The Presidents' Forum
April 05, 2005

Ron Coleman
President
The Hitchcock Chair Company

Speaker Biography:
In the years that Ron Coleman has been Hitchcock’s leader, he has firmly guided it past the “traditional furniture manufacturing” role toward a long-term vision and image. “Our ultimate goal is to establish the Hitchcock name as a major retail brand,” says Coleman. “And already, Hitchcock is a name that people are beginning to associate with the full range of quality interior design products, not just classic hardwood furniture.”

It’s this vision that led Coleman to promote the change to “Hitchcock Fine Home furnishings” in 1996, affirming the company’s commitment to quality design as well as quality craftsmanship. But it would be only the first step in a broader effort to establish the Hitchcock retail brand.

“Everyone who works in a Hitchcock designer showroom knows that our daily mission is to help people fulfill their dream of a beautiful home,” states Coleman. “It’s a mission that really caters to our customers’ tastes and preferences.” That mission is underscored in Hitchcock’s advertising positioning: “Furniture That Tells Your Story.” The point, according to Coleman is that Hitchcock offers such a rich array of styles and finely crafted items that customers have the freedom to pursue their personal vision of beautiful home décor.

Passionate and meticulous about every detail of Hitchcock’s inner workings, Coleman is a leader who is also a teacher: he enjoys sharing ideas with his staff and bases hiring decisions more on human potential for growth than a chest full of medals. The son of a self-made craftsman and entrepreneur (his father designed and crafted clocks as well as pool cues used by national billiard champions), Coleman still has sawdust in his veins. It has made him practical idealist who understands the realities and benefits of entrepreneurial risk-taking.

Coleman’s background includes a senior management posiiton with the accounting and financial planning giant Deloitte & Touche. Prior to this, he held a senior position with Apria Healthcare, an industry leader in home healthcare.

Right Click Here, Select "Save Target As" to download the Podcast

The download and use of these audio recordings is made available to the public at no charge. The materials may be copied and shared in their current form, but they may not be edited or altered in any way. Full ownership and all copyrights to the recordings and materials remains with The Entrepreneurship Institute.