Groovystuff co-founders Jeff Singleton and Chris Bruning announced this week that Singleton will leave the company at the end of March to pursue interests outside the home furnishings industry.
The two men met as freshmen at Texas A&M University and began a lifelong friendship. After completing a degree in petroleum engineering, Singleton went on to earn an MBA from the University of Texas. He pursued a career as a trader in the oil and gas industry. Bruning completed his engineering degree and began his career in electrical distribution.
“We both gave back to corporate America the five years it took us to complete our degrees, but, in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. We crossed paths again in Thailand in 1994,” Bruning recalls.
The two launched Groovystuff in 1998 as an import business bringing in hand-crafted items from Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal. However, their focus changed overnight when Bruning discovered a field of dismantled antique farm carts, wagons and farm implements made from teakwood. They began shipping these reclaimed materials back to Dallas and fashioning them into unique home furnishings.
Today the company is known throughout the home furnishings industry for its leadership in sustainable business practices, innovative product design and a commitment to drawing fresh, young design talent to the industry. In October the company sponsored a design contest in partnership with Appalachian State University, and a second contest is planned with Auburn University this spring.
“It’s been an amazing 18-year journey; a chapter well written and well read,” says Singleton. “I am grateful to the individuals throughout the home furnishings industry who took us under their wings and taught us to fly. Now it’s time for me to write a new chapter.”
Bruning credits Singleton’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing with helping the company find its unique niche in the marketplace. “Jeff’s energy and passion helped sustain the company through this tough economy. He has a pure heart and, beyond having been my trusted business partner for the last 13 years, he is one of the most honorable people I have ever met,” says Bruning.
Groovystuff designs, produces, and distributes unique reclaimed teakwood home furnishings at upper-medium and high-end price points. Based in Dallas, it has permanent showrooms in High Point, NC (The Suites at Market Square, G-1028), Las Vegas (World Market Center, B-146), and once a year at the International Casual Furniture Market in Chicago, IL (The Merchandise Mart, No. 8-9036A). For more information, visit www.groovystuff.com.