Hickory, NC— Alex Shuford III has been named interim President of 120-year-old Hickory Chair, stepping in following the July 30 resignation of Kevin Bowman, who was COO and President. Shuford will consolidate the role of President and his previous position as sales manager.
“I and the RHF Board wish to express our gratitude to Kevin for his leadership through a some of the industry’s and company’s most turbulent years,” Shuford says. “Hickory Chair is one of the industry’s premier custom workrooms. . . .The company has a powerful legacy and I am humbled to be able to take a more active role as we continue to build upon it.”
Bowman plans to pursue other opportunities within the luxury consumer space. “It has been the honor of my career to have led this great company and its incredible people these past four years. Hickory Chair is left stable and in the supportive hands of Alex and the Shuford family, where it will thrive for many years to come.”
Hickory Chair traces its toots to 1911, when entrepreneur George Bailey brought a proposal to the business leaders of Hickory, NC to buy and relocate his 10-year old chair factory from its home in Elkin, NC to Hickory, then an emerging hub for furniture making in the South. The purchase included furniture designs, machinery, and materials, and Bailey, who had the passion, determination, and knowledge to manage the operation. After spending his entire working career with the company, Bailey retired in 1951. Hickory Chair has transformed from a company that made one single style of dining chair in 1911 to a maker of one-of-a-kind custom wood and upholstered furniture to order.
