History

It was early in the year of 1982 …

With my wife, Miriam, and our son, Marvin, who was 6 months old. We came to this great country, not knowing any English but willing to confront any kind of adversity and at the same time achieve “The Great American Dream.”

I start at Leather Center Inc.

After searching for work for several days, I find work in this company Leather Center Inc., who was at the time emerging in their operations in the furniture, their personel at the time was small. Due to not having any knowledge of the furniture business, I was hired as a helper in various departments like carpentry, cutting leather, and upholstery, I even offered to deliver the furniture that was ready, to the clients after my regular work hours.

The tasks that were carried out in those different departments was all a newness for me, since I’ve never used or seen most of the tools used, but at the same time it was really exciting for me and it was never a challenge learning in the different departments and tasks that I was assigned to carry. I was inclined to learn more about upholstery since this represented a career or a profession. I had gained the trust of the owners of this company, Kent Boulding and Juan Leon. Due to my performance they assigned me more responsibilities, which to me represented a challenge yet at the same time an opportunity for me.

I lived and worked in a great bloom of growth of a company but with exaggerated steps, opening different stores in several cities in the United States including in Canada.

Being part of the company while it was growing, represented for me, the foundation for making furniture and developing new concepts kind of like schooling in the  art of making of fine furniture and making a business grow.

Two years later …

As a  supervisor for the upholstery department, with a personnel of 30 upholsterers all from different race, backgrounds, and cultures i.e. Africans, Filipino, Mexican, Salvadorian, American, just to mention a few.  My tasks was to complete with the goals and expectations of daily production, the good use of resources and tools available, also to train and capacitate the new employees to understand how this profession was supposed to be done in a correct way and manner.

July of 1986 …

I was promoted to the Innovation department, with Carlos Castillo, Bryan Aman, and Diana William. While I was in charge of developing new products, I had the task to set forth the proper training was given to the on the making of the new designs and follow up on the quality of those products in different departments i.e. 1) Schemes or Design. 2) Templates for leather cutting. 3) Sewing patterns. 4) Evaluation of material (leather) and wood 5) Standard Costs

This was one of my favorite and still is one of my favorite tasks. It still fascinates me because the designs can be made into infinite ways.

In this stage the company created 36 stores for example Palermo, Fantasy, Lugano, and Bresia, just to name a few, in where my designed furniture was sold.

Failure to accomplish expectations

While I was creating these new products and rolling out new ideas, I was promised that I was going to receive commissions and several benefits, it was a verbal contract though. That Friday on pay day I went to the manager of payroll and they said they had the check for me in the office, when I went in that day I was terminated from my job.  It was because I asked for my commission and benefits that same week on Tuesday that I was no longer working for Leather Center Inc.

A dream come true …

After working for other companies, my wife and I decided that we should start our own business. Miriam has a background of working with several clothing designers and she knew how to cut and sew. So we decided to join both our skills and started our company from the garage of our house. Then I went out to look and offer upholstery services to stores and businessess that sold furniture.  Pretty soon all of my clients would ask me where was my company, so after that we seemed obligated to get a proper work location that would serve as a base and workplace. We started to take the necessary steps to create VIGIL CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY in the city of Duncanville on 1414 Main. With little tools and with little income and resources, the company was oriented to do re-upholstery services only.

Dragon Phase …

Then after a time from working in our location in the city of Duncanville, one of our clients, Kelly Lofton and Mr. Terry, they asked us to work at their location on Dragon Street. This was due to them owning a store called Never Paid Retail, and also because we were in high demand from them also.  Here at the new location we had to hire new people to work in different departments: carpentry, cutting, sewing and upholstery, thus creating a complete team

The start of Furniture Your Way …

Some time passed by and Never Paid Retail changed its company name and due to the frailty of health of one of the owners they were going to close the company. Then Miriam and I saw an opportunity to purchase the companies assests and also gain what was most important, their clients. After that we started to work as a company Furniture Your Way, our company.

To do this we analyzed the situation and we saw that we had contracts pending net worth of half a million dollars. So we opted to make an offer to buy the company and we did.

Furniture Your Way and its Developments …

On October 26, 1993, the company establishes itself formally, with the experience of many years. With my knowledge of many years of creating furniture with it own unique style that still fulfills and provides quality and comfort in each and every styles of furniture created.

 

Goals and achievements completed

1. Acquire a building to work (922 Dragon Street).
2. Expand the space for the assembly plant in a new building (415 Regal Row).
3. Make our presence known in the furniture business in leading Furniture Markets, Dallas, Las Vegas, and High Point (NC).
4. Continual sales growth of the company.
5. Create unique styles with exotic materials, rustic and traditional, making this concept an actual success in the actual Market
6. Create a Professional catalogue of furniture that the company elaborates

Line of work…

The company relies on with the following lines of furniture:

Furniture made to the clients taste:

Furniture custom made and specified needs met to the clients liking. That way achieving the needs that the clients ask for and demand, we build a better rapport with them.

In this line of Furniture, Furniture Your Way has created pieces for important clients like artists and presidents.  For this line of furniture, the company relies on more than 20 years of experience of creating furniture and including the future heirs to the company. Marvin Vigil as Manager of National Sales, Elizabeth Vigil as Manager of Sales and Local Customer Service and Omar Vigil Jr. who is actually studying or capacitating himself for International Market.

The participation of Furniture Your Way in the Furniture Shows is being led by Miriam and Marvin Vigil. They count with more than 50 shows in which they have assisted.  They have developed a base to obtain projected sales net revenues.

In this line of furniture we have:

• Sectionals
• Chairs made custom
• Sofas made custom
• Bed head boards
• Tables
• Desks

My Already Designed Line of Furniture:

This is furniture that I designed, nonetheless it still has a touch of “custom made” to it.  The characteristic of each piece is unique, elaborated by hand with detailed art, upholstered by the best fabric, and with high quality leather.

Our designed furniture appears published in the best magazines in the furniture industry.

We offer these styles of furniture:

• Dining Chairs of more than 50 styles
• Club Chairs
• Sofas
• Love Seats
• Ottoman
• Barstool
• Desk
• Office Chairs
• Tables

For each piece of furniture, we use the highest quality materials that are obtained from the leading experienced furniture providers. The material we select, are obtained from assisting the furniture shows in Las Vegas, Dallas, North Carolina. Some of the materials obtained are:

• Hides, Natural Fabric and Exotics.
• Wood (Walnut, Maple, Mahogany, Poplar, etc.)
• Other materials utilized on furniture (Foam, Feathers, Nail Heads, Springs, etc.)

The summarized process of our furniture pieces are:

1. Create the structure for the different styles of furniture in wood (Frame)
2. Stain the Frames
3. Cutting and Sewing of Fabric or Leather
4. Upholstery on the furniture
5. Quality control or inspection of the finished piece
6. Packaging and Delivering of the finished piece.

During the steps of the afore-mentioned process, we strive to apply Quality that way so each piece comes out perfect.
Market and Clients of Furniture Your Way

Our prominent clients are professional designers and furniture stores. Also clients who see our pieces through magazines on a national level like Cowboys & Indians, King Ranch, and Crown’s Nest. These magazines are obtained by a large number of clients and are specialized in offering high quality furniture and art. These stores are made for wealthy clients.

The company relies on a group of Professional Sales Representatives, who give personalized customer service attending them at their stores, offering our products according to their needs.

Thank you for showing interest in Furniture your way and we look forward to being able to work with you on realizing your project or helping you increase your current sales.  we look forward to seeing you soon in Dallas or either of the two markets we attend, High Point or Las Vegas.   

Elmigieri Omar Vigil
President