43):
It is, and it was , one of Alex's thoughts was
that when we started, this wasthe consumer really doesn't know
what a good price is.
The consumer really doesn'tknow what a good price is.
Now, if they see our price at Xamount of dollars and they
walked into a retailer or dealwith the designer and that
designer has a better pricebecause they're able to do that,
then they automaticallyassociate the design firm or the
(19:06):
retailer with having a value.
And so that was the thoughtprocess of doing that, and it
also helps us clear outmerchandise we need to get rid
of.
Scott Woolley (19:17):
So what percentage?
Is there, a percentage ofbusiness that is really derived
from designers?
Is it more?
Jim Duckworth (19:24):
We are probably, you know, I would say we're
probably about 60-40, 60probably still retail, Because
the big retail can do so muchvolume, but the design business
is probably about 40% of itwhich is really grown.
Tiffany Woolley (19:42):
I mean that's a much bigger number.
Scott Woolley (19:46):
Yeah, we find that the average consumer
doesn't understand an interiordesigner.
I'm going to pay so much, somuch more.
Right, you know, it's one ofthe reasons why we have the
podcast is trying to helpeducate people that going to a
designer, you're most likelygoing 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
(20:09):
getting the designer to help youput everything together.
Yeah, so at the end of the day,the cost and what you're
getting the designer to help youput everything together yeah,
so at the end of the day, thecost and what you're getting is
so much better.
Jim Duckworth (20:16):
It's basically I've always equated to design
because my father was in thebrokerage industry for his
entire career but he's notselling stocks.
He's a financial planner RightFinancial planners like interior
designer.
I mean, you can always be theone that wants to deal with
Charles Schwab and go buy yourone-piece furniture at a
furniture store and do ityourself, but it's a whole lot,
(20:37):
makes a whole lot more sense,probably monetarily, in the long
run.
After you make all yourmistakes, you just have someone
do it for you from the get-go.
Scott Woolley (20:45):
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 (20:55):
Yeah, totally, because in the long run.
Jim Duckworth (20:56):
you know, oh, wait a minute, and then they,
you know, they want to go backand return it because it was too
big.
Tiffany Woolley (21:02):
Right.
Jim Duckworth (21:02):
You know, or whatever reason, or the finish
isn't what I really thought itwas going to be.
Tiffany Woolley (21:06):
Totally so, and I always say people fall in
love with a finished palette, afinished project.
Jim Duckworth (21:16):
It's that cohesive, you know, pulled
together look well, that's wherey'all are putting it all
together for them and you knowit's real interesting.
Um, I would say 15 years agovery rarely did you ever have a
designer have their customerwith them at high point.
Tiffany Woolley (21:29):
Now we're seeing it so true time.
Scott Woolley (21:31):
You're right, it was my first time going to High
Point.
Tiffany.
She's gone many times, but forme, this year going, we were on
the plane flying back and I saidto her I said every house that
you do that client's spending afair amount of money, you need
to take them here for two days.
Tiffany Woolley (21:48):
He's like is it open year-round?
Scott Woolley (21:50):
Yeah, I said to him I think it was maybe the
first or second day we werethere is this open?
Like she's like yes, this placeis open.
Jim Duckworth (21:56):
It's a great question Now.
First of all, so this was oursecond market at marking all of
our product at retail on thefloor.
We hadn't done that in the past.
It's always been at wholesale.
Voice Over (22:07):
Really Yep.
Jim Duckworth (22:08):
And I guess you know obviously the designers
that were bringing theircustomers there when it was
marked.
They probably had theirarrangements set up front.
They were probably paying bythe hour and they were doing it
on a cost plus so it didn'treally matter, but it does make
it easier to bring your customerin if it's marked retail.
As far as being open year-roundokay it is would tell you
(22:39):
probably what is right about now, if not even before.
It's starting to get sparsefrom samples we wanted to sell
off after market then beingpicked up, starting to plan for
april.
So while it is open, you'reprobably not going to get really
a good representation of whatthat showroom was at market, and
unless you do it within six toeight weeks after market.
Okay, that makes sense.
Tiffany Woolley (22:57):
That does make sense.
Because the other thing I feellike that's different from a
furniture store versus likegoing to market or to Dakota was
, I feel like the, thepresentation.
You know people can sense thevalue immediately where a
furniture store sometimes getsso cluttered.
You know people can sense thevalue immediately when a
furniture store sometimes getsso cluttered.
You know it's not as likethey're trying to curate spaces
(23:21):
where I feel like the actualshowrooms in like Dakota.
You actually can sense the highend.
You can.
Jim Duckworth (23:27):
You can, you feel it.
You really do Not.
All retailers are created equalas we know.
And some of them put moreemphasis on the best price.
Some put the most emphasis onthe best presentation.
And so there is a difference.
But yes, that's what I'vealways said.
If someone comes to see us inHigh Point, they're going to
have a real appreciation forwhat they're buying.
(23:49):
They're going to understand theprice point.
Tiffany Woolley (23:50):
A whole lot easier than looking at something
online, so much so I mean thatwas my big takeaway from my most
recent visit to market was justpeople wouldn't question the
price anymore.
The value is felt.
Scott Woolley (24:05):
Well, there's the other side to it which I know
that we're going through withyou right now on some items is
the customization of items.
I've only been really involvedwith Tiffany.
She's been doing it for 25years.
I've only in the last maybe twoand a half years gotten
involved, helping her becausethe business is doing so well,
(24:25):
but realizing, going into thefurniture store, it's what they
have on the floor typically, butwhen you look at, like Highland
House, where you can justchange every aspect of the item
and it's like Tiffany tells methat item is actually 5,000
different items, I'm like whatdo you mean by that?
It's endless, because virtuallyany fabric that you want you
(24:45):
could change the finishes.
So the process of that, I meanthat's an interesting process.
Jim Duckworth (24:50):
Well, that's a way we'll sometimes come up with
how many SKUs we've actuallygot.
If you take that one piece, 60different finishes okay, that's
60 right there Exactly, and youcan just make the number so
grand.
But that's the luxury of havinga domestic manufacturing
facility, Right?
So I would say you know,ourselves and most all of our
competition are doing theupholstery domestically, but
(25:13):
we're literally the only onesleft that have a case goods
manufacturing facility that'sactually making case goods still
in Hickory.
Tiffany Woolley (25:20):
So tell us about that.
Jim Duckworth (25:22):
Well, it's wonderful because we can custom
size not just upholstery butcase goods.
As long as it's something we'remaking, then we're able to.
You know, you can reach out tocustomer service and you can
give them the dimensions youwant on that cocktail table or
that credenza or that diningtable, and usually within 24
hours you're going to have aprice and lead time.
Tiffany Woolley (25:42):
Amazing.
Jim Duckworth (25:43):
And that's only because we manufacture still.
But it's not just the size.
Scott Woolley (25:47):
It's also the fabrics, it's the wood finish
Correct, yeah, it's, everythingIs that for both brands?
Tiffany Woolley (25:52):
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 bothbeing made in the same factory.
Same factory, yep, yep.
Jim Duckworth (25:56):
Highland House and Century are manufactured in
the exact same factories.
Tiffany Woolley (26:00):
Century.
I always like think of usingtheir fabrics more than I do of
customizing, for some reason.
Is there one that is easier towork with?
Jim Duckworth (26:10):
I mean, it's just what you know, Highland House
has a ton of color, you know.
That's kind of what they'reknown for.
Everybody's got the same planes.
I mean you know they're notreally reinventing much of the
game there and they've all gotthe same performance fabrics.
But I would tell you, with bothcompanies I think we get 50 to
(26:30):
60 COM shipments in a day.
I mean, that is how much that'sa lot.
I mean, we do a ton of COMbusiness Because a lot of the
design firms they're smaller,they don't want to keep all the
fabrics.
They know what they love, Ifit's a perennials or if it's a
shoe market.
They know what they like andthey feel like they've got all
(26:52):
their books and things that theywork with.
So as design business grew, sodid COM business.
Tiffany Woolley (26:58):
Right, and I feel like when you say
Schumacher is mainly theirfabric house, I mean they do
have some furniture, but they'reknown as the—.
Scott Woolley (27:07):
Tiffany is a COM junkie.
Tiffany Woolley (27:10):
I love that, I love.
Jim Duckworth (27:11):
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, thefamily of brands.
Scott Woolley (27:22):
So just for the listeners will know that it is.
Jim Duckworth (27:25):
Century Highland House Hancock Moore, jessica
Charles, maitland Smith, hickory, chair, pearson and then Cabot
Wren, which is more of acontract.
