Bob Williams
Mitchell Gold
Mitchell Gold, co-founder and chair-man of
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Mitchell Gold, co-founder and chair-man of Mitchell Gold + Bob
Williams is a different kind of man running a very different kind
of business. In every aspect of his personal and business life,
Mitchell strives to make a difference.
Besides running a $100 million company, Mitchell is a founder
and significant benefactor of Faith in America—a non-profit organization
dedicated to educating people about religion-based bigotry and how it
is being used to justify discrimination against GLBT people
(www.faithinamerica.com). In fact, Mitchell was just named one
of Advocate Magazine's 2006 "People of the Year" for his work
with Faith in America. He was also a member of the Board of
Directors of the Washington, DC-based Human Rights Campaign,
an advocacy group for gay rights for seven years. In addition,
Mitchell was very active in the 2004 Presidential campaign as a
NC delegate to the Democratic Party, a personal friend and advisor
to the Kerry/Edwards ticket, and a fundraiser who raised over a
million dollars on behalf of the Democratic Party.
Everyone who knows Mitchell knows he wears his personal beliefs
on his chest. They also know he runs the business with the same
level of passion and commitment he brings to his work on behalf
of civil liberties and increasing acceptance around the world.
The Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams company has enjoyed
meteoric growth fueled largely by Mitchell's energy and
influence on everything from product and design to marketing,
promotion, and, most emphatically, a truly unique approach to
managing the enterprise. Above all else, Mitchell has been
consistent in his defiance of conventional wisdom.
In a deeply conservative industry based in the
"Buckle of The Bible Belt," Mitchell and Bob have innovated
at every turn. The company based its manufacturing 18
years ago in rural North Carolina and it remains there
today. The company's gutsy ad campaigns frequently
depict same sex couples, "alternative" families and
sexy models. Eyebrows have raised, jaws have dropped,
but sales have gone straight up year after year.
When other businesses were focused on driving down labor
costs throughout the ‘90s, Mitchell and Bob were investing
in people through an on-site day care center (the first in
the residential furniture industry), a trained corporate
chef managing a health-conscious, gourmet cafe at the company's
headquarters, a concierge service for employees, annual
health fairs, scholarship programs for children of employees,
increased hiring and more production space.
After equipping national retailers like Crate & Barrel,
Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Williams Sonoma Home
with stylish leather and upholstered furniture that anchors
living rooms across America, individual retailers have opened
a growing number of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams branded
"Signature Stores" throughout the world in cities such as
Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, and Mexico
City with others scheduled to open in Miami, Houston, and
Puerto Rico, all dedicated exclusively to showcasing the
company's comfortable, stylish and value-conscious collections
of upholstery, casegoods, lighting, accessories, rugs and
even a Fine Art Photography Collection by Tipper Gore.
Where did Mitchell's drive for success and willingness
to break rules come from? He grew up in a conventional
Trenton, NJ home, attended Long Island University, graduating
in 1974. A six-year stint with Bloomingdales followed by
managing The Lane Co's national accounts and in-store gallery
division gave Mitchell the two things needed most to
succeed: experience in the business and the vision to see
what needed to be changed.
He teamed up with Bob Williams, then the promotions
art director with Seventeen magazine. Together, they
started the company in Taylorsville, NC, in 1989. Riding
the combination of Bob's design talent and Mitchell's savvy
business skills and connections, an industry force was born.
Today, Mitchell is the co-founder and chair-man of a
renowned company with 700+ employees that operates out of
600,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space.
With over $100 million in sales, products sold through
America's most popular retailers and catalogs, branded
retail stores from coast to coast, a first book to be
released in March '07 entitled "Let's Get Comfortable,"
along with media exposure in publications like Time, Fast
Company, Inc., The Wall Street Journal and virtually every
shelter publication of note, Mitchell, and his company have
the very real expectation of redefining what a great brand
really is by being a different type of brand…one with meaning
and depth.
Bob Williams
Bob Williams, co-founder and President of Design for
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
As co-founder and President of Design for Mitchell Gold + Bob
Williams, Bob has worked alongside Mitchell since 1989. Partners
in their trend-setting home-furnishings company, they view their
strong synergy in all areas, from design to marketing to operations,
as key to their success. So you'd think, after so many years,
nothing could surprise Bob when it comes to Mitchell...
However, in April 2005, Mitchell did something that
did: He changed the company name from Mitchell Gold to
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams to reflect Bob's vast
contributions. Bob has led the award-winning design
efforts — a combination of style, value, and quality
that has made the firm a leader in its field.
Together, Bob and Mitchell expanded their offerings
from upholstery to casegoods, lighting, accessories, rugs,
and fine art photography. They strategize on creating
product both unique and marketable, producing only items
they'd want in their own homes. Bob then directs the execution,
making pieces inviting, with "the same toasty feeling you'd
get at Grandma's as a kid." His goal is for customers to still
be in love with their pieces a decade from now.
Twice a year, Bob and Mitchell define their overall design
direction. Then Bob and team outfit the 40,000-sq.-ft. MG+BW
Showroom in High Point, NC, for the International Home Furnishings
Show. Bob gets rave reviews for his masterful mixes of color
and texture, resulting in soothing and subtle settings notable
for their comfort. To keep current on trends and consumer
behavior, Bob reads more than 30 fashion, gourmet, and shelter
publications each month. He and Mitchell also tour stores to
see shoppers in action.
One of their earliest observations transformed the
furniture industry — a look they call "Relaxed
Design." It came from noting consumer preferences for
the pre-washed broken-in cotton polos and leather bomber
jackets at J. Crew and using those materials on furniture.
MG+BW furnishings have appeared in every major shelter
and lifestyle publication, as well as on the sets of TV
shows. Bob has been recognized by magazines such as
Home, Elle Decor, Better Home & Gardens, and Metropolitan
Home — from whom MG+BW has received "Design 100" awards. Along
with Mitchell, he was one of Inc.'s "Top Entrepreneur's We
Love."
MG+BW furnishings are sold at national retailers
including Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, and
Pottery Barn, as well as top home-furnishings specialty
stores and a growing number of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Signature Stores across the country.
Bob often lends his talents to charitable causes. He has
created table settings for Elle Décor's Dining by Design,
a benefit for DIFFA, and styled rooms for The Hamptons Designer
Showhouse by House & Garden, benefiting Southampton Hospital.
Bob is an avid gardener and flea market attendee. Many
of his finds have been inspired offerings in the line and
also appear in the two houses he designed with Mitchell: Camp
Hickory, Mitchell's lakeside retreat, and their modern house in
High Point. Both houses are featured in Bob and Mitchell's first
book, Let's Get Comfortable: How to Furnish and Decorate a Welcoming
Home, published by Meredith Books in March 2007.
Born in Dallas, Bob moved often with his family during
his father's military career, living in Ohio, Indiana, Atlanta,
and Houston. He graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1985
and then worked as a promotions art director for Seventeen in New
York, where he met Mitchell. He currently lives in North Carolina.
Early in their partnership, Bob inspired Mitchell by
saying he simply wanted to create "the kind of company where
people want to come to work." Today, that $100 million company
offers a truly inspiring work environment with a childcare center,
chef-run café, gym, and time-saving concierge services
for employees.
© 2007 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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