Dixon Mitchell Tapped as President & COO of Fairfield Chair Co.

Furniture World News Desk on 10/4/2017

Fairfield Chair Co., a U.S. manufacturer of fine upholstered seating for the home, office, and hospitality industries recently announced the appointment of Dixon Mitchell as President and COO. Mitchell will assume the role effective October 9, 2017.

He was most recently the President of Resource Décor in Hickory, North Carolina, and previously worked as Senior Vice President at Sherrill Furniture, also in Hickory, North Carolina. During his time at Resource Décor he was responsible for sales, marketing, finance, credit functions and business development.
While at Sherill, Mitchell directed sales, marketing and merchandising, also serving as general manager for four divisions of the company. Prior to that, Mitchell served as President of Vanguard Furniture.

During his tenure with Vanguard he was responsible for sales, distribution, merchandising, marketing and operations. He also served as national sales manager for Baker Furniture. Industry executives know him to be decisive and deliberate while still being a team player and nurturing a culture of quality.

Mitchell possesses a solid understanding of the manufacturing process and the financial experience to read balance sheets and financial reports. Having managed P&L responsibility for Hickory White, Lillian August, MotionCraft and CTH Occasional, his direct and results-driven approach has him keeping a daily eye on numbers and tracking the company’s key indicators. As President and COO Mitchell will direct all facets of the nearly century year old company – including innovation & technology, strategic initiatives and a revamped sales & marketing approach, while at the same time further cultivate and grow customer relationships in keeping with the tradition of excellence associated with Fairfield Chair Co.

"I am excited to work with the Fairfield Chair Company team as the next President and COO. By honoring Fairfield's history of valuing its people, we will continue the company’s heritage of high quality products, innovative design solutions and development of talented sales and manufacturing professionals," says Mitchell. "As a native son to the local furniture manufacturing industry, I recognize and value the importance of retaining the manufacturing of our furniture in Lenoir, NC. I look forward to working with everyone connected with Fairfield Chair Company during this exciting and transformative next chapter."

Known in the industry for excelling in customer relationships and having tremendous leadership skills, Mitchell is also known for being a team player. Just as comfortable on the factory floor as he is in the board room, Mitchell is widely respected for his ability to listen to, learn from and inspire others to foresee trends before they hit the marketplace. “Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding furniture manufacturing companies,” he says. “With each I have strategically worked to develop diversified channels of market share from residential, interior design, contract and hospitality. Each channel requires a diverse range of core products. I have most enjoyed working alongside many of the top design and specifying firms to create custom-made casegoods and upholstery that service the hospitality, hotel and contract segment of the industry. I have a passion for seeing the project evolve from the initial concept to installation phase.”

“Mitchell has the full support of the Board of Directors of Fairfield Chair Company,” says John Beall, Chairman of the Board. “We know him to be a talented and seasoned industry expert with a reputation for strengths in customer and employee relationships in addition to a strong understanding of lean manufacturing initiatives,” he continues. “Mitchell was the unanimous choice of the Board due to the many factors we were searching for in order to move the company forward. The Board and I enthusiastically welcome him as the new leader. We are confident in his abilities and excited for the future of Fairfield Chair.”

More about Fairfield Chair Company: Established in 1921, for nearly a century Fairfield Chair Company has combined masterful craftsmanship with fashion-forward design of fine furnishings for the home, office, and hospitality industries. A family of craftspeople, Fairfield Chair Company cares about the community, the environment and the customer. This philosophy is the fabric of the company and is woven into all facets. Fairfield Chair Company distributes products to customers throughout the United States and internationally. Quality control throughout the process, masterful craftsmanship and precise tailoring results in upholstered furnishings that set the bar for value and excellence in the industry. For more information, visit www.fairfieldchair.com.