Scott Woolley (27:37):
There's some powerful brands there, very
powerful.
Tiffany Woolley (27:40):
And are you involved in all of them?
Jim Duckworth (27:41):
No, I'm only Century and Highland House.
The other ones have their reps.
So Highland House was the firstcompany that was purchased,
then the next would have beenHancock and Moore, jessica,
charles and Maitland.
And along with that purchasecame the 200 Steel Building,
which is where you shopped withus at Market, which is beautiful
(28:01):
and it's literally now thehigh-end place to go.
Tiffany Woolley (28:04):
I know what an amazing addition.
That's a big building.
Jim Duckworth (28:07):
It is, it is, and you've got John Richards.
It's unbelievable.
Tiffany Woolley (28:10):
You've got Chaddock.
You've got John Richards.
It's unbelievable.
You've got.
Jim Duckworth (28:12):
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 (28:18):
Tell us about the Rock Creek, tell us about.
I always find it interestinghearing about the ownership
groups and the family, thementality.
Jim Duckworth (28:28):
So the Schuford family is fourth generation.
Alex is the present CEO now ofRockhouse and so the Rockhouse
name came about, I believe afterthe purchase of Hancock Moore,
because it was just like Centuryand we owned Highland House,
you know before.
But they're horse people,They've been in the horse
(28:49):
business their whole life.
The Shufords, One of thedaughters, they had a kind of.
Wellington at the Polo Club,because the daughter rode and so
they've always.
So that's how the RockhouseFarms, which is part of their
horse businesses, that's howthey came up with the name.
So you'll see Rockhouse Farmssometimes or you'll see
Rockhouse Family of Brands.
(29:10):
Like we just opened up a, thereare actually two to-the-trade
showroom Rock House showroomsright now.
Tiffany Woolley (29:19):
Really.
Jim Duckworth (29:19):
Yep, there's one on the west coast Of Florida,
IDS, which is Hazard.
And then we opened up oneDesigner Resource that's in Boca
just opened up one in PalmBeach 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 thenthere's a design center in the
middle and then on the otherside are all the other brands
(29:39):
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 theRockhouse family of brands is
all the fabrics areinterchangeable and you don't
have to COM them.
(29:59):
Really.
So, yeah, wow.
So you know, if you have agrade 18 on Century and you want
to put it on Highland House,there's a crossover that tells
you how to find that grade andyou just price it out.
So it really gives you a wholelot of fabrics at your
fingertips that you're able touse.
Tiffany Woolley (30:13):
Huh, that is.
I know.
It's fascinating how that allfalls in.
I didn't realize that they wereopening.
Does that?
Part of their model now is toprobably?
Jim Duckworth (30:25):
entertaining.
Yeah, I think you'll see more.
We're actually we've never beena part of the Las Vegas market.
We will be for the very firsttime in January and we are
opening up our own10,000-square-foot to the trade
showroom in Vegas, which we willuse for markets in January and
July, but it will be openyear-round, year-round.
(30:47):
It would be like having Dakotain an area that has a market.
Tiffany Woolley (30:50):
Right.
Jim Duckworth (30:53):
And that will be a rock house showroom there, and
so we're actually going out.
We're having a meeting in Vegasin January that we're going to
kind of see the showroom and forthose people that want to hang
out for the market like I don'thave anybody that goes to the
Vegas- market from around here.
Tiffany Woolley (31:09):
Right, but you probably will.
Jim Duckworth (31:10):
Yeah, but it'll be really strong for the West
Coast reps though, becausethat's you know, it's a lot of
work and expense to come to HighPoint from California and
Washington and Oregon.
Voice Over (31:20):
Oh, that's true.
Jim Duckworth (31:21):
So this is somewhere where they can go and
not have to travel quite as far.
So we feel like it'll be areally great kind of regional
market.
Tiffany Woolley (31:28):
So, now that Rockhouse has so many under
their umbrella, do they besidesobviously, in-house switching
fabrics?
But do they collaborate?
Do they do any collaborationswith designers?
Do they?
Jim Duckworth (31:41):
There are.
I mean they typically havetheir own Like if one we have
yet to have one.
Do a licensing collection formultiple companies Like Century
just did one with Terrishaw thispast market and it was fabulous
.
Tiffany Woolley (31:57):
And that was the first time that they had
done that.
Jim Duckworth (32:00):
That was no no, no, we've done, we've got thomas
o'brien, we've got many thatwe've done over the years.
But there's never been like onedesigner that's done for two
different companies of ours.
Once they've done for thatcompany, they're pretty much
stuck with that particularcompany.
But the tara shaw introductionwent over very, very well and uh
exciting, yeah, it was.
Uh, she did the whole thingwith all brought, all of her
(32:20):
accessories and antiques.
Scott Woolley (32:23):
I don't know who she is.
Jim Duckworth (32:25):
She is a designer that has her own shop on
Magazine Street in New Orleans.
Okay, and she has been aEuropean antique shopper her
whole life and I can tell you,while this was you know it might
be a little early for floridawe can see these traditionals
coming back.
It is coming every single dayit really is, which is great.
Scott Woolley (32:46):
So did you guys go to her or did she come to?
Jim Duckworth (32:48):
now that one I can't answer because I wasn't
involved in that, but I imagineit's probably both had been
talking for a while, to be myguess.
And uh, you know, one of thegreat things that you can do
that we do after each market andbe worthwhile for you all.
Since you haven't seen it, whenyou go onto the website and
into the portal, we do a360-degree tour of the showroom
(33:10):
where you can go and walkthrough it.
Tiffany Woolley (33:12):
Oh, that's.
Cool, it's fabulous, I'll showyou how to do that after we get
done here.
Jim Duckworth (33:16):
It's really great , then you can go through you
and when you're trying toremember, something at market
that you saw, or you want youcan go right through there and
find it, so it's really uh, it'sa great tool that is cool.
Tiffany Woolley (33:28):
So being a rep is what would you say, are some
of the benefits, the perks likeis your house full of century
and highland?
Well, I would say that'sdefinitely a perk.
Jim Duckworth (33:37):
I've got uh, we, uh, my wife and I are, uh, more
traditional at the time when wewere getting married and
furnishing it, so there'sprobably more drexel heritage in
there, because that's who I wasworking for there is century.
Um, what I like to do is, whenwe're closing stuff out, we got
a nice discount on that's, whenthat's the best time, nothing
wrong with it.
We're just not gonna, right.
(33:57):
So, yeah, over time that'sdefinite fringe benefit for sure
.
I mean, you're getting the beststuff in your home at a much
better price than most peoplewould.
Right, that's great.
I think the freedom to make yourown schedule would be the
number one thing.
It's really funny.
My wife says I've never taken asingle.
(34:18):
The only vacation that anybodyknows I've officially ever taken
in my life was the honeymoonfor 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 ofthese 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'slike Jim, are you kidding On
(34:40):
Mother's Day?
I was like, well, if they'regoing to make money for us, then
we're going to certainly answertheir phone calls.
But the freedom of making yourown schedule would be really, I
would say, the top thing aboutbeing a rep.
I like that.
I like that and what are likeone or two of the things that
(35:06):
you've learned along the way inthis career that have been like
a really important.
Scott Woolley (35:09):
Follow-up.
Oh yeah, well, I guess maybe tosummarize her question is
what's the best advice that youwould give someone who wants to
be a rep?
Was thinking about being a repyou better follow-up, follow-up.
Jim Duckworth (35:18):
That's it.
And you know, the thing that'smost telling to me is when I'll
have a call and where you reallyget a lot of them.
It's not necessarily as muchthe designers on the weekend,
but the retail operations,because they can't get in touch
with the factory, obviously onSaturdays and Sundays.
So they're calling us and whenyou answer and they go hey Jim,
this is so-and-so.
(35:39):
Thank you so much for pickingup.
That just tells me that mycompetitors aren't picking up,
aren't answering, and so thatright.
There is where you usually canseparate yourself If you follow
up and get them the things theyneed, because nowadays that's
the biggest part of our job is.
You know, before you were goingout when I was covering
(35:59):
Mississippi and there were allthese furniture stores, you're
literally going out sitting downwriting orders and think that's
.
You're not doing that as muchanymore when you're dealing with
the big retailers.
They pretty much have theirfloors set and you're just
reordering, but designers areneeding finished chips.
They're needing fabrics.
They're needing you to pricethings, so following up would be
(36:21):
the absolute number one thing Iwould say.
Scott Woolley (36:23):
Well, I'll tell you, from an interior designer's
perspective, that's the singlemost important thing as well is
the follow-up with the client.
Yeah, it is.
