Thursday, September 23, 2010

Jerry Hux; A Memorium

Jerry Hux, my boss and the owner of Beverly Hall, died yesterday, September 22, 2010. He was 64. He was my mentor, my leader, my confidante, and my friend. If there were one word to associate with Jerry, it would be integrity. He had loads of it, and I admired that. He valued above all things his family, which is what every good man should value before anything else. Please pray for strength for Jerry's family: his wife, Anne, his children: Mason and Emily and Spencer, and their mother, Susan, their families, and Jerry's mother and brother, Huxie and Charles. The last few years in this troubling economy have been very difficult in our industry, but Jerry forged ahead and down-scaled his business to maintain a presence in our community. Job well done, Boss!

Jerry was serious and focused, but he treated all of his employees with fairness and respect; we were his second family. He knew more about the Furniture Industry than just about anyone, ....period. There will be a cast of thousands at his services; you'll see.

I loved to see Jerry interacting with his grandchildren, the loves of his life. He became a totally different person around them, and it was a joy to watch. Thank goodness he had that joy, and the love of his wife and children in his life; he deserved it.


I have no idea what the family has chosen for your memorial wishes. As many of you know, I volunteer at Shepherd Center every week. I do this in honour of my buddy and first design assistant that Jerry chose for me, Michael. Michael was in a car accident, going on a house call, ten years ago, and left for dead in his car for over 10 or 20 minutes until they found out he was alive. He was in a coma for a long time in North Fulton Hospital. Shepherd Center usually does not take patients in comas, but Jerry got Michael to Shepherd, and he emerged from his coma and started his recovery. Michael lives in Salem, Mass, now, and we stay in touch. I already have a link to Shepherd Center on my website, shown below, and may I be the first to contribute a separate contribution to Shepherd Center, in memory of Jerry Hux. Jerry was on the board there, in fact, Jerry and Beverly Hall had a list of hundreds of charities that he regular supported. We used to have a list in the Buckhead store, and the list was so long, it wouldn't even fit inside the frame. Jerry gave back.....always did. I can only hope to be half the man he was.

Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue through this difficult week of grief and sadness. May the day come when the emptiness in our hearts is filled with comfort and peace.

--


740 Holcomb Bridge Road
Roswell, Georgia 30076 USA
RING 770-642-6641
FACSIMILE 770-594-5655
WEB www.msunderland.com

Friday, September 3, 2010

Made in the U.S.A.

...Just How Much Furniture "Out There" Is Still Made Domestically?









Labor Day is Monday, September 6. The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882. Now, in 2010, it's a great day to end our Summer Sale at Beverly Hall Interiors. Most people have the day off, and can shop as couples, placing their orders to assure delivery before the holidays. I'll be working on Monday, and have a couple openings left, so call me for an appointment.






Hickory Chair Company. Century Furniture. Baker. Hancock and Moore. Southwood. TRS Upholstery. Names that represent quality and value in our industry.






One of my favorite people in the furniture world is Jay Reardon, President of Hickory Chair Company. I've known Jay for over fourteen years, and I'm so impressed with his "hands-on" approach to making furniture these days. Jay and I spoke a few weeks ago; here are a few of the things he had to share:






"Our Employees demonstrate the power of American ingenuity and creativity that provides great value for our customers. Our EDGE culture (Employees Dedicated to Growth and Excellence) allows us to produce over 87% of our products in our Hickory Workroom. We are producing exquisitely designed Furniture with personal options to the consumers' specifications. By identifying and eliminating the waste in our processes we deliver these custom pieces in a very timely manner. It's exciting to walk our floors and see so many unique and distinctive pieces on their way to customers' homes to enjoy with family and friends. Each piece we make is truly a Labor of love crafted by our Dedicated Artisans."






Words well spoken.






I LOVE selling American-made furniture; can you tell? I experience the quality and luxury-with-value every day. You should come and see for yourself. As I mentioned, we are open on Labor Day, offering our lowest prices of the year, ...so put out your flag and come by to see all of our wonderful things Made in the U.S.A.!!!