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High Point Market offers chance to exchange smiles

Jerry Epperson -- Furniture Today, November 5, 2011

Jerry Epperson An insider’s ViewI just lost a good friend. We grew up together in our home town of 1,500 people crowded around one stoplight. After college, he went back there and was the town's best citizen, serving on the school board, as his church's treasurer for over 30 years and too many other things to mention.
     He had been getting weaker, but thanks to our modern social media, everyone got daily updates so we could keep him in our prayers. I visited him and his family a few days ago in the hospital. I am glad I knew to go.
     On the same day, I learned a furniture friend that I first met at The Lane Co. in the 1970s had passed away several weeks ago. I wish I had known so I could express my condolences to his family.
     Furniture/Today let us know last week that Kevin O'Connor's daughter, Christine DesVergers, had passed away. Kevin, the CEO of manufacturer and importer Samson Marketing, is a respected high-profile furniture executive and chairman of the High Point Market Authority. His vast network of friends all share in his loss.
     For years, I have described my trips to the furniture markets as reunions, an opportunity to visit many of my friends in the industry. One reason I am late to every appointment and meeting is my stopping to visit.
     For an $80 billion-plus industry, we are a remarkably small family. The manufacturers, importers, reps, retailers and service providers may change jobs, but the relationships continue.
     Furniture/Today does a great job of writing about some of the more high-profile furniture executives. What they did for Pat Norton of La-Z-Boy and Ethan Allen fame when he passed was wonderful, and there are many other examples.
     In all the new world of social media and instant communication, I wish there was a way to broaden that scope to cover a much larger universe of our furniture family. And let's not wait for the obituary, please. I would love a way just to stay in touch, and let folks know we care and wish them well.
     I hope at this High Point Market we can all remember to smile and say hello to our old friends.
     Yes, I know I am in my 60s and these are not the worries of the young, but they will understand one day soon.
     When we updated our wills recently, my bride of 42 years asked what I wanted at my funeral. I told her I liked the one Ronald Reagan had, only instead of a horse without a rider, it should be my scooter.

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