I mean, you could be off on alittle bit of a design, you
could be late in getting things,but if you're following up, and
you're communicating and you'rekeeping them informed there's
nothing better.
Jim Duckworth (36:41):
And the emails, you know I try and stay on top
of them and answer them as quickas I can, because you know, if
you don't, they're just going tobuild up.
But it drives me crazy when I'mwaiting on an answer and I
haven't gotten one.
It happens sometimes.
It happens sometimes with ourown company, you know, and I
just think there ought to be a24-hour rule.
You certainly can answer within24 hours.
Tiffany Woolley (37:01):
I know, and I try to tell myself that because
so many clients, you think theycan go online and buy a lipstick
in 10 seconds and they don'tunderstand.
Well, what do you mean?
You don't have the price yet.
What do you mean?
You don't.
They think it's allinstantaneous.
Jim Duckworth (37:19):
It is funny.
Funny, though, because you canget hope.
You can get our answers umusually on purchasing an
automobile much quicker than youcan in the furniture industry.
I mean, it's just a veryhands-on it's very detailed it's
a billion multi-billion dollarindustry it's still a mom and
pop industry you're right,that's still a mom-and-pop
industry.
Tiffany Woolley (37:35):
You're right that's actually a great little
spin on that that it is a bigindustry.
Jim Duckworth (37:40):
So, in what you do, how important in today's
world, so important to so manypeople social media, being
involved in it, not involved init, it's obviously and I'm at
the age that I'm not as probablyinvolved in it as I should be
but I can just tell you that itis probably the number one thing
.
It may be the number one thing.
(38:02):
I've seen just the careers ofsome of these people.
It's insane, you don't want tosay there's more sizzle than
steak there, but they're puttingthemselves out there.
They are, they're being noticedand I just watch it with my
kids.
Tiffany Woolley (38:14):
Right.
Jim Duckworth (38:14):
They're right on top of it.
Tiffany Woolley (38:16):
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 (38:24):
no, your wife well, my wife is the woodbridge
rep right okay, and then she uhwasn't able.
She had a little health issuesthe last couple markets and so
my daughter was there to uh fillin for her during market, but
Mary Elena was actually comingfrom school doing that.
She graduated from Ole Miss inMay.
And she now is.
She majored in finance and realestate with a minor in
(38:47):
entrepreneurship, and she's gota flair for this business and I
think would love to be maybe arep one day.
But she went to work for aboutique wealth management firm
in Atlanta.
Tiffany Woolley (38:56):
Oh, good for her In.
Jim Duckworth (38:57):
Buckhead and it's five employees.
But I believe she'll probablytake a vacation day on Friday
and Monday of the hot weekendsof market because she loves
coming and doing it so much.
And she worked for JohnRichards about two or three
markets in a row as well.
Tiffany Woolley (39:13):
So it is a family affair.
Scott Woolley (39:14):
It is A minor in entrepreneurship.
Jim Duckworth (39:18):
I haven't heard that.
You know what's reallyinteresting.
She went to high school inOxbridge.
Tiffany Woolley (39:22):
Oh shit right here.
Jim Duckworth (39:23):
And they had entrepreneurship in high school.
Scott Woolley (39:26):
Well, all the same, all kids go to American
Heritage and they have it.
Jim Duckworth (39:29):
Yeah, but I didn't realize it was a college,
yeah, and what's so cool aboutOxbridge was that they really
prepare you for college.
Tiffany Woolley (39:35):
Such a good school it's treated more like a
college.
Right, yeah, yep, and that'sthe luxury of Bill Coco.
Jim Duckworth (39:40):
He can do whatever he wants with it.
Tiffany Woolley (39:41):
Yeah, I know what a cool.
Yeah, that's so true.
Jim Duckworth (39:45):
But she had at Ole Miss too, entrepreneurship.
So to me I mean, I hear thethings they're doing.
Tiffany Woolley (40:00):
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 ofquestions yeah so as we wrap up.
We like to just for personalityand get to know you.
What is your favoriterestaurant design wise?
Design wise yeah or it could be, it could be.
Jim Duckworth (40:16):
Well, two different things there.
I'm going to say the restaurantthat's in the Ray Hotel.
Tiffany Woolley (40:24):
I know.
Jim Duckworth (40:24):
Akira, akira.
Tiffany Woolley (40:26):
Bak yeah Akira.
Jim Duckworth (40:27):
Bak.
I think that's a really, really, really cool place.
Yeah, Food's great too.
Tiffany Woolley (40:38):
Ambience is.
The Echo in Palm Beach is alsoreally a kind of a cool, and
that's that.
Staying power too, yes, so thatsays a lot.
Jim Duckworth (40:41):
That's a really cool place too, but those two
come to mind, they're verysimilar to that, that Asian
fusion feel to it Fusion.
Tiffany Woolley (40:49):
Yep, I like that.
Scott Woolley (40:51):
So is there a hotel that comes to mind from a
design standpoint that sticksout Delano, the Delano okay,
delano, I remember going to itwhen I first moved here.
Tiffany Woolley (41:03):
Right In 2000,.
Jim Duckworth (41:05):
And that was when , I guess, Madonna had made it
famous.
Correct White everywhere andyou didn't even know.
You had to know where you weregoing because there's no sign
out there.
You just had the cloth hangingdown.
Tiffany Woolley (41:16):
So true.
Jim Duckworth (41:17):
I actually stayed there one night with a buddy of
mine coming from out of townand we hadn't moved as a family
yet and went down there becauseI'd heard all about it.
That's a pretty cool place.
Tiffany Woolley (41:26):
Yeah, and I love that you said that too,
because it was such an iconicdesign element with Philippe
Starck.
Voice Over (41:34):
Philippe Starck did it, that's right, and the table
in the middle.
Tiffany Woolley (41:36):
And just like all those pieces and, like you
know, the table in the middleand just very.
Jim Duckworth (41:40):
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 ifwe we love New Orleans and if
you go there, those littleboutique hotels around the
quarter are really kind of coolto go to.
Tiffany Woolley (41:55):
Very, very cool , very cool.
What is your favorite event toattend?
The masters have you been?
Jim Duckworth (42:04):
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 toalmost every.
I've been the super bowls.
I've been the world series.
I've been to ma championshipsBowls.
I've been to the World Series.
I've been to the NBAChampionships.
That is the greatest runsporting event that I've ever
been around.
Scott Woolley (42:21):
The Masters.
Jim Duckworth (42:22):
But now I will say, if Marcy were sitting here,
she would say the KentuckyDerby.
Tiffany Woolley (42:26):
That would be fabulous.
Jim Duckworth (42:29):
And kind of got the president of Woodbridge,
kevin Henshaw, who's a goodclose friend of mine.
He's a big horse guy and that'show we went for the first time
with them, and so we've gone anddone that a number of times and
as far as the pomp andcircumstance goes, it's hard to
be me.
Tiffany Woolley (42:44):
That's pretty special.
Jim Duckworth (42:45):
Yeah, it is.
It's the one flight you'll goon where every overhead
compartment is hat-locked.
Scott Woolley (42:52):
So you're a sports person.
Jim Duckworth (42:59):
I am, yeah, I, I, you know, played college tennis
, grew up playing sports, and Imean real uh, real uh.
I am a definitely a sportsperson.
Scott Woolley (43:02):
So, masters, did you go for just for a day, or
did you go for?
Jim Duckworth (43:05):
tip.
I've gone to the practicerounds.
I've gone on thursday and andfriday, never been for the week.
My perfect plan with themasters is to go either on
thursday or friday or, if youhave the opportunity to go both,
flight home saturday morningand be in my home watching it on
the way.
I agree really the great.
That's my.
(43:25):
That's the perfect plan for me.
But you don't turn down any dayif you get the opportunity
that's so true.
Tiffany Woolley (43:31):
Well, I actually think that's a great
way to wrap up on a high note ofthe masters and yep, kentucky
Derby.
Scott Woolley (43:39):
We appreciate you coming in today.
Jim Duckworth (43:41):
Thank you, we appreciate the opportunity and
look forward to a long andlasting relationship with you.
Tiffany Woolley (43:47):
Definitely Thank you.
Voice Over (43:49):
Thank you iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW Group
production in association withthe Five Star and TW Interiors
Group Production in associationwith the Five Star and TW
Interiors.
To learn more about iDesignLabor TW Interiors, please visit
twinteriorscom.
The following podcast iDesign Lab is an SW
Group production in associationwith Five Star and TW Interiors.
This is iDesign Lab, a podcastwhere creativity and curiosity
meet style and design.
