Page 112 - Lighting Magazine January 2019

retaIl spotlight
In this vigne e, the lamps rest on a co ee table that Willoughby made using reclaimed pallet wood.
without bumping into anything or having to maneu- ver awkwardly around them,” Willoughby states.
The wall vigne es are more carefully created than it might seem at a glance; several nishes and xture styles are speci cally presented, along with complementary mirrors and accessories that hit particular style notes. “There are a lot of parts to those vigne es,” he notes.
One thing that isn’t immediately apparent is that everything is lamped with LED bulbs. Since the bulbs do not give o heat, the showroom’s power bills are hundreds of dollars less. A rebate arrange- ment with the power company has helped bolster those savings.
Having every xture out ed with LED bulbs helps customers realize how closely LED can re- semble incandescent illumination. It is also a talking point that e ectively leads to add-on sales.
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“I learned many years ago that the big box stores and the internet are not my competition,” Wil- loughby states. “We’re our own competition. If someone comes in, they have a need — and we have one opportunity to meet that need.”
As news of the showroom’s transformation spread through word of mouth and Facebook advertising, foot tra c has increased. “Since we’ve redone the showroom, my interior designers are coming back in,” he observes.
Not one to sit behind a desk, Willoughby can o en be found on top of a ladder hanging xtures, repairing or painting a wall, loading a delivery truck, or even taking out the trash. Despite work- ing 12 hours a day, six days a week, he still nds time to do woodworking as a hobby. Throughout the showroom, there are display tables, a bar cart, and even ceiling clouds — all made by Willoughby from his material of choice: discarded pallets. “I don’t like new wood. I’d rather have the challenge of reclaimed wood that is not consistent and warped,” he comments. He has built end tables for his daughter, toy chests for his grandchildren, and tables (not for sale) for the showroom. “Wood- working clears lighting out of my mind,” he adds.
Knowing the business inside and out makes Willoughby stand apart. “I touch everything that comes in. I do all of the accounting, every invoice. I even pull orders for my delivery trucks,” he recounts.
While it may seem paradoxical, empowering employees is also part of his success. “I tell my sta that I’m not