Raymour & Flanigan
Sells La-Z-Boy recliners and carries Serta and Simmons/Beautyrest as core mattress lines.
Relationships & Trust
Relationships are infrastructure, not nicety.
They only work commercially if they’re genuine, because people can tell the difference.
The Philosophy
The day I actually need something, I want them to know I’m not asking lightly.
I invest real time learning what matters to people, family, big events, what drives them personally, not just professionally. It’s one of the harder skills to build because it isn’t teachable in a training session. I do what I call VIP meals, I’ll identify someone I need a strong relationship with and take them to dinner, sometimes at my home, specifically to understand their goals separate from whatever transaction is in front of us that week.
Here’s why that matters commercially: when design lock is at risk, or a supplier needs to move faster than normal capacity allows, or I need honest information instead of the polished version, that’s when the relationship gets cashed in. A transactional supplier gives you what’s contractually required. A genuine partner tells you the truth early and prioritizes you when capacity is tight.
I’m deliberate about not overusing my favor bucket, and I treat this the same at every level, I build the same quality of relationship with a machine operator on a supplier’s floor as I do with their CEO. Sometimes it’s the operator who tells you the truth about a timeline first.
Retailers · Where We Likely Overlap
Companies I work well with, where La-Z-Boy and Serta already share a floor.
I’m not assuming we share the same buyers or the same contacts. But every retailer below already carries both La-Z-Boy and Serta Simmons Bedding, so the overlap is real, and I already know how these floors merchandise, price, and sell.
Rooms To Go
Runs a co-branded La-Z-Boy Reclining Furniture gallery in-store, with Serta, Beautyrest, Beautyrest Black, and Tuft & Needle in the mattress lineup.
Macy’s
Carries La-Z-Boy across living, dining, and bedroom, plus Beautyrest and Serta in the mattress department.
RC Willey
A dedicated La-Z-Boy shop-in-shop alongside Serta and Beautyrest mattresses.
Nebraska Furniture Mart
Builds out a dedicated La-Z-Boy concept shop inside its stores, one of the most notable overlaps of the group.
Suppliers I Work With
Manufacturing partners already in my corner.
Culp
A trusted production partner I work with across programs. Well known in the textile industry for design and innovation.
Bekaert Deslee
A trusted production partner I work with across programs. Well known in the textile industry for design and innovation.
GTA
A trusted production partner I work with across programs. Well known in the textile industry for design and innovation.
Let’s Talk
I’ve learned that the strongest products come out of the strongest relationships.
With suppliers, cross-functional partners, the people on the floor. That’s what I’m looking for in my next company. Not just a role, but a team I can build something lasting with.