Curator of interiors,furnishings and lifestyles.
Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, aninterior designer and a style
(00:22):
enthusiast, along with herserial entrepreneur husband
Scott, idesign Lab is yourultimate design podcast where we
explore the rich and vibrantworld of design and its constant
evolution in style and trends.
Idesign Lab provides industryinsight, discussing the latest
trends, styles and everything inbetween to better help you
style your life, through advicefrom trendsetters, designers,
(00:45):
influencers, innovators,fabricators and manufacturers,
as well as personal stories thatinspire, motivate and excite.
And join us on this elevated,informative and lively journey
into the world of all thingsdesign.
Welcome to the iDesign Labpodcast.
Today we're thrilled to have JimDuckworth with us.
Jim has spent over 30 years inthe furniture industry, starting
(01:07):
right after college in 1986.
He first worked with Simmons,best known for their Beautyrest
mattress, before moving toDrexel Heritage.
In 1993, jim joined CenturyFurniture, where he's been ever
since.
In 2014, he helped bringHighland House into the Century
family and he continues to playa pivotal role at Century and
its parent company, rockhouseFarms.
(01:28):
Jim is also actively involvedwith Woodridge Furniture,
working alongside his wife,marci.
We're excited to dive into hiswealth of experience and
insights today.
Tiffany Woolley (01:39):
Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast.
Today we would like to welcomeJim Duckworth, who is involved
with Rock House Farm family ofbrands, top being Century, my
favorite being Highland House.
But we're going to have a greatconversation today about the
furniture industry and we wantto welcome Jim and tell us how
(02:01):
you got your start.
Jim Duckworth (02:03):
Okay, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and went to
school, went to play tennis atOle Miss in Oxford, Mississippi,
Graduated from there in 1986and was a business major and was
interviewing with a lot ofdifferent companies you know
your bigger, whether it beCoca-Cola, IBM, those kind of
companies.
My father was a stockbroker,was looking at some of that.
(02:25):
But I had an uncle who was inthe furniture industry, had been
his whole career with DrexelHeritage.
Tiffany Woolley (02:31):
Wow.
Jim Duckworth (02:33):
And so they were visiting and we started talking
and at the time Drexel was apretty big company.
Scott Woolley (02:39):
back in the 80s.
Jim Duckworth (02:40):
They didn't necessarily hire kids.
I thought Drexel, he's had agreat career.
And he, they didn't necessarilyhire kids.
I thought Drexel he's had agreat career and he's like well,
we don't really hire kids rightout of college, but the Simmons
Company, which is BeautyrestMattresses they are very well
known for hiring young peopleand they had one of the best
training programs because theytaught you not just to sell
(03:01):
furniture to your customers buthelp to sell through and help
move it and get rid of it.
And mattresses are verypromotional-oriented.
And so, long story short, inthe Southern Division they had
three different factories, onein Atlanta, one in Jacksonville
and one in Dallas, and so theyhired me to be a trainee there
(03:23):
out of the Atlanta plant, whichwas great because I could live
at home after being in collegeand save some money.
And I was hired in, I guess,july, after I graduated in May
of 86.
And then at the OctoberFurniture Market, the rep that
was in Jackson Mississippi, whowas a Florida guy, had gone to
the University of Florida.
(03:43):
There was an opening in Floridaand so they moved him there and
there was three trainees, onein Jacksonville, one in Dallas
and myself, and I was the newest.
But it also made a whole lot ofsense to send the guy to
Jackson Mississippi that hadgone to school in.
Tiffany Woolley (03:58):
Mississippi, in Mississippi, oh wow.
Jim Duckworth (04:00):
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 doingthat for two and a half years
and the Drexel Heritage rep thatlived in Jackson was fairly old
and he retired and so I wasable to move on to Drexel
(04:22):
Heritage, which would have beenin, I guess, the first part of
89.
Scott Woolley (04:27):
Was that a goal that you were trying to
hopefully?
Yeah, it was.
I knew how old.
Jim Duckworth (04:30):
Milton was, and I had a feeling, I had a hope
that I could possibly get thatjob and had interviewed with one
other company an upholsterycompany at the time and had
gotten offered a position, butrolled the dice that Milton
wasn't far from retiring, andsure enough that happened and
he'd gotten offered a positionbut rolled the dice that Milton
(04:51):
wasn't far from retiring andsure enough that happened.
Scott Woolley (04:52):
Was there a certain aspect of that job that
you had your heart set to try toget More?
Jim Duckworth (04:55):
money would be number one and I felt like if
you were going to branch outinto any of the other furniture
companies you needed to havecase goods and upholstery
background.
Now with Simmons they did havethe hide-a-beds which was a
trademark, so I did sellsomewhat upholstery sleepers a
little bit, but that was thegoal to do the full brand.
Scott Woolley (05:21):
And I knew a little bit from Uncle Charlie
about the company and it was awonderful company.
So was your uncle yourinspiration to get into the
furniture business.
Jim Duckworth (05:26):
You know it was, and I'll tell you, ironically,
it was real interesting.
The companies I wasinterviewing with even though
they were really the bigcompanies, when your entry-level
salaries or stuff, I mean theywere okay.
And then you interview withSimmons and they're like okay,
so you have these goals.
If you're able to hit them, youcan make X amount of dollars,
and it was a lot of money for a23-year-old and so they were
(05:48):
just you know, because it's fullcommission.
The sky's the limit, and so thatwas one of the things that
enticed me, and I like the ideaof having your office at home
being your own Like.
Voice Over (06:00):
I have never walked into an office at a time in my
entire life, wow.
Scott Woolley (06:05):
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 COVIDcurve.
Yeah, way ahead.
Jim Duckworth (06:11):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Scott Woolley (06:13):
Yeah.
Jim Duckworth (06:13):
So I did that for five and a half years and was
covering Mississippi, louisianaand Arkansas those three states.
Scott Woolley (06:25):
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 thefurniture stores, every place
that carries and there were, ifyou think of that time period,
there were stores.
Tiffany Woolley (06:36):
Right a lot of book and mortar the design
community had not yet beentapped.
Jim Duckworth (06:40):
It was like if you got a call from a designer
that was almost like tab, butyou didn't even really pay much
attention to them.
You actually really had storesthat you went to, and so my
typical week would be I would bein the office on pretty much
all day Monday and do officetype work At home, at home In
the office, and I had my ownoffice in there.
(07:01):
You know, when I was in anapartment it was two bedroom
Right, and when I got married in93, moved into a home and had
an office actual office.
Scott Woolley (07:09):
So you had to have a lot of discipline because
at 23, 24, working at home notgoing to an office.
Oh it's real easy to just notget up.
Jim Duckworth (07:19):
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 whetheryou're.
Tiffany Woolley (07:29):
You know that's your report card.
Jim Duckworth (07:30):
You're sleeping on the exactly right, so I would
be in the office usually doingpaperwork all day.
There's a lot more paperworkback then than there is now,
it's all you're right on yourphone.
You save it digitally, so I dothat on uh mondays I I even
remember when fax machines cameout and you'd come home and it
would have been rolled up thattype of paper laying on the
(07:51):
floor.
Voice Over (07:52):
Those were orders Exactly.
Jim Duckworth (07:54):
Yeah, that's right.
How many orders did I getTuesday morning?
Usually leave early, be outTuesday and Wednesday night, get
back in late Thursday, work inthe office on Friday morning and
then be at the country club toplay golf by lunch on Friday
afternoon.
Tiffany Woolley (08:13):
I love it.
That was kind of the routine.
That's a great routine.
Jim Duckworth (08:17):
It was a great opportunity.
I did it for five and a halfyears and the century rep in
Jackson Mississippi decided hewas fairly young and it was a
real.
I'll never forget this.
It says a lot about Century.
The gentleman's name was TomDumontier and he was the first
guy to ever leave Century on hisown that either didn't retire
(08:44):
or was maybe fired.
Tiffany Woolley (08:46):
So never left to go to another company, which
was really pretty impressive,that's so interesting.
Jim Duckworth (08:51):
And so I knew I wanted to go to work for them.
Tiffany Woolley (08:53):
So what put Century on your radar when you
were with Drexel?
Jim Duckworth (08:57):
You thought that as being a step up, you know it
was real interesting becauseDrexel at the time was a much
bigger name than Century.
Kind of back in that era Drexelusually sold the number one
major retailer in the town andCentury might have sold the
secondary one.
That was kind of the way itwent because there was a lot of
(09:20):
selective distribution.
You didn't sell them bothusually back then.
I mean, one had one line andone 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?
wasn't the.
They didn't do the greatest job, in my opinion.
