Michael Thomas marks a quarter century
Will salute contributors at Friday party
Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, April 3, 2008
HIGH POINT — When there’s an alignment of the stars, how do you celebrate?
For upholstery company Michael Thomas, it’s party time.
On Friday, April 4, starting with cocktails at 5 p.m., the upper-end producer will celebrate: The company’s 50th market; its 25th anniversary; its 20th High Point Market at 1690 English Road; and the 10th edition of Sue Dunn’s Playhouse.
But the main reason for the event is to honor some of the people who helped the company get off the ground and grow to be a substantial niche player in the upper-end retail and design market.
“These are people I’ve known for a long time and who went out of their way to be helpful to us,” Jordan said. “It’s just an opportunity to say thank you to them.”
Among those who Jordan, the company’s president, and Mike Callahan, executive vice president, will celebrate, include:
T.R. Hendrix, owner of a now defunct company called Silvercraft, who offered instruction in eight-way hand-tying, frame construction and other manufacturing amenities in high-end furniture production.
“He knew I was going to start Michal Thomas, and said we would need training,” Jordan, who had worked at Stuart Furniture, now Klaussner, said. “He wouldn’t let us pay for anything.” Hendrix was involved with the family business Hendrix Batting before buying Silvercraft and is now at Supreme Foam.
Nancy Whitt and her husband, Cole Whitt. Cole was the company’s first sales rep and is now chief operating officer at Henkel Harris. “Without Cole, there wouldn’t have been a second anniversary,” Jordan said.
Dan Weir, whose Dallas-area retail company Weir’s became the first major customer of Michael Thomas in 1983.
Doug Auman, who joined Michael Thomas in 1983 to head manufacturing and was one of the company’s originals. Auman died in 1994 but his wife, Sue, will be in attendance.
Anne Hood, whose fabric and merchandising skills “really changed us from being a frat house. She was a huge help. She took us to a new level.” Hood is currently with Century, having moved there from Highland House.
Katrina Patton, a former vice president of merchandising. Despite her love for case goods, Patton “was very much like Anne Hood in her knowledge of frames and fabrics and had a different twist on things. She was very innovative and clever and did a great job for us,” Jordan said.
Sue Dunn, who succeeded Patton, had retired to her market home in High Point after closing her store, Sofas by Design in Falls Church, Va. “She’s the only person in history who’s ever retired to High Point,” quips Jordan, who coaxed Dunn back to work. Sue Dunn’s Playhouse refers to merchandising and the company’s showroom.
Tom Barger, who started the company’s Miles Talbott line in 1993.
The company plans to honor 16 people with pink roses symbolic of breast cancer.
