Hospitality Design - March/April 2015 - 8

advertorial

Q&A

with

jordan mcinturf
vp sales, shelby williams

How would you describe your company
in one sentence?

For more than 60 years Shelby Williams has
partnered with many of the best and most
creative clients in the Hospitality Industry to
design the broadest range of high quality seating
and tables available from a single source.

How does your company look today
compared to 5 years ago?

The foundation of our business is our
commitment to develop reliable partnerships
with our clients and we know this will
never change. However, on top of this sturdy
foundation, we have made substantial changes
to three important aspects of our business in the
last five years.
The most recent change relates to our
marketing strategy. Our industry has shifted
from a paper and binder community to one
that uses digital technology to find inspiration,
research products, source new materials, and
share creative ideas. Shelbywilliams.com offers
a vast library of 3D assets, powerful search and
sort capabilities, multiple views of products, and
the ultimate ease of ordering samples directly
online. This new site allows us to communicate
with our clients effectively, efficiently, and
quickly. It works just as well on phones, tablets,
and other mobile platforms.
Another change worth mentioning is that
five years ago most of our wood seating was
sourced in raw component parts from all corners
of the globe. Today, the vast majority of our wood
chair components are made to order right here
in the USA, allowing us to offer better response
times, easier customization, and a very reliable,
durable product.
Thirdly, we have greatly expanded the range
of innovative new surface materials, table base
designs, and power capabilities, which enable
us to manufacture a virtually limitless array of
tables to suit any occasion.

What differentiates your company from
your competitors and the marketplace?

Experience, reliable partnerships, and
uncompromising quality. Many of the
innovations that people today take for granted
stemmed from the research and development
efforts of our Company. For example, the
commercial stacking chair was created by a
division of Shelby Williams, including patents on

008

March/April 2015 hospitalitydesign.com

the action back mechanism, stacking bars, and
the integrated ganging device. This tireless spirit
of innovation creates interesting new products
and achieves the right solution for our clients.
In today's world furniture can be sourced
anywhere and there is no bottom to price.
However, common sense and experience tell
us that you cannot pay a little and get a lot. Our
approach has always been to build a great looking
product using quality components, and give the
customer the best value in the industry.

What is your philosophy on custom?

We believe that furniture is one of the most
important ways that an owner can communicate
their core values and create a lasting first
impression. How a place "looks and feels" in
the Hospitality industry has a real impact on its
success. Our wood chairs, metal chairs, booths,
and tables may be customized for any project and
the minimum requirements are quite low.

What else should we know about your
company?

There are very few vendors that offer a complete
package from one source. We produce our booths,
wood and banquet seating, as well as tables, at our
plant in Newport TN. This offers many benefits
related to project management, finish matching,
logistics costs, and coordination that few can
match.

Where does your company stand on
sustainability?

We avoid the 'green washing' label games and
instead take a common sense approach to true
sustainability by considering these three things;
the quality and durability of the furniture
we produce, the environmental impact of
our operation, and our relationship with our
employees and the communities we serve. We
believe these things are inextricably interwoven.
We are located in an area of TN that is
economically challenged but where our workers
earn good wages and have outstanding benefits.
More than 80% of our raw materials are sourced
within 500 miles of Newport, TN. We produce
very little waste and many of our materials
are recyclable. For example our table bases are
manufactured from recycled car parts and over
the last 40 years we have recycled 150,000 tons of
car parts, which is the same as removing 100,000
midsized automobiles from the landfill.
http://www.Shelbywilliams.com http://www.Shelbywilliams.com http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - March/April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - March/April 2015