(09:40):
They had Drexel Heritage, HenryDon Thomasville.
Tiffany Woolley (09:42):
I guess we all know what's happened with those
companies, correct, yeah, yeah,it's so crazy.
Jim Duckworth (09:47):
I like the idea of going to work for a
family-owned company.
I'd heard a lot about theShuford family and uh, just,
they just were really where isCentury based out of Hickory,
north Carolina, which?
Is where most of them.
Yeah, matter of fact.
At that, you've got Hickory hasCentury Cheryl Vanguard
Bernhardt, and then you've gotHickory has Century Sherrill
Vanguard Bernhardt, and thenyou've got Morganton, north
(10:07):
Carolina, which is only 15minutes away.
That was Drexel Heritage, henryDunn.
Ej Victor, they're all rightthere and so real close towns
and so I've been.
Tiffany Woolley (10:17):
That was 93, same territory, so what does it
look like to go after that jobto make a flip from like a
Drexel to Century?
Like I mean, do you put thefeelers out, do you?
Jim Duckworth (10:30):
Well.
So I knew about Tom's loomingretirement and so I reached out
to a couple of my big customersthat I sold, told them I was
interested in that particularjob and they were like, and it
was really interesting.
They were like what really?
You know, we're never going tosell as much century as we do
Drexel Harriers.
I said, well, we'll have towait and see about that.
Scott Woolley (10:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So when you're in that as a repfor a furniture line, do you
get to become friendly with thereps of all the other furniture?
Jim Duckworth (10:59):
lines.
You do somewhat, but sometimesI mean some would come into town
and we'd go out to eat.
I mean there was a lot of themthat I did have friends with.
Scott Woolley (11:05):
I mean, you know so any animosity of, like you
know, sales.
Jim Duckworth (11:09):
There's healthy competition, no every now and
then you maybe have a rep youdon't really care for, but I
wouldn't necessarily spend anytime with him, right?
Tiffany Woolley (11:16):
right.
Jim Duckworth (11:17):
But I did have a lot of friends that were
competitors.
Tiffany Woolley (11:20):
You know Right, competitors you know, and
healthy competition is good.
Jim Duckworth (11:24):
It is yeah, no, absolutely it is, and we could
kind of bounce idea trade, youknow, 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 floridawith century.
He took my old territory withcentury.
I moved from henry don tocentury.
So you know, sometimes it helpsto know these people and it
(11:51):
helps to tell management this iswho you need to get so was that
sort of.
Scott Woolley (11:53):
Your next step in the career was coming to
Florida.
Jim Duckworth (11:56):
So at High Point there was four of us shared a
house.
There was a rep in Arizonawho's since retired, one on the
east coast of Florida and livedin 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 Simmonsand other companies before and I
always thought that he had thatin his blood to get back into
(12:18):
the home office.
He had the opportunity to goback to North Carolina to be the
senior vice president of salesand I'd always said if you go
back in, I want your territory.
Because I went from travelingthree states to going to.
Melbourne, miami, that's it.
I have no overnight travel.
(12:41):
It's unheard of in thisindustry Now when I go to the
Keys.
Scott Woolley (12:45):
I will stay overnight, of course, why?
Jim Duckworth (12:46):
not yeah exactly.
And I have San Juan in theBahamas and obviously those are,
but I mean you just don't getthat kind of territory.
And what you really want with ahigh-end company like Century
is you want to be in a secondhome market where there's a lot
(13:08):
of condensed wealth.
And we've got that down here.
Tiffany Woolley (13:11):
Wow, that's an interesting fact.
Scott Woolley (13:14):
So at what point along the line did you start
picking up other brands?
Jim Duckworth (13:19):
So I was, you know, not until Century bought
Highland House.
I don't even know, I can't evenremember the year now and I
didn't initially have HighlandHouse.
I don't even know, I can't evenremember the year now.
I didn't initially haveHighland House.
They didn't really think.
First of all, when we first gotit it was really a northern
company, very brown.
I would say it probably reallythrived in New York and the
(13:40):
northeast.
It didn't have to look as muchfor floor.
I would say it probably reallythrived in New York and the
Northeast and that.
Voice Over (13:45):
It didn't have to look as much for.
Scott Woolley (13:47):
Florida Right right.
Jim Duckworth (13:48):
And then when the current president, nathan
Copeland, was announcedpresident, he had a vision and I
kind of thought that visionsounded a whole.
I liked what I was hearing andso I picked up the Highland
House for the exact same areathat I've got now.
Tiffany Woolley (14:04):
So how does that work with Century and
Highland House, before they wereeven aligned?
Do you have to get approvals?
Jim Duckworth (14:11):
Well, obviously, not only would Nathan have had
to sign off on it, but AlexShuford would have had to sign
off on it as well which he didIn a lot of cases.
Some of your customers sellboth.
A lot of them don't sell one,they sell the other.
A lot prefer Highland Houseover, you know, Century.
(14:32):
I mean it just depends on thelook and what they're trying to
achieve in their business, andso and were you affiliated with,
like Century's showroom and thedesign center Like how does
that?
cross over.
So we didn't.
We started the To the Tradeshowroom in Dakota in like after
(14:53):
I got here and it would havebeen around, I think, 2001 or
2002 or somewhere in there, andat the very first manager there
was a gentleman named JohnWelker and he ran that showroom.
And so I am, I do that is myaccount and I take care of them.
Now they're prettyself-sufficient.
I mean, you know you'rescanning their fabrics a couple
(15:13):
times a year, but they reallyare dealing with the factory and
doing most of the stuff ontheir own.
They have their own customerservice rep and obviously I'll
jump in when they need me and ifthey have events down there and
things like that.
So it's been in place there nowsince about 2001,.
And us and baker are like theonly ones left I know, I know, I
(15:36):
know that was.
Tiffany Woolley (15:37):
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 (15:44):
But well, and we, we've looked, we.
We just want to make sure wefind if we're going to move,
it's got to be the right placeand it really needs to be with
everybody else, because, that'syou know, it makes it so much
easier for the designers whenthey go to one area and do all
the shopping.
So we just haven't found whatwe feel is ideal for us yet,
right?
Tiffany Woolley (16:03):
in that area.
Jim Duckworth (16:04):
Yeah, we've looked, because it's kind of
quiet around there.
Tiffany Woolley (16:09):
I know.
Jim Duckworth (16:10):
It is, and you know it's mixed use.
Tiffany Woolley (16:14):
There's many different businesses crack up
that there's like chewy'sheadquarters it's like such a
like when really it was such aspecial.
Jim Duckworth (16:22):
And I even hear my uncle, um, so that was with
drexel heritage.
He started off in plantationflorida and I'll hear him talk
about the design district inMiami and how big that was.
Obviously that was before.
By the time I got here itwasn't, but I hear that was just
something else back then.
Tiffany Woolley (16:39):
I know, and then it died, and now it's
coming back, it's not allfurniture, it's a lot.
Jim Duckworth (16:44):
No, it's more, but it's definitely thriving.
Tiffany Woolley (16:47):
It is definitely thriving.
More fashion right.
It's definitely more fashion,it's all fashion.
That's what it is, whether itbe interiors or whether it be
clothing.
It's fashion, and the twoindustries have collaborated and
crossed over so much.
Nowadays, it kind of lendsitself to evolve that way it
does.
Yeah, it is interesting.
So when you're a rep, what islike your?
(17:10):
We just kind of touched on yourday-to-day that you get to work
mainly from home.
Jim Duckworth (17:15):
Well, it's a whole lot.
What I gave you is thatday-to-day was back in in the
early 90s in jackson,mississippi.
It is completely changed rightnow you just don't have the
furniture retailers that you didhave now this this area down
here is very, very unique inthat you do have Bears Robin
(17:35):
Stuckey and Clyde Daniel.
You just don't have thatanywhere else in the country.
You've got three big-time,thriving retailers that are in
the upper-end business and thenafter that you've got a few out
there, but it really is designbusiness after that.
I mean, that's where it haschanged totally, and Century was
(17:59):
one of the first to really goafter that business.
Tiffany Woolley (18:02):
Interior designers.
Jim Duckworth (18:03):
And Hickory Chair as well.
Yep, and I notice now thatthere's many other of these
companies that are taking thetime to really cultivate that
design business.
Scott Woolley (18:13):
How many of the lines that you represent will
sell to the general publiconline?
Are any of them?
Jim Duckworth (18:19):
Yeah, we do.
Now what we do is we have awhen we're selling, it's
typically distressed anddiscontinued merchandise, right
or pass-through.
That you know are imports thatyou can only get them one way
Right.
