Hall of Fame Foundation seeks your stories

Foundation looks to document interesting tales about furniture companies

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 6/16/2011 11:15:08 AM

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation is inviting people in the home furnishings industry to "Tell Us Your Story."

Stories, memories, experiences, historical accounts and reflections the organization collects will be posted on its website.

"So often we're approached by passionate members of our industry while at market, and in passing, who have special, and oftentimes, undocumented tales, accounts and reflections that they want to share about their companies, their experiences, and the industry as a whole," said Kurt Darrow, La-Z-Boy chairman and CEO and president of the Hall of Fame Foundation. "Some of these accounts reflect how a company was founded or named, or even how it might have been saved from bankruptcy, and many are quite simply some of their fondest memories about the special relationships they've had with people in the industry over their career."

Here's one story the foundation recently received from an employee of former manufacturer Ladd Furniture:

"When Don Hunziker and Bill Fenn would travel the corridors of the office, it was known by the administrative staff as Management on Patrol, or MOP, for short. Trying to be on our best behavior when the bosses came calling, ‘It's time to mop' was the secret code which rippled like a wave through the staff just moments ahead of Bill and Don's entrance. With Cheshire cat grins barely contained the staff would be working with extra zeal as our leaders strolled past. We were so smug in our secret. One day, however, Bill and Don showed up with mops thrown over their shoulders and big grins on their faces. Periodically, one would say to the other, "It's time to mop" as they walked by. Well, we, the formerly smug ones, were mortified. It was clear that both men had known all along about our little secret and were getting the last laugh. Once our faces stopped burning from embarrassment the entire department gave them a standing ovation!"

The Foundation is looking for touching, factual, humorous, interesting or even quirky stories about the industry that should not go untold or undocumented. Submissions don't have to be formal - even the briefest accounts are encouraged.

Stories can be submitted through the website at furniturehalloffame.com or by sending them to lestep@furniturehalloffame.com. These stories will be made available on the website and eventually published in a book. Sources of the information will be given full credit whenever the information is used for foundation purposes.

The foundation also is collecting company history books and historic photos to build its collection and further preserve the industry's history. Materials can be sent to the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. at 202 Neal Place, High Point, N.C., 27262.