Industry Faces: Bolting to the top

Jackson leads Bolton, Vermont Precision through changing times

Tanya K. Merritte -- Kids Today, 10/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Who: Geoffrey Jackson, president, Bolton Furniture/Vermont Precision Woodworks

Background: Jackson, a trained CPA, fell into the home furnishings industry almost by chance 20 years ago. With no background in the business, he helped take over a struggling Vermont Precision Woodworks, whose main business at the time was making parts for musical instruments. Jackson saw potential in the company’s very secondary business — domestic furniture-making — and helped it grow until the late 1990s, when it became Vermont Precision’s sole business.

The company’s initial collections focused on youth with a few master groups added later on. Vermont Precision specializes in high-end bedroom groups with classic designs and a lot of customization options, including choice of wood, such as cherry, ash and walnut, along with 10 finishes and painted colors. Such choices come with a higher price tag, with twin beds starting around $799.

The Bennington bed is shown in a junior loft configuration along with pieces from the Essex Collection, all in a honey finish.

In 2000, Jackson and his team, which includes sales manager Ted Weber, noticed a drop-off in domestic sales. They looked into importing from China, sampling a few bunk beds at first, Jackson said. They continued to grow the line, adding more collections and finish options and in 2005, they branded the lower-priced division Bolton Furniture.

In 2008, the decision was made to cut back substantially on the Vermont Precision division. The company is still in business, but with a much leaner staff, Jackson said. Youth currently accounts for about half of that division’s sales. He said 95% of his focus is now on Bolton. “The Bolton line has grown substantially,” he said, noting sales were between $5 million and $10 million last year.

Bolton’s product line is exclusively youth, although Jackson said they have recently added a queen-size bed for either the kids market or as an option for second bedroom. Bolton and Vermont Precision have permanent showrooms at the High Point and Las Vegas markets and also showed at the All Baby and Child educational conference in May.

The Process: Jackson said new ideas are usually gathered through surveys and discussions with sales representatives and dealers. Jackson said he and Weber then discuss what came out of those discussions and develop designs and ideas that they bounce back and forth to dealers before a final decision is made.

“We determine the best way to integrate these ideas into our current lineup of products and, if possible, adjust our current products to help bring consistency to the offerings,” Jackson said. He added that while they aim to create aesthetically-pleasing products, functionality and storage are of top importance.

Some of the recent ideas added to the Bolton line include a new espresso finish with nickel hardware, a combination that offers a more contemporary look. Dealers also requested a junior loft. Jackson said they were able to create that configuration by using six beds already in the Bolton line. Bolton also is offering a whimsical fabric tent add-on. Jackson said that after manufacturer Flexa, which was known for its colorful fabric options, changed its business model and pulled out of the market, it left an opening and it was something many dealers were interested in.

Jackson said each division is unique. With Vermont Precision, the flexibility of design options as well as color and wood species combinations make it stand out. With Bolton, he credits its stock status, finishes, style options and value — the retail price for twin beds start around $299. Jackson said he sells mainly to full-line furniture stores that have strong youth departments and kids specialty stores. He said Bolton tends to appeal to buyers who like a broad selection, but don’t want to fill their warehouse.

“I believe that many dealers that tried importing this category may be more successful if they purchased from a source that carries this inventory for them,” he said. “We can spread our projections over hundreds of dealers vs. a single store or small chain.”

The challenges: “I believe that our largest obstacle is developing new products that are going to be 'eye-popping’ and must-have for dealers and consumers,” Jackson said about the Bolton line. As a result, he said they are always evaluating their product line. The company has managed to buck the economy, though, because sales are up for 2009. Jackson credits that to the positive response to the recent introductions, price points and customer service, which includes sending out weekly reports on stock status, including what’s in transit and what’s currently in the warehouse.

While Jackson said he has no plans to eliminate Vermont Precision, he said the domestic division is clearly targeting a very small, niche market. However, he expects Bolton’s success to continue into 2010 as the economy shows signs of improving. “This is where our growth is going.”