And what we have is we have amap.
Our price that we have on thereis much higher than if they
(18:39):
were to go into a retailer andget it.
Scott Woolley (18:41):
Which is great for us.
Jim Duckworth (18:43):
It is, and it was , one of Alex's thoughts was
that when we started, this wasthe consumer really doesn't know
what a good price is.
The consumer really doesn'tknow what a good price is.
Now, if they see our price at Xamount of dollars and they
walked into a retailer or dealwith the designer and that
designer has a better pricebecause they're able to do that,
then they automaticallyassociate the design firm or the
(19:06):
retailer with having a value.
And so that was the thoughtprocess of doing that, and it
also helps us clear outmerchandise we need to get rid
of.
Scott Woolley (19:17):
So what percentage?
Is there, a percentage ofbusiness that is really derived
from designers?
Is it more?
Jim Duckworth (19:24):
We are probably, you know, I would say we're
probably about 60-40, 60probably still retail, Because
the big retail can do so muchvolume, but the design business
is probably about 40% of itwhich is really grown.
Tiffany Woolley (19:42):
I mean that's a much bigger number.
Scott Woolley (19:46):
Yeah, we find that the average consumer
doesn't understand an interiordesigner.
I'm going to pay so much, somuch more.
Right, you know, it's one ofthe reasons why we have the
podcast is trying to helpeducate people that going to a
designer, you're most likelygoing 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
(20:09):
getting the designer to help youput everything together.
Yeah, so at the end of the day,the cost and what you're
getting the designer to help youput everything together yeah,
so at the end of the day, thecost and what you're getting is
so much better.
Jim Duckworth (20:16):
It's basically I've always equated to design
because my father was in thebrokerage industry for his
entire career but he's notselling stocks.
He's a financial planner RightFinancial planners like interior
designer.
I mean, you can always be theone that wants to deal with
Charles Schwab and go buy yourone-piece furniture at a
furniture store and do ityourself, but it's a whole lot,
(20:37):
makes a whole lot more sense,probably monetarily, in the long
run.
After you make all yourmistakes, you just have someone
do it for you from the get-go.
Scott Woolley (20:45):
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 (20:55):
Yeah, totally, because in the long run.
Jim Duckworth (20:56):
you know, oh, wait a minute, and then they,
you know, they want to go backand return it because it was too
big.
Tiffany Woolley (21:02):
Right.
Jim Duckworth (21:02):
You know, or whatever reason, or the finish
isn't what I really thought itwas going to be.
Tiffany Woolley (21:06):
Totally so, and I always say people fall in
love with a finished palette, afinished project.
Jim Duckworth (21:16):
It's that cohesive, you know, pulled
together look well, that's wherey'all are putting it all
together for them and you knowit's real interesting.
Um, I would say 15 years agovery rarely did you ever have a
designer have their customerwith them at high point.
Tiffany Woolley (21:29):
Now we're seeing it so true time.
Scott Woolley (21:31):
You're right, it was my first time going to High
Point.
Tiffany.
She's gone many times, but forme, this year going, we were on
the plane flying back and I saidto her I said every house that
you do that client's spending afair amount of money, you need
to take them here for two days.
Tiffany Woolley (21:48):
He's like is it open year-round?
Scott Woolley (21:50):
Yeah, I said to him I think it was maybe the
first or second day we werethere is this open?
Like she's like yes, this placeis open.
Jim Duckworth (21:56):
It's a great question Now.
First of all, so this was oursecond market at marking all of
our product at retail on thefloor.
We hadn't done that in the past.
It's always been at wholesale.
Voice Over (22:07):
Really Yep.
Jim Duckworth (22:08):
And I guess you know obviously the designers
that were bringing theircustomers there when it was
marked.
They probably had theirarrangements set up front.
They were probably paying bythe hour and they were doing it
on a cost plus so it didn'treally matter, but it does make
it easier to bring your customerin if it's marked retail.
As far as being open year-roundokay it is would tell you
(22:39):
probably what is right about now, if not even before.
It's starting to get sparsefrom samples we wanted to sell
off after market then beingpicked up, starting to plan for
april.
So while it is open, you'reprobably not going to get really
a good representation of whatthat showroom was at market, and
unless you do it within six toeight weeks after market.
Okay, that makes sense.
Tiffany Woolley (22:57):
That does make sense.
Because the other thing I feellike that's different from a
furniture store versus likegoing to market or to Dakota was
, I feel like the, thepresentation.
You know people can sense thevalue immediately where a
furniture store sometimes getsso cluttered.
You know people can sense thevalue immediately when a
furniture store sometimes getsso cluttered.
You know it's not as likethey're trying to curate spaces
(23:21):
where I feel like the actualshowrooms in like Dakota.
You actually can sense the highend.
You can.
Jim Duckworth (23:27):
You can, you feel it.
You really do Not.
All retailers are created equalas we know.
And some of them put moreemphasis on the best price.
Some put the most emphasis onthe best presentation.
And so there is a difference.
But yes, that's what I'vealways said.
If someone comes to see us inHigh Point, they're going to
have a real appreciation forwhat they're buying.
(23:49):
They're going to understand theprice point.
Tiffany Woolley (23:50):
A whole lot easier than looking at something
online, so much so I mean thatwas my big takeaway from my most
recent visit to market was justpeople wouldn't question the
price anymore.
The value is felt.
Scott Woolley (24:05):
Well, there's the other side to it which I know
that we're going through withyou right now on some items is
the customization of items.
I've only been really involvedwith Tiffany.
She's been doing it for 25years.
I've only in the last maybe twoand a half years gotten
involved, helping her becausethe business is doing so well,
(24:25):
but realizing, going into thefurniture store, it's what they
have on the floor typically, butwhen you look at, like Highland
House, where you can justchange every aspect of the item
and it's like Tiffany tells methat item is actually 5,000
different items, I'm like whatdo you mean by that?
It's endless, because virtuallyany fabric that you want you
(24:45):
could change the finishes.
So the process of that, I meanthat's an interesting process.
Jim Duckworth (24:50):
Well, that's a way we'll sometimes come up with
how many SKUs we've actuallygot.
If you take that one piece, 60different finishes okay, that's
60 right there Exactly, and youcan just make the number so
grand.
But that's the luxury of havinga domestic manufacturing
facility, Right?
So I would say you know,ourselves and most all of our
competition are doing theupholstery domestically, but
(25:13):
we're literally the only onesleft that have a case goods
manufacturing facility that'sactually making case goods still
in Hickory.
Tiffany Woolley (25:20):
So tell us about that.
Jim Duckworth (25:22):
Well, it's wonderful because we can custom
size not just upholstery butcase goods.
As long as it's something we'remaking, then we're able to.
You know, you can reach out tocustomer service and you can
give them the dimensions youwant on that cocktail table or
that credenza or that diningtable, and usually within 24
hours you're going to have aprice and lead time.
Tiffany Woolley (25:42):
Amazing.
Jim Duckworth (25:43):
And that's only because we manufacture still.
But it's not just the size.
Scott Woolley (25:47):
It's also the fabrics, it's the wood finish
Correct, yeah, it's, everythingIs that for both brands?
Tiffany Woolley (25:52):
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 bothbeing made in the same factory.
Same factory, yep, yep.
Jim Duckworth (25:56):
Highland House and Century are manufactured in
the exact same factories.
Tiffany Woolley (26:00):
Century.
I always like think of usingtheir fabrics more than I do of
customizing, for some reason.
Is there one that is easier towork with?
Jim Duckworth (26:10):
I mean, it's just what you know, Highland House
has a ton of color, you know.
That's kind of what they'reknown for.
Everybody's got the same planes.
I mean you know they're notreally reinventing much of the
game there and they've all gotthe same performance fabrics.
But I would tell you, with bothcompanies I think we get 50 to
(26:30):
60 COM shipments in a day.
I mean, that is how much that'sa lot.
I mean, we do a ton of COMbusiness Because a lot of the
design firms they're smaller,they don't want to keep all the
fabrics.
They know what they love, Ifit's a perennials or if it's a
shoe market.
They know what they like andthey feel like they've got all
(26:52):
their books and things that theywork with.
So as design business grew, sodid COM business.
Tiffany Woolley (26:58):
Right, and I feel like when you say
Schumacher is mainly theirfabric house, I mean they do
have some furniture, but they'reknown as the—.
Scott Woolley (27:07):
Tiffany is a COM junkie.
Tiffany Woolley (27:10):
I love that, I love.
Jim Duckworth (27:11):
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, thefamily of brands.
Scott Woolley (27:22):
So just for the listeners will know that it is.
