Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams: The Artisans Of Comfort
Established in 1989 in the town of Taylorsville, NC, by chairman Mitchell Gold & design president Bob Williams, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams a renowned home furnishings company offers eco-friendly, US-made upholstery plus tables, storage, lighting & more, available in a growing chain of Signature Stores, online & in national fine home shops.
It operates a state-of-the-art production and distribution center covering approximately one million square feet that serves the expanding grocery, wholesale, office, and contract/hospitality sectors of the company.
This gem of a business has expanded from its home in Taylorsville, North Carolina, to a workforce of over 700 people with stores both in the US and overseas.
In North Carolina, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams has developed itself as a fantastic place to work, and it is number 3 on Zippias Taylorsville, NC list of Best Companies to Work with.
MG+BW is on a mission to make the world a more comfortable place for everyone. With this in mind, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams advocates for democracy and civil rights a wide variety of humanitarian activities are proactively sponsored.
Since 2014, the business has been backed by the Stephens Group, a family-owned investment fund based in Little Rock, AR. The Stephens Group uses its permanent funding base and vast resources to help private businesses in search of their long-term plans with convincing growth prospects.
In Furniture World Gold’s Got Midas Touch
Remember the leather club chairs and slipcover sofas in the television series “Friends” and “Ally McBeal”? How about the furniture you’ve seen in Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Crate and Barrel?
You may not recognize the company by name, but you must know the look of the Mitchell Gold Co.
The dream started 16 years ago with two creative guys who thought they could design better furniture by making their own rules. So Mitchell Gold, a former Bloomingdale’s furniture buyer, and Bob Williams, a former art director for Seventeen magazine, started a company that turned the stodgy furniture business upside down. They created their own “Gold Standard” with comfortable, stylish and affordable furniture.
The company’s latest gig is 10 franchised showrooms that carry only Mitchell Gold upholstery and display the Gold “look” with white floors and clean, crisp presentation. Some of the cities with franchises include Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Boston, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle.
Here’s what they had to say about their company and the future of the furniture business.
Gold says . . .
Q. You always give your furniture people names. I noticed you had a piece named “Charlene.” I was flattered until I realized it was spelled differently. How do you get the names?
Q. Most famous use of your furniture that made you smile?
Q. Your ads have a reputation for being cutting edge. The sexy men with chests exposed appeal to both men and women. What are you trying to do?
Are Pottery Barn Sofas Worth The Money
Q: My husband and I were curious if anyone had any recommendations to something like this sofa. We have been married for 6 years and are currently on our 2nd sofa, looking for a 3rd. The first was a hand-me down, over 15 years old before pieces inside actually broke completely and we literally were sitting on broken pieces of wood.
We decided on an Ikea Kivik sofa last year, and already weve realized we made a HUGE mistake. Weve had to reinforce the boards inside after my husband tried to put the slipcover on by himself and broke the back piece from the seat. Its very uncomfortable, and we are looking to upgrade already. We dont mind spending this much on a sofa, if its a good investment. We dont have a huge budget, and were are pretty frugal. Ive read some pretty awful reviews online that often state Pottery Barn furniture is not worth the money. We have 2 kitties that do not scratch furniture , and 2 little kids, ages 2 and 4.
I ramble , so I guess essentially my question is this: Are Pottery Barn sofas worth the money? If not any other decent recommendations?
Please note, we live in Central KY, so most of the more modern stores are quite a ways away. So anything from West Elm, CB2, Room and Board are pretty much out of the question. I do have access to 2 local stores that will do their best to get in whats requested, like Rowe furniture.
Sent by Jessica
Recommended Reading: Permanent Gold Teeth St Louis
Lesson #: Employees Engage With Employers And Brands When Theyre Treated As Humans
Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams want everyone in this company to feel they have equal opportunity. They want everyone to know that at work theres no such thing as discrimination. Everyone is a family business in the sense that they all care about each other. More than 20 years ago, they told their new head of human resources they wanted him to be an advocate for his employees, not a person they feared. People should know they can come and talk to his team.
Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams believed that the open and inclusive culture in the workplace will encourage the employees to contribute ideas and take risks. We think its really important for people to feel comfortable failing, Mitchell said. Work is a social activity and that takes trust. People should be able to know their voice and ideas matter themselves, and feel free to speak their minds. Additionally, without a culture that breeds trust and a diversity of ideas, people arent going to feel safe trying something even if it doesnt work. It is true that the success was built on by learning from failure.
How To Tap The Brand
As for the Mitchell Gold Co. brand, its a work in progress. The company certainly doesnt rank as one of the biggest furniture manufacturers. And customers at Pottery Barn and many of the other retailers that sell Mitchell Gold furniture have to work pretty hard to find out who manufactured the sofas in those stores, because the retailers dont go out of their way to tell people that they dont make the merchandise themselves. And the Mitchell Gold Co. has no retail stores of its own.
