robert b. currey
"My mantra is, it has to look good, it has to be well designed, it has to be well crafted and it has to be well priced. Figure out what people want and then make it, source it, sell it. It's great fun. One of the problems in this industry is that people forget that it is supposed to be enjoyable and fun."
Robert B. Currey, founder of the contemporary retail store chain Storehouse, and the lighting, furniture and accessories resource Currey & Company, started out in case goods manufacturing. In 1966, following service in the U.S. Army and graduation from Oglethorpe University, he joined Thomasville Furniture before opening Storehouse in 1969, one of the first stores in the South to offer a contemporary point of view for a curated selection of furniture, housewares, hardware, textiles, accessories and lighting. Under his leadership, the company grew to 28 stores in 1982, a leader in affordable, well-designed contemporary home furnishings.
He next looked for inspiration in natural materials bearing the touch of the craftsman's hand. Garden Source Furnishings created classic garden furniture, birdhouses and rustic twig furniture. Today, the Atlanta-based Currey & Company, with a manufacturing facility in the Philippines, is known for its distinctive lighting, including chandeliers, wall sconces, table and floor lamps, as well as indoor and garden furniture and accessories.
A hallmark of his career has been support of the people behind the products. Every employee is eligible to receive a college, graduate or technical school education, with the assurance of a job upon graduation. At his home in Sparta, Georgia, he founded the certified organic farm, Elm Street Gardens, to teach the love of gardening to future farmers. He serves as chairman of the local food pantry, on the board of Rock-Tenn Company, and is a past board member of his alma mater and The Galloway School. Recognized with an ICON Award for Individual Career Achievement and the 2016 ARTS Academy of Achievement Award, he received the inaugural Legend of Design Award from the Museum of Design Atlanta.
Currey & Company marked its 25th anniversary in 2014, a milestone that underscores Mr. Currey's remarkable gift for creating things that grow and thrive.