Tommy Tomkins retires as president, CEO of Cresent Furniture

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, April 20, 2012

HIGH POINT — Charles R. "Tommy" Tomkins III, the longtime president and CEO of solid wood case goods resource Cresent Furniture, has retired from his executive role but will remain chairman of the company.

Tommy Tomkins

Dennis Condra

Tomkins officially retired as president and CEO on Dec. 31. However, he will be on hand to greet industry friends at Cresent's Spring Fling Party at the High Point Market, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the company's showroom at Hamilton Square, space 204.

Tomkins has spent 47 years at the company, including the past 27 as president. He graduated from N.C. State University in 1964 and joined the company as a sales intern, earning promotions to various sales and manufacturing posts and becoming president in 1985.

Over the past 20 years, he also has served on the boards of the American Furniture Manufacturers Assn. (now the American Home Furnishings Alliance), the Furniture Foundation and the International Woodworking Fair.

With Tomkins' retirement, the company promoted Dennis Condra from executive vice president to president and CEO on Jan. 1. He has been with Cresent since 1970.

Condra said that Tomkins' "guidance, leadership and contributions to this organization have been invaluable. He brought integrity and dignity to our company."

Tomkins said that he has been privileged to have led such a strong team over the years.

"I have a deep appreciation for them and everything we've accomplished as a company," he said. "Frankly, I have been fortunate to work with such highly talented and dedicated people throughout my career."

Other members of the senior management team include Richard Tomkins, vice president of sales and marketing; Joseph Condra, vice president of development and design, and Taylor Condra, vice president of quality assurance and logistics.