The campaign pushed the envelope. One ad, which a couple of publications banned from their pages, pictured a couple enjoying coffee on a couch, basking in the afterglow of what was presumably a night of wild sex. Another ad depicted two great-looking young men on a sofa flanking a ringlet-haired child seated in a kid-sized club chair. Were the men gay? Were they dads? Had they adopted the little girl? It wasnt clear, because the ad copy had only one sentence: A kid deserves to feel at home.
Many readers who liked the specific pieces in the ads did call to request more information. Others wrote in to applaud the company for promoting gay adoption or to say hi to Lulu, Gold and Williamss bulldog, who appears in some of the ads. But its questionable whether people who arent in the market for furniture at the moment that an ad appears will remember the companys name when they go shopping for a couch four years down the road.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Free Golden Eagles In War Thunder
Based On Your Current Selections
- Overall Height
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL BEDDING:MG+BW Comfort Club members enjoy free delivery on all bed linens in stores and online. Members must be logged in to receive free shipping on products included in the offer. Offer cannot be applied to previous purchases and is subject to change at any time. Additional exclusions may apply. Offer not valid at our Outlet locations. Free shipping only applies to US deliveries made within the contiguous 48 states.
PURCHASE NOW, PAY LATERMG+BW Comfort Club members enjoy 24 months 0% financing on MG+BW credit card purchases in store and online on purchases of $3000 or more. Non-members enjoy 12 months, 0% financing on purchases made with their MG+BW credit card, in stores and online. Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. We reserve the right to discontinue or alter the terms of this offer any time. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99% Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Offer not valid at our Outlet locations.
Special Promotions
FREE IN-HOME WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY
Atlanta Company Shakes Uphidebound Furniture World
MitchellGold
ATLANTA — At the Lenox Mall in this city’s swanky Buckhead section, theCrate & Barrel store is showing a plump sofa slip — covered in rumpleddenim. A few doors down the concourse, its near-replica is on display atthe Pottery Barn. And nearby at the Restoration Hardware outlet? Anotherlook-alike denim couch.
These three merchants have become some of the nation’s fastest-growingfurniture retailers by selling sofas the way the Gap sells jeans. They haveflooded malls with cookie-cutter couches and leather club chairs that arebasic, comfortable and stand up to wear. And if there’s a certain samenessabout their merchandise, that’s because much of it comes from the samesource: Mitchell Gold Co., an aggressive maverick that is shaking up thesleepy furniture business.
Don’t Miss: Where To Sell Gold Rdr2
Lesson #: The Way For Staying On Top Of Things
MG+BW dont use focus group. Their target group is themselves, in their own homes, and what they want to live for. Yet theyre digging at whats going on in pop culture. Such are the main barometers: film, fashion, music, tv. Any material is really out there and progressive. There is stuff that are more mainstream, a little bit. And they try to find the sweet spot for the two of them.
On the one hand, contemporary designs and the use of unusual upholstery fabrics have propelled the business. When we started out, we noticed that a lot of people were wearing prewashed jeans, Bob Williams recalls. So we started applying that philosophy to our upholstery: We look at what fabric people are wearing and put it on furniture.
Working well with retailers such as Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn is another key to growth. The trick, says Bob Williams, is to build product lines which, while catering to the design of each store, stay true to the Mitchell Gold philosophy. The dramatic club chair look is favored by Renovation Hardware, for example, while Pottery Barn prefers relaxed couches. Most of the time, I just come up with ideas, then figure out which customer would groove on that idea the most, Bob says.
Sidebar: Sold On The Future
Thanks to the on-site café inside their two-year-old factory, Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams have access to plenty of comfort food. But the debt that they took on to build the place left them with some indigestion. Business was great, but we were leveraged up to our eyeballs, says Gold. We had personal guarantees on everything. Seeking some measure of financial security, the pair decided to sell the company in 1998. But rather than bringing in a bunch of investment bankers, Gold and Williams shopped for a buyer the way that their customers shop for furniture. They had one criterion: a perfect fit. When they found it in the Rowe Companies, they called the companys CEO to negotiate.
The phone rings one day, and its Mitchell on the other end, says Rowe CEO Gerald Birnbach, 67, who still sounds surprised that his company somehow ended up as the parent of the Mitchell Gold Co. It was ironic, because we were trying hard to grow at the time and had bought the Storehouse chain. Of course, Mitchell Gold was a company that people respected, and quite frankly, there werent a lot of other names that came up. When the phone call came, it was almost as if it was fate.
You May Like: Where Do I Sell Valuables In Rdr2
Mitchell Gold And Tim Scofield
- Read in app
WHEN Mitchell Gold, now 59, arrived in Manhattan in 1974, he was young, fresh out of college and closeted, he recalled. He took a job selling pillows at Bloomingdales, and remembered going out with women and usually finding that the waiter was more interesting, or her brother.
