Koenig, Bassett deliver stirring talks
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, December 16, 2001
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Furniture executives gathered here paid tribute to three outstanding industry leaders at emotional awards presentations during the Furniture/Today Leadership Conference.
The industry remembered Kevin Koenig, 54, the founder of City Furniture, who died late last month. In September, Furniture/Today named Kevin and his brother, Keith, as Retailers of the Year. Keith accepted the award for Kevin, and delivered a touching tribute.
The following night, industry leaders assembled to salute John D. Bassett III, president and chief executive officer of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co. He was honored as Furniture/Today's Manufacturer of the Year.
Bassett wowed attendees with a flag-waving acceptance speech in which he vowed to do everything in his power to keep his company strong in the face of a rising tide of imported furniture.
"I'm proud to be the CEO of those people at Vaughan-Bassett," he declared. "And I'm proud to be an American."
The awards, presented by Ray Allegrezza, Furniture/Today's editor in chief, were highlights of the fifth annual Leadership Conference, which tackled several key industry issues during its three-day run here. About 200 leading retailers, manufacturers and suppliers attended the event at the Ritz-Carlton.
The awards were established by the newspaper to honor a retailer and a manufacturer who "take their company or the industry as a whole to a new level through creativity, innovations and decisive and bold actions."
The attendees gave Koenig and Bassett standing ovations at festive awards banquets that capped busy days of activities.
In his remarks, Koenig said he would give Kevin's Retailer of the Year award to their father, Charlie.
"Kevin is in good shape now," Keith said. "It was his time. He was well prepared for this. Don't shed a tear. He wouldn't want that. I'm sure he's smiling down at us. He was very proud of this award."
He remembered Kevin as a visionary who struggled with health problems, but still put a lot of time into the business. The company dedicated its massive new distribution center, headquarters and showroom to Kevin a few weeks ago. Kevin helped make that facility a reality.
"His vision and leadership were extraordinary," Koenig said. "He left a fine team in place. We will make him very proud."
He also said the award is "a company recognition. This is a big team. Each of us is a small part of it."
In his remarks, Bassett struck a similar chord. The secret of Vaughan-Bassett's success, he said, "is our people. They work hard and they want a job." They also are "aroused" by the countries that are taking furniture jobs from U.S. workers and "polluting the air."
"The people at Vaughan-Bassett," he declared, "are aroused and they don't intend to be losers. They intend to be winners."
Statistics say imports are taking a growing share of the wood furniture market, but "we don't look at statistics," Bassett said. "We have 1,800 people who are dedicated to their jobs."
Citing the popular book, "Who Moved My Cheese?", which is required reading for the company's sales representatives, Bassett said his company wants to control its own destiny.
"Why shouldn't we be the person moving the cheese?" he asked. "Let them chase us.… We are constantly going to move the cheese."
| City Furniture's Keith Koenig holds up a memorial to his late brother, Kevin. The two shared Retailer of the Year honors. |
| Furniture/Today's editor in chief, Ray Allegrezza, left, presents Manufacturer of the Year Award to John D. Bassett III. |
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