CEO: Douglas 'fun'
Parker enjoys residential product
By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, February 12, 2006
El Segundo, Calif. — Rick Parker has worked in the furniture industry for more than 25 years, but until recently the new CEO of Douglas Furniture didn't spend much time worrying about the appearance of his product.
It's not that he didn't care, but in the world of office and institutional furniture, fashion seldom enters into the conversation. Durability and function are much more critical.
But fashion obviously is at the forefront of residential furniture, and that's one of the reasons Parker decided to make the move to Douglas after a career that included senior management posts at office furniture major Hon Inds. and Sagus International, a holding company for several office and institutional furniture producers
"This product is a lot more fun," he said while surveying his company's showroom at the recent Las Vegas market. "I was really driven to residential furniture because there is a fashion element to it."
Parker believes his sales, marketing and operational experience will serve him well at Douglas, a 100-year-old company that produces most of its line at a factory in Tijuana, Mexico.
"It's a good factory, and it gives us the best of both worlds," he said. "We're near the U.S., but get to take advantage of the lower cost structure in Mexico."
He said he also was attracted to Douglas because of its size. The company, he said, is large enough to make an impact on the industry but small enough (about 2,000 employees) that a massive decision-making bureaucracy isn't necessary.
According to Parker, the modest size also invites creative thinking and individual initiative, which he has found in abundance during his short tenure.
"The employees have a very sincere ownership in Douglas. You don't always find that," he said.
Going forward, he said he wants the company to focus on its "core competencies" of midpriced motion upholstery and casual dining. That doesn't necessarily mean Douglas will be exiting other furniture categories such as occasional tables, Parsons chairs and the like, but Parker said the emphasis will be on gaining more retail floor space with its two largest business segments.
"Business has been good since the first of January," he said. "So far, we're in line with our projections."
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