He eventually began dating men and fell in love with Bob Williams. In 1989, they created the furniture company in Taylorsville, N.C., now known as Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, whose logo looks like something two lovers would carve in a tree.
The company makes couches and armchairs that are hip in an everyman way. Its Web site reads like a friendly blog, with the two founders writing about the importance of giving back to their communities, staying curious and avoiding mean people.
In time, Mr. Gold and Mr. Williams became so well known that their portrait began appearing on the walls of Pottery Barn, which sells their furniture. It was at a store in Chevy Chase, Md., that Tim Scofield first saw Mr. Golds photo. Mr. Scofield, now 33, was working there while studying for a degree in American history at the University of Maryland.
He recalled how he used to stare at the picture and admire Mr. Golds cool half-smile and the faded blue jeans that made him look more like a teenager than an executive.
Mr. Scofield was awestruck. I was too shy to look into his eyes, he recalled.
From now on, they will be known as Mr. Gold and Mr. Gold, or the Golds.
Mitchell Gold And Bob Williams Broke Up Years Ago But Their Home
Conventional is not a word youd associate with Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, either as it applies to their shared business or their personal lives. From 1988 to 2002, the two were a couple in Taylorsville, North Carolina, working to grow the Mitchell Gold home-furnishing companywith Gold in control of the marketing and Williams in control of the creative designs. In 2002, their relationship as a couple ended, though their business partnership continued. Three years after they split, the company known as Mitchell Gold became Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Why? Because Gold, 60, thought it would be good karma to finally recognize the contributions of his ex-partner with a dual masthead. Usually people are trying to erase the name of an ex from their lives, not put it up on a marquee next to their own. The dynamic between Gold and Williams, 49, is definitely unconventional, but they have always had an eye towards creating good karma and their commitment to social awareness and environmental protection helps explain the long-term success of a residential and commercial furniture manufacturer with nearly $100 million in yearly sales.
Consequently they found a foam manufacturer that does not create CFCs. They also committed the company to using wood that grows back quickly and to using recyclable packaging on all their furniture.
Even when their relationship as a couple ended in 2002, Gold and Williams continued to see eye-to-eye on business matters.
Don’t Miss: 1/10 Ounce To Grams
Here Are Some Real Negative Reviews From Mgbw Customers
Before visiting the store, Id found a sofa online that Id been wanting for a few mos. I initially called & was told it was sold out. The woman I spoke with told me to hold while she checked other stores & never came back so I hung up. I called back & she said shed look out for it over the next few mos & call me if it was back in the store. Then she said but in honesty, Ill probably forget so you should just call back anyway.
We had two Mitchell Gold Alexa sofas which were slipcovered, detached pillow sofas. They were our shortest-lived sofas. The pillows slouched very quickly and I was forever trying to fluff them back into shape. The quality was no better than our Pottery Barn sofas, and I was convinced that they were the same manufacturer, but more expensive.
Product Information Fabrics & Construction
ARE ALL MEASUREMENTS EXACT?
Handmade upholstery involves the contributions of many skilled individuals, who manually cut, sew, and upholster each upholstered product. Given the unavoidable variations in the materials selected and the nature of human craftsmanship, there will be minimal, but measurable, differences in the actual measurements of each upholstered product created for you from those stated on our website. In other words, the stated dimensions and other specifications included on our website for each individual product are our standard measurements, and each handmade piece will vary slightly from those standard measurements. We also round the upholstered product measurements included on our website up to the nearest one inch .
For shipping or other purposes, please contact our Consumer Inquiry Department at for the most up to date and accurate information regarding product dimensions and other specifications.
You May Like: Does Kay Jewelers Sell Real Gold
Haywood Left Chaise Loveseat Sectional
- Available in fabric or leather
- Choice of Signature Serene⢠Foam Blend, Eco-Luxe Foam, or Eco Down Blend Seat Cushions
- Clean-lined design, upholstered to the floor with minimal 1â tall feet
- Exclusive new construction features ultra-comfortable down alternative back cushions
- Features sturdy woven webbed suspension seat and high-durability sheet webbing back
- Kiln-dried, sustainably sourced hardwood frame, and double doweled joints
- Sectional includes a left arm chaise and a right arm loveseat
- Proudly crafted by hand in North Carolina
Our Premium Home Delivery Service
Our premium contracted service professionals will carefully unpack, inspect and assemble your purchase in the room of your choice. All packaging materials will be removed for your convenience. As your item nears completion, you will be contacted by our Customer Care team to schedule delivery.
Preparing for Delivery
Review the path your furniture will take through your home, noting any obstacles. Note low hanging lighting, loose rugs, etc.
Carefully clear potential safety hazards out of the delivery path.
If you are accepting delivery in the winter, please make sure the path into your home is free of ice.
When your items arrive, please let our service professionals know of any hazards so they can perform the delivery safely.
