Furniture company grows from vision to reality

Real Estate Weekly, August 26, 1998

"There are hundreds of furniture dealers, and even a number of dealers that are fortunate enough to carry the Knoll line like PML," says Leonard Butterman, president of the $40 million PML. "We've decided to make the concept of high service our hallmark." Claims PML Executive Vice President Richard Mines, "We may not be the biggest furniture dealer in the City, but we've long been the best."

Such confidence rests on an enviable 15-year track record of steady growth, through repeat business (with a 98 percent client retention record), as well as new accounts. While relocation, redesign or expansion can be a company's biggest headache, PML's meticulous project management ensures that at least the furniture component of such change will be painless. As a result, the firm's prestigious roster of clients has grown to include such names as Time Warner, Republic National Bank, Bristol Meyers/Squibb, Standard Chartered Bank and Times Mirror. Yet it all began as a dream, especially for founder Phil Zaslower, whose wife woke him up in the middle of the night with the idea for the business. In fact, when Sheila Meyer dreamed up the furniture dealership, she and her husband had no experience in the world of workstations and conference tables. The family business was office supplies, with an emphasis on service, delivery and fair pricing to corporate clients. These client relationships provided the base for the furniture business, and PML was born.

"Looking back, I think we really had some nerve," recalls Meyer. "We didn't know a workstation from a gas station. We did know we could build a successful company by developing an extremely knowledgeable staff capable of providing exceptional service."

"PML adds tremendous value to the relocation or expansion process, helping us select the correct furniture for our needs even if it means we have to go to another vendor for the purchase," says John Emmert, Jr., Chief Financial Officer of the American Arbitration Association. "We also turn to them for help with developing furniture standards for our 36 offices outside New York, a number of them so small that they don't have the resources to design their own space. Working with our project manager and design professionals, PML has helped us with the furniture selection and systems layouts for offices in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Detroit. They combine service with the delivery of excellent products."

This core philosophy enabled PML to survive the economic crash of the late 1980's that brought down many real estate-related businesses. Visionary planning ensures the firm will succeed long into the future. That's because after years of hard work, Meyer and Zaslower had a few more sleepless nights meditating on how they might protect the firm's reputation and relationship with clients long into the future. Their need for Nytol disappeared when they were approached by two veteran employees and executives, Butterman and Mines, who suggested they implement modern, aggressive growth strategies through an infusion of new ownership. The rest is history in the making.

Butterman, who began his career with PML as a CPA 12 years ago and grew into the position of Chief Financial Officer before becoming President, says his history with the firm provides him with a clear vision for the future. "Richard Mines and I are very keen on technology and innovations that improve customer service, but I don't think our customers will notice any difference in PML as a result of the new ownership status," he says. Adds Mines, who previously served as PML's Director of Marketing before becoming Executive Vice President, "When you've spent 16 years building the best reputation in the business, you enhance it - you don't change it."

Today, Meyer and Zaslower act as Managing Directors at PML to maintain the integrity upon which the company was founded and to insure a seamless transition to the new ownership. Aside from these four key figures, the 50-person company is chock full of industry stand-outs - by design. In fact, all projects managers at PML are detail-obsessed, and are required to hold a degree either in interior design or architecture. Armed with degrees and experience, these professionals are backed up with systems and support that eliminate all inconveniences a customer might have to endure elsewhere.

What are these support systems? For one, PML operates its own warehouse in South Kearny, NJ, which serves as a stopover point for all orders. This ensures that no order is ever sent directly to a client. Rather, every piece is received, inspected, coordinated, delivered and installed by PML's own personnel at the right time, in the correct order, and in perfect condition.

"If a dealer isn't well-equipped administratively, he can omit things or miss little details on a furniture order which can take tons of time and money to rectify once the order is delivered. We have not had any of those problems with this company, which makes them unique in my experience," says Bob Nowaczyk, vice president of Administration for OppenheimerFunds, a PML customer. "Working with PML, we have been able to meet a very aggressive schedule time and time again. The Knoll furniture is terrific, but we choose to work with them because of the exceptionally good service and work they perform in their back office."