Co-founder Jeff Singleton to leave Groovystuff

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 3/25/2011 4:24:46 PM

DALLAS — Jeff Singleton, co-founder and president of rustic furniture and accents supplier Groovystuff, will leave the company at the end of March to pursue interests outside the home furnishings industry.

Singleton and Chris Bruning, who is Groovystuff's vice president, met as freshmen at Texas A&M University and launched the company in 1998 as an import business bringing in handcrafted items from Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal.

They eventually specialized in furnishings made from reclaimed materials, including dismantled antique farm carts, wagons and farm implements made from teak.

"It's been an amazing 18-year journey; a chapter well written and well read," said Singleton in a press release. "I am grateful to the individuals throughout the home furnishings industry who took us under their wings and taught us to fly. Now it's time for me to write a new chapter."

Prior to starting Groovystuff, Singleton had spent a few years in the 1990s importing odd items out of Asia for a company called Adventures in Paradise and previously worked as a trader in the Texas oil and gas markets.

Bruning said Singleton's commitment to sustainable manufacturing helped the company find its niche in the marketplace.

"Jeff's energy and passion helped sustain the company through this tough economy," Bruning said. "He has a pure heart and, beyond having been my trusted business partner for the last 13 years, he is one of the most honorable people I have ever met."