To say 2021 was been a crazy year would be an understatement. But through it all, the casual industry prevailed and found new ways to increase business and get product to customers through unprecedented supply chain issues, fabric shortages and more.
For that reason, Casual News Now asked a few casual industry insiders what they’re thankful for and what they’re looking forward to in the New Year.
I’m thankful for my friends and colleagues in the Outdoor Furniture Independent Retailers Group on Facebook. Having people to talk about issues we all face on an as-needed basis is a great resource to have in these ever-changing times. If you’re a retailer interested in joining, it’s called the Outdoor Furniture Independent Retailers Group, and here’s a link https://m.facebook.com/groups/1234831843378806/ – Brad Schweig, Sunnyland Furniture
I’m thankful for the patience and grace from our retailer partners as we navigate our move to Texas, labor, and supply issues. I am looking forward to and hopeful for some stability in the market and for OW Lee to get back to a somewhat normal lead time for our customers. – Leisa McCollister, OW Lee
It has been a wild almost two years, and we have been through a rollercoaster of challenges and issues. We are thankful for the relationships we have developed with our customers and their loyalty and dedication to us through this time. We think we’ve done a good job of being a supplier, but we wouldn’t be what we are without our customers. We’re looking forward to a little more calm in 2022. Hopefully, the supply chain isssues will settle down and we can get back to focusing on growth and not just the supply chain. – Greg Thomases, Swavelle
“For myself and POLYWOOD, we have so much to be thankful for this year! We’ve been blessed with amazing customers, whose trust and loyalty have contributed to our mission of making the world a greener place, one chair at a time. And I’m so thankful for my POLYWOOD family, whose fierce commitment to excellence shines through in their work and interactions with clients every day. I couldn’t ask for a better team. Lastly, I’m grateful to be surrounded by such a supportive industry community who’s passionate about giving back.” – Megan Pierson, POLYWOOD
Three Birds Casual is very grateful and thankful for all of our industry partners who have trusted us to supply them with our products. Even though there have been some challenges this year, we have adjusted to overcome the issues and have become a stronger and better operating organization. We have been truly blessed to have such great relationships with our customers who feel almost like family to us. – Tad Varga, Three Birds Casual
Treasure Garden is extremely grateful to each and every one of our dedicated employees for working extremely hard every day to ensure our orders are processed and shipped to the best of our ability during these challenging past few years. Their dedication is unparalleled, and we appreciate each and every one of them. We’re also extremely grateful to our incredible dealers, who despite many challenges have been wonderful partners managing the curveballs the pandemic has thrown at all of us. As to what we are looking forward to for 2022: normalcy or some semblance of normalcy. We know it will not happen overnight, and it looks as though the challenges we are all facing are going to be with our industry for a while longer. But Treasure Garden always strives to be the best at what we do, and we are working hard internally both domestically and overseas to tighten up our operations and provide; to the best of our ability, just in time inventory, and service our customers at the level they expect and deserve. – Candy Chase, Treasure Garden
Two words to sum up the year: crazy ride. From lead times to special orders without knowledge of when we are going to receive product. – Doug Sanicola, Outdoor Elegance
“As we approach 2022, I am thankful for how we’ve come together as an industry to collectively face the challenges of the past year and helped people everywhere create outdoor spaces they will enjoy for years to come. I see the industry collaborating in new ways to address the needs of our customers for the long term as we look to sustain and reinforce the record demand for products that improve the home environment. It’s certainly been a challenging year, but we have learned valuable lessons and look forward to building for the future together.” – Dave Swers, president and COO of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics
