12
Recorder
February 16, 1987
Thunderbird Furniture sees positive future
When the Thunderbird Adventist
Academy was established in the early
[950s, a companion industry was
organized to provide employment oppor-
tunities for academy students. It was
named Thunderbird Furniture and pro-
duced wood furniture. Initially the
furniture was made from soft wood
but changed to hard wood in 1956.
Early in January we interviewed the
management of the industry to learn
about its record of service and its
financial stability. The four men we
interviewed were Calvin Miller, gen-
eral manager of Thunderbird Furni-
ture, Steve Barnes, treasurer and busi-
ness manager of the industry, Gail
Rhodes, prinicpal at Thunderbird
academy, and Ron Russell, Arizona
Conference education director and
former academy principal.
Recorder: Does Thunderbird have
any relationship to any other denomina-
tionally owned Adventist furniture man-
ufacturing business?
Rhodes: I didn’t know until about
Founded in the early 1950s, Thunderbird Furniture provides employment
by the Editor
a year ago that Thunderbird Furniture
began about the same time as Harris
Pine began manufacturing furniture. But
there 1s no relationship between the
two companies other than that they are
both owned within the same denomina-
tion. Thunderbird is wholly owned by
the Arizona conference.
Recorder: How do you compare the
products of the two companies?
Miller: You can’t compare the two
because they manufacture plastic lami-
nated tops and we don’t. The finish is
different on ours and the quality of
our product is very different; not that
theirs is inferior, but ours is much finer
because of the finish we put on.
Recorder: We understand that some
of your product lines have remained
unchanged from the company’s early
days. Haven't styles changed through
the years?
Miller: I think the reason it has con-
tinued to sell so well is because God
planted the idea for it in the minds of
the leaders back then. Even some of
opportunities to Thunderbird Adventist Academy students.
the people in our sales force say that
they don’t understand how that line
sells, but it continually sells very, very
well. We believe that is because God
has blessed. So we have not changed
that line’s design.
Russell: Management here during the
time I’ve been here , we feel somehow,
has sensed what was selling and what
wasn’t. Whatever wasn’t selling wasn’t
warehoused. And then they have lim-
ited themselves to two or three basic
lines of furniture.
Recorder: What is Thunderbird’s
current financial status?
Barnes: We're in very good shape.
Our equity ratio is about 15 to one.
That means that we have about $15
for every dollar of indebtedness. We
are audited every year and we watch
our inventory like a hawk.
Recorder: Since Harris of Pendleton
declared bankruptcy in December, has
there been any change in product
demand on Thunderbird, or have you
geared up to pick up some of the
accounts which they may have been
unable to serve?
Miller: No, we haven't seen any
change in our order file. But if they
discontinue, we expect to see that change.
But I think they have enough inventory
to carry them awhile. We’ve had some
inquiries, but no orders.
Recorder: Do you expect to ex-
pand your marketing in the future?
Miller: We already have permanent
displays in Seattle and San Francisco,
and we regularly display here in Phoe-
nix. Just recently we have begun expand-
ing beyond the west coast and have a
salesman in Texas with a temporary
display in Dallas. This will make our
product available as far away as the
eastern border of Texas.
Recorder: Does this mean you will
be expanding the operation with other
plants in the west?
Miller: No. We have one other plant
and that is at Milo Academy in Oregon.