Ten years ago, Diana and I were running a marathon every single day. FCG, our two-year-old business, was demanding lots of time and energy. Our two boys, ages four and seven, were thriving and active. We'd just moved into a new house when we learned we were going to get even busier. Diana was pregnant.
Back then, we were managing our business with a scrawny team of five. Every day was a scramble. We had a couple of part-time saleswomen and a full-time mover to help me pick up and deliver furniture. But with two rambunctious boys at home and a baby on the way, we suddenly realized the obvious. We needed help.
That's precisely when a resume, crisply professional, landed on my desk. It described a man with broad talent and deep experience in the furniture business. I called him immediately. He agreed to an interview the next day.
In person, Ron Cates was warm, engaging and enthusiastic about helping us build something special at FCG. I dug deep in that interview to see if this man would be right for the job. Diana – and all my instincts – told me he'd be perfect.
He was, and he still is.
This weekend, we celebrate Ron's ten-year anniversary with FCG. When he started in 2007, there were only a handful of us and one store. Now, we have three stores, 25 full- and part-time staffers, and thousands of loyal customers. None of this would have been possible without Ron.
Ron's can-do spirit is endless. He has sold more furniture to more people than anyone in the company. Customers ask for him by name every day. He has visited customers' homes for design consultations, for furniture deliveries, for drinks and dinner.
Through his hard work and talent, he has changed lives, especially ours. Diana and I hadn't take a vacation in years until we hired Ron. Handing him the keys to the store, we knew that our business was in good hands and that we could relax.
Ten years after that first meeting, Ron is still doing what he does best with inimitable style. These days, he is working in our store in Natick, using his keen merchandising skills to create exciting displays and helping our customers create the homes of their dreams. That's why this weekend we are celebrating a man who represents the very best of FCG.