Jim Duckworth (27:25):
Century Highland House Hancock Moore, jessica
Charles, maitland Smith, hickory, chair, pearson and then Cabot
Wren, which is more of acontract.
Scott Woolley (27:37):
There's some powerful brands there, very
powerful.
Tiffany Woolley (27:40):
And are you involved in all of them?
Jim Duckworth (27:41):
No, I'm only Century and Highland House.
The other ones have their reps.
So Highland House was the firstcompany that was purchased,
then the next would have beenHancock and Moore, jessica,
charles and Maitland.
And along with that purchasecame the 200 Steel Building,
which is where you shopped withus at Market, which is beautiful
(28:01):
and it's literally now thehigh-end place to go.
Tiffany Woolley (28:04):
I know what an amazing addition.
That's a big building.
Jim Duckworth (28:07):
It is, it is, and you've got John Richards.
It's unbelievable.
Tiffany Woolley (28:10):
You've got Chaddock.
You've got John Richards.
It's unbelievable.
You've got.
Jim Duckworth (28:12):
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 (28:18):
Tell us about the Rock Creek, tell us about.
I always find it interestinghearing about the ownership
groups and the family, thementality.
Jim Duckworth (28:28):
So the Schuford family is fourth generation.
Alex is the present CEO now ofRockhouse and so the Rockhouse
name came about, I believe afterthe purchase of Hancock Moore,
because it was just like Centuryand we owned Highland House,
you know before.
But they're horse people,They've been in the horse
(28:49):
business their whole life.
The Shufords, One of thedaughters, they had a kind of.
Wellington at the Polo Club,because the daughter rode and so
they've always.
So that's how the RockhouseFarms, which is part of their
horse businesses, that's howthey came up with the name.
So you'll see Rockhouse Farmssometimes or you'll see
Rockhouse Family of Brands.
(29:10):
Like we just opened up a, thereare actually two to-the-trade
showroom Rock House showroomsright now.
Tiffany Woolley (29:19):
Really.
Jim Duckworth (29:19):
Yep, there's one on the west coast Of Florida,
IDS, which is Hazard.
And then we opened up oneDesigner Resource that's in Boca
just opened up one in PalmBeach 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 thenthere's a design center in the
middle and then on the otherside are all the other brands
(29:39):
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 theRockhouse family of brands is
all the fabrics areinterchangeable and you don't
have to COM them.
(29:59):
Really.
So, yeah, wow.
So you know, if you have agrade 18 on Century and you want
to put it on Highland House,there's a crossover that tells
you how to find that grade andyou just price it out.
So it really gives you a wholelot of fabrics at your
fingertips that you're able touse.
Tiffany Woolley (30:13):
Huh, that is.
I know.
It's fascinating how that allfalls in.
I didn't realize that they wereopening.
Does that?
Part of their model now is toprobably?
Jim Duckworth (30:25):
entertaining.
Yeah, I think you'll see more.
We're actually we've never beena part of the Las Vegas market.
We will be for the very firsttime in January and we are
opening up our own10,000-square-foot to the trade
showroom in Vegas, which we willuse for markets in January and
July, but it will be openyear-round, year-round.
(30:47):
It would be like having Dakotain an area that has a market.
Tiffany Woolley (30:50):
Right.
Jim Duckworth (30:53):
And that will be a rock house showroom there, and
so we're actually going out.
We're having a meeting in Vegasin January that we're going to
kind of see the showroom and forthose people that want to hang
out for the market like I don'thave anybody that goes to the
Vegas- market from around here.
Tiffany Woolley (31:09):
Right, but you probably will.
Jim Duckworth (31:10):
Yeah, but it'll be really strong for the West
Coast reps though, becausethat's you know, it's a lot of
work and expense to come to HighPoint from California and
Washington and Oregon.
Voice Over (31:20):
Oh, that's true.
Jim Duckworth (31:21):
So this is somewhere where they can go and
not have to travel quite as far.
So we feel like it'll be areally great kind of regional
market.
Tiffany Woolley (31:28):
So, now that Rockhouse has so many under
their umbrella, do they besidesobviously, in-house switching
fabrics?
But do they collaborate?
Do they do any collaborationswith designers?
Do they?
Jim Duckworth (31:41):
There are.
I mean they typically havetheir own Like if one we have
yet to have one.
Do a licensing collection formultiple companies Like Century
just did one with Terrishaw thispast market and it was fabulous
.
Tiffany Woolley (31:57):
And that was the first time that they had
done that.
Jim Duckworth (32:00):
That was no no, no, we've done, we've got thomas
o'brien, we've got many thatwe've done over the years.
But there's never been like onedesigner that's done for two
different companies of ours.
Once they've done for thatcompany, they're pretty much
stuck with that particularcompany.
But the tara shaw introductionwent over very, very well and uh
exciting, yeah, it was.
Uh, she did the whole thingwith all brought, all of her
(32:20):
accessories and antiques.
Scott Woolley (32:23):
I don't know who she is.
Jim Duckworth (32:25):
She is a designer that has her own shop on
Magazine Street in New Orleans.
Okay, and she has been aEuropean antique shopper her
whole life and I can tell you,while this was you know it might
be a little early for floridawe can see these traditionals
coming back.
It is coming every single dayit really is, which is great.
Scott Woolley (32:46):
So did you guys go to her or did she come to?
Jim Duckworth (32:48):
now that one I can't answer because I wasn't
involved in that, but I imagineit's probably both had been
talking for a while, to be myguess.
And uh, you know, one of thegreat things that you can do
that we do after each market andbe worthwhile for you all.
Since you haven't seen it, whenyou go onto the website and
into the portal, we do a360-degree tour of the showroom
(33:10):
where you can go and walkthrough it.
Tiffany Woolley (33:12):
Oh, that's.
Cool, it's fabulous, I'll showyou how to do that after we get
done here.
Jim Duckworth (33:16):
It's really great , then you can go through you
and when you're trying toremember, something at market
that you saw, or you want youcan go right through there and
find it, so it's really uh, it'sa great tool that is cool.
Tiffany Woolley (33:28):
So being a rep is what would you say, are some
of the benefits, the perks likeis your house full of century
and highland?
Well, I would say that'sdefinitely a perk.
Jim Duckworth (33:37):
I've got uh, we, uh, my wife and I are, uh, more
traditional at the time when wewere getting married and
furnishing it, so there'sprobably more drexel heritage in
there, because that's who I wasworking for there is century.
Um, what I like to do is, whenwe're closing stuff out, we got
a nice discount on that's, whenthat's the best time, nothing
wrong with it.
We're just not gonna, right.
(33:57):
So, yeah, over time that'sdefinite fringe benefit for sure
.
I mean, you're getting the beststuff in your home at a much
better price than most peoplewould.
Right, that's great.
I think the freedom to make yourown schedule would be the
number one thing.
It's really funny.
My wife says I've never taken asingle.
(34:18):
The only vacation that anybodyknows I've officially ever taken
in my life was the honeymoonfor 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 ofthese 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'slike Jim, are you kidding On
(34:40):
Mother's Day?
I was like, well, if they'regoing to make money for us, then
we're going to certainly answertheir phone calls.
But the freedom of making yourown schedule would be really, I
would say, the top thing aboutbeing a rep.
I like that.
I like that and what are likeone or two of the things that
(35:06):
you've learned along the way inthis career that have been like
a really important.
Scott Woolley (35:09):
Follow-up.
Oh yeah, well, I guess maybe tosummarize her question is
what's the best advice that youwould give someone who wants to
be a rep?
Was thinking about being a repyou better follow-up, follow-up.
Jim Duckworth (35:18):
That's it.
And you know, the thing that'smost telling to me is when I'll
have a call and where you reallyget a lot of them.
It's not necessarily as muchthe designers on the weekend,
but the retail operations,because they can't get in touch
with the factory, obviously onSaturdays and Sundays.
So they're calling us and whenyou answer and they go hey Jim,
this is so-and-so.
(35:39):
Thank you so much for pickingup.
That just tells me that mycompetitors aren't picking up,
aren't answering, and so thatright.
There is where you usually canseparate yourself If you follow
up and get them the things theyneed, because nowadays that's
the biggest part of our job is.
You know, before you were goingout when I was covering
(35:59):
Mississippi and there were allthese furniture stores, you're
literally going out sitting downwriting orders and think that's
.
You're not doing that as muchanymore when you're dealing with
the big retailers.
They pretty much have theirfloors set and you're just
reordering, but designers areneeding finished chips.
They're needing fabrics.
They're needing you to pricethings, so following up would be
(36:21):
the absolute number one thing Iwould say.
