Old Hickory reflects energy of its founder
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, January 25, 2004
NEWTON, N.C. — "I really get pumped up in the days just before market; I don't know how to stop," says Willard Black, founder and president of Old Hickory Tannery.
With that kind of energy and enthusiasm, it's no wonder his company rolls out 50 to 60 new frames each market.
What he learned working at a fabric upholstery company nearly 40 years ago has served him well.
"I learned every job in manufacturing, from the frame room on up," Black said. Today, if a craftsman has a problem building a piece, Black can help solve it.
He was raised by his grandmother, a skilled seamstress, and that also had a lasting effect on the Ashe County native, evident in his heavily detailed, one-of-a-kind collage pieces. Old Hickory's line ranges from a $799 French leather chair to an ornate $25,000 hand-carved Empire sofa of hand-rubbed leather.
"The furniture business is fashion," Black said. "People want their houses to look as nice as the fashions they wear or the cars they drive."
The high-end custom upholstery manufacturer, launched in the mid-1970s, recorded sales growth of 40% in 2002 and over 30% in 2003, said Black, who projects growth of 20% for 2004 and 2005.
With people clamoring for leather in the 1970s, he decided to strike out on his own, ignoring those who thought he'd "lost my mind."
Black, along with a hunting buddy and a top sales rep from the upholstery company Black then worked for, pooled $500 each to start Old Hickory Tannery. Their first purchase: $982 worth of leather from now-defunct supplier Lackawanna Leather, which gave him 60-day terms. "That was unheard of — like free money," said Black.
He also got a boost from a Smithfield, N.C., store owner. After another manufacturer said he didn't have time to talk to him, the irate retailer pulled his business and asked Black to duplicate his best-selling pub-back seats. "That got us going," he said.
Early on, Old Hickory Tannery exhibited at the Atlanta and Hickory furniture markets before becoming the first leasee at High Point's Market Square.
Four year ago, the company relocated from Hickory to a hilltop overlooking Highway 70 in nearby Newton.
"Until two years ago, I was the sales force," Black said. "I sold 90% of the furniture." Today, he limits himself to special accounts, and product development.
Next month, Old Hickory will open a 40,000-square-foot addition to its current 80,000-square-foot factory. Black also has purchased a 75,000-square-foot former textile plant two miles away, which will stock sofas and chairs imported from Thailand.
The import line, which should debut at the April market, will address "customers who want our distinctive look but priced from the Pacific Rim," Black said. "We still will have my look, my frames, but at competitive price points."
He hopes to pare the current 12- to 16-week shipping cycle to eight- to 10-weeks. And with the second plant, up to 25 people will be added to the 80-member workforce.
Old Hickory markets chiefly to high-end independents and specialty stores, as well as edgy gift boutiques.
With his hair-on-hide sofas gracing the covers of Neiman Marcus catalogs, Black has built his reputation on embellished antique looks and leathers. But he also cites the fabric slipcovers he's done for New York's ABC Carpet & Home's Home Collection.
"Yes, I do cool, unique leathers, but fabric is my first love," he said.
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