MANLIUS — The recently appointed president of L. & J.G. Stickley, Inc. says his new seat at the furniture company is part of a transition from one leadership generation to the next. Edward Audi became the Manlius–based wood and upholstered furniture manufacturer’s president in a move announced to employees Dec. 1. He had been the […]
MANLIUS — The recently appointed president of L. & J.G. Stickley, Inc. says his new seat at the furniture company is part of a transition from one leadership generation to the next.
Edward Audi became the Manlius–based wood and upholstered furniture manufacturer’s president in a move announced to employees Dec. 1. He had been the company’s executive vice president and president of its Stickley International division.
He takes over a president’s role previously held by his mother, Aminy Audi. She will continue to be Stickley’s CEO and the chairman of its board of directors. The Audi family owns 100 percent of the company.
“It’s a planned gradual handoff from my mother to the next generation,” Edward Audi says in an interview. “Over the past five years, my mother and I have worked very closely on all major decisions at Stickley. And this is just a natural progression with additional responsibilities for me in manufacturing, product development, and human resources.”
Audi says he will also take on more strategic-planning duties. The company does not share revenue totals, but it hopes for “double-digit” percentage growth, he says.
Stickley is working on developing a contract and hospitality division focused on four-star and five-star hotel properties, along with increasing its institutional business. That follows the creation of its Campus Collection, which it started in 2011 when it furnished the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s first dormitory, Centennial Hall, in Syracuse.
Stickley is already heavily involved in custom design for hotels, according to Edward Audi. But the company isn’t ignoring its retail business, which operates as Stickley, Audi & Co. It plans to open between five and 10 new stores in the next few years.
The new stores will come in regions where Stickley already operates, he says. The company currently has 14 retail locations in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Colorado.
“The contract division represents, I would say, the biggest growth opportunity for Stickley,” Audi says. “That would not interfere with our extremely important residential business.”
Stickley is currently hiring for manufacturing positions at its 425,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at its headquarters at 1 Stickley Drive in Manlius. Audi would not disclose the exact number of open positions, but he says the company has about 1,000 employees in Central New York. It employs roughly 1,400 companywide.
The recent recession has been difficult for the entire furniture industry, Audi says. He believes conditions are slowly improving, however. And he points to the Audi family’s track record with employees since it purchased Stickley in 1974.
“What I’m most proud of is our track record of never having had any layoffs in almost 40 years,” he says. “We had to reduce hours at one point. And I want to publicly thank our employees for their patience and hard work through those difficult times.”
Edward Audi also gives credit to his mother for guiding the company through those tough years.
“She has certainly earned the right to smell the roses and enjoy some good times with book club, which is a group of friends she really enjoys being with,” he says. “She’s done a tremendous job navigating these uncertain times and bringing Stickley through this recession. I can’t ever imagine her not being involved in the business.”
Aminy Audi expressed confidence in her son in a news release.
“His deep appreciation for Stickley’s heritage and for our long-term commitment to our dealers and customers, combined with his vision, passion, and innovative spirit, will help him take the company to the next level,” she said. “During his tenure at Stickley, Edward has worked in almost every department and has become very familiar with every aspect of the business. He is well prepared for this new leadership role and has the support of everyone at Stickley.”
In addition to Manlius, Stickley also has manufacturing operations in Archdale, N.C. and Vietnam.
Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com