Scott Woolley (36:23):
Well, I'll tell you, from an interior designer's
perspective, that's the singlemost important thing as well is
the follow-up with the client.
Yeah, it is.
I mean, you could be off on alittle bit of a design, you
could be late in getting things,but if you're following up, and
you're communicating and you'rekeeping them informed there's
nothing better.
Jim Duckworth (36:41):
And the emails, you know I try and stay on top
of them and answer them as quickas I can, because you know, if
you don't, they're just going tobuild up.
But it drives me crazy when I'mwaiting on an answer and I
haven't gotten one.
It happens sometimes.
It happens sometimes with ourown company, you know, and I
just think there ought to be a24-hour rule.
You certainly can answer within24 hours.
Tiffany Woolley (37:01):
I know, and I try to tell myself that because
so many clients, you think theycan go online and buy a lipstick
in 10 seconds and they don'tunderstand.
Well, what do you mean?
You don't have the price yet.
What do you mean?
You don't.
They think it's allinstantaneous.
Jim Duckworth (37:19):
It is funny.
Funny, though, because you canget hope.
You can get our answers umusually on purchasing an
automobile much quicker than youcan in the furniture industry.
I mean, it's just a veryhands-on it's very detailed it's
a billion multi-billion dollarindustry it's still a mom and
pop industry you're right,that's still a mom-and-pop
industry.
Tiffany Woolley (37:35):
You're right that's actually a great little
spin on that that it is a bigindustry.
Jim Duckworth (37:40):
So, in what you do, how important in today's
world, so important to so manypeople social media, being
involved in it, not involved init, it's obviously and I'm at
the age that I'm not as probablyinvolved in it as I should be
but I can just tell you that itis probably the number one thing
.
It may be the number one thing.
(38:02):
I've seen just the careers ofsome of these people.
It's insane, you don't want tosay there's more sizzle than
steak there, but they're puttingthemselves out there.
They are, they're being noticedand I just watch it with my
kids.
Tiffany Woolley (38:14):
Right.
Jim Duckworth (38:14):
They're right on top of it.
Tiffany Woolley (38:16):
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 (38:24):
no, your wife well, my wife is the woodbridge
rep right okay, and then she uhwasn't able.
She had a little health issuesthe last couple markets and so
my daughter was there to uh fillin for her during market, but
Mary Elena was actually comingfrom school doing that.
She graduated from Ole Miss inMay.
And she now is.
She majored in finance and realestate with a minor in
(38:47):
entrepreneurship, and she's gota flair for this business and I
think would love to be maybe arep one day.
But she went to work for aboutique wealth management firm
in Atlanta.
Tiffany Woolley (38:56):
Oh, good for her In.
Jim Duckworth (38:57):
Buckhead and it's five employees.
But I believe she'll probablytake a vacation day on Friday
and Monday of the hot weekendsof market because she loves
coming and doing it so much.
And she worked for JohnRichards about two or three
markets in a row as well.
Tiffany Woolley (39:13):
So it is a family affair.
Scott Woolley (39:14):
It is A minor in entrepreneurship.
Jim Duckworth (39:18):
I haven't heard that.
You know what's reallyinteresting.
She went to high school inOxbridge.
Tiffany Woolley (39:22):
Oh shit right here.
Jim Duckworth (39:23):
And they had entrepreneurship in high school.
Scott Woolley (39:26):
Well, all the same, all kids go to American
Heritage and they have it.
Jim Duckworth (39:29):
Yeah, but I didn't realize it was a college,
yeah, and what's so cool aboutOxbridge was that they really
prepare you for college.
Tiffany Woolley (39:35):
Such a good school it's treated more like a
college.
Right, yeah, yep, and that'sthe luxury of Bill Coco.
Jim Duckworth (39:40):
He can do whatever he wants with it.
Tiffany Woolley (39:41):
Yeah, I know what a cool.
Yeah, that's so true.
Jim Duckworth (39:45):
But she had at Ole Miss too, entrepreneurship.
So to me I mean, I hear thethings they're doing.
Tiffany Woolley (40:00):
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 ofquestions yeah so as we wrap up.
We like to just for personalityand get to know you.
What is your favoriterestaurant design wise?
Design wise yeah or it could be, it could be.
Jim Duckworth (40:16):
Well, two different things there.
I'm going to say the restaurantthat's in the Ray Hotel.
Tiffany Woolley (40:24):
I know.
Jim Duckworth (40:24):
Akira, akira.
Tiffany Woolley (40:26):
Bak yeah Akira.
Jim Duckworth (40:27):
Bak.
I think that's a really, really, really cool place.
Yeah, Food's great too.
Tiffany Woolley (40:38):
Ambience is.
The Echo in Palm Beach is alsoreally a kind of a cool, and
that's that.
Staying power too, yes, so thatsays a lot.
Jim Duckworth (40:41):
That's a really cool place too, but those two
come to mind, they're verysimilar to that, that Asian
fusion feel to it Fusion.
Tiffany Woolley (40:49):
Yep, I like that.
Scott Woolley (40:51):
So is there a hotel that comes to mind from a
design standpoint that sticksout Delano, the Delano okay,
delano, I remember going to itwhen I first moved here.
Tiffany Woolley (41:03):
Right In 2000,.
Jim Duckworth (41:05):
And that was when , I guess, Madonna had made it
famous.
Correct White everywhere andyou didn't even know.
You had to know where you weregoing because there's no sign
out there.
You just had the cloth hangingdown.
Tiffany Woolley (41:16):
So true.
Jim Duckworth (41:17):
I actually stayed there one night with a buddy of
mine coming from out of townand we hadn't moved as a family
yet and went down there becauseI'd heard all about it.
That's a pretty cool place.
Tiffany Woolley (41:26):
Yeah, and I love that you said that too,
because it was such an iconicdesign element with Philippe
Starck.
Voice Over (41:34):
Philippe Starck did it, that's right, and the table
in the middle.
Tiffany Woolley (41:36):
And just like all those pieces and, like you
know, the table in the middleand just very.
Jim Duckworth (41:40):
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 ifwe we love New Orleans and if
you go there, those littleboutique hotels around the
quarter are really kind of coolto go to.
Tiffany Woolley (41:55):
Very, very cool , very cool.
What is your favorite event toattend?
The masters have you been?
Jim Duckworth (42:04):
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 toalmost every.
I've been the super bowls.
I've been the world series.
I've been to ma championshipsBowls.
I've been to the World Series.
I've been to the NBAChampionships.
That is the greatest runsporting event that I've ever
been around.
Scott Woolley (42:21):
The Masters.
Jim Duckworth (42:22):
But now I will say, if Marcy were sitting here,
she would say the KentuckyDerby.
Tiffany Woolley (42:26):
That would be fabulous.
Jim Duckworth (42:29):
And kind of got the president of Woodbridge,
kevin Henshaw, who's a goodclose friend of mine.
He's a big horse guy and that'show we went for the first time
with them, and so we've gone anddone that a number of times and
as far as the pomp andcircumstance goes, it's hard to
be me.
Tiffany Woolley (42:44):
That's pretty special.
Jim Duckworth (42:45):
Yeah, it is.
It's the one flight you'll goon where every overhead
compartment is hat-locked.
Scott Woolley (42:52):
So you're a sports person.
Jim Duckworth (42:59):
I am, yeah, I, I, you know, played college tennis
, grew up playing sports, and Imean real uh, real uh.
I am a definitely a sportsperson.
Scott Woolley (43:02):
So, masters, did you go for just for a day, or
did you go for?
Jim Duckworth (43:05):
tip.
I've gone to the practicerounds.
I've gone on thursday and andfriday, never been for the week.
My perfect plan with themasters is to go either on
thursday or friday or, if youhave the opportunity to go both,
flight home saturday morningand be in my home watching it on
the way.
I agree really the great.
That's my.
(43:25):
That's the perfect plan for me.
But you don't turn down any dayif you get the opportunity
that's so true.
Tiffany Woolley (43:31):
Well, I actually think that's a great
way to wrap up on a high note ofthe masters and yep, kentucky
Derby.
Scott Woolley (43:39):
We appreciate you coming in today.
Jim Duckworth (43:41):
Thank you, we appreciate the opportunity and
look forward to a long andlasting relationship with you.
Tiffany Woolley (43:47):
Definitely Thank you.
Voice Over (43:49):
Thank you iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW Group
production in association withthe Five Star and TW Interiors
Group Production in associationwith the Five Star and TW
Interiors.
To learn more about iDesignLabor TW Interiors, please visit
twinteriorscom.
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