EDMARKET MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Name: Greg Moore
Company: Mooreco
Title: CEO,
President and Co-Owner
Years in the
education business: 29
When was your company
founded and how (brief history)?
My mother, Lorraine Moore, a past president of EDmarket,
founded our furniture division (previously called Balt) in 1985. She purchased
BestRite, which was originally a division of American Desk in the 1950s. In
1990, we incorporated Vanerum into our Mooreco umbrella that today includes
Mooreco essentials, Mooreco contract, and Vanerum North America.
How did you get
started in the educational products business?
My mother began her work at Royal Seating, and she used
me as a model for a new children’s chair, the Royal Prema chair, when I was 5.
Sadly, I was not compensated for my work as a child model, despite the
embarrassing sailor suit. Later I worked on the shop floor in production and
shipping, earning my stripes of respect so to speak, and learning the business
from the ground up. It was an invaluable educational experience.
I have been involved with the company “officially” since
1990 when I joined Bestrite after college. However, having grown up in the
business, it has felt as if I have lived my whole life time within the
educational industry. My mother brought her work home with her as literally her
best friends were from the industry, so I grew up in education.
What makes your company
unique?
While I am proud of many things that make up our company
successful, I am proudest of our ability to continue the innovative culture
that my mother founded the company upon years ago.
What do you like
best about the educational products industry?
I have always loved the people in our industry, first and foremost.
However, what I love intrinsically about what we do is we service children. We
have an ability in our industry to impact the lives of children across America
through educational environments. Having struggled in a non-progressive school
setting myself as a student, makes our mission in this industry very personal
for me.
What are you
most proud of?
In terms of the association, I am incredibly proud to have been
part of the group of industry leaders who created the EDspaces event as it
exists today. There were a handful of us
who really pressed for this event to change into what it is today, many of them
friends of mine. While it ranks as a prime time event in its current form, there
was a time where making this show what it is today was considered a high-risk
investment.
As far as my career, I am most proud of providing a very
profitable exit to my family from the family business, and then years later
buying out my private equity partners. The ending of this story has yet to be
written and I still have a tremendous amount of work to do before all is said
and done.
How had EDmarket
helped your business?
My career in this industry would not be what it has been
without EDmarket. You can’t do business in education
without knowing all of the right people, and you can’t know all of the right
people unless you area member of the EDmarket association. Our association
has always been the venue for maximizing potential in the educational market
place. When it comes to EDspaces and environments there is no equal to what
EDmarket can deliver.
What changes are
you witnessing in the educational marketplace?
If you are a champion of change, these are the most
exciting times we have ever experienced in the educational industry. Technology
began this change, with the curriculum, products, and delivery methods used in
schools requiring a different teaching approach. On top of this, a greater
understanding of psychology around how humans learn differently as individuals
is quickly changing the environments, tools, and furniture used to best achieve
optional results in preparing children for their future careers. At the same time,
we have seen schools shift from low cost procurement to quality, sensitive,
better- built product, incorporating goal achievement in terms of student
success allowing for more innovation in furniture focused on solution-driven
environments.
How has your
company adapted?
Mooreco is a company founded on innovation and embracing
change. If you were to look at Mooreco from three years ago and then fast
forward to today, we look nothing like we did then, and we will continue to
remake ourselves going forward based upon our vision of the future. Change has
always equaled opportunity at Mooreco. We are a very different company than the
one my mother built, but the basics of our culture — have fun, make it
personal, focus on the customer, and innovate for the future — still work, they
just look very different than they did 20 years ago. One of the greatest
compliments I receive from customers today who knew us in the past is “this
sure is different business than your mother’s company.”
What one piece of
advice would you give others in our industry?
Ship orders on time, under promise, and over
deliver. It sounds very simple but is
easier said than done in an industry that requires 70 percent of its shipment
revenue for the year over a 4-month time period. Besides that, follow the
golden rules; Momma was right about all of them.
What are your top goals
to accomplish as Chair of the Board?
1. Strengthen the balance sheet by eliminating
distractions and focusing on our core. When my year as Chair ends, I hope to
leave the balance sheet stronger than it is today.
2. Continue improvement on our best product, the EDspaces
show, and leave it even stronger than it is today with constant expansion of
exhibitors and attendees.
3. Remain true to our mission of member participation in
our leadership group. EDmarket has survived numerous years of upheaval in
distribution only by the graces of leadership pushing us to change who we are.
We do not exist today without our member leaders.
How can the membership
assist you in reaching these goals?
I have worked on almost every committee that I could
serve on over my last 30 years in our industry. In a year from now my time will
be up. How can the membership help? Step up and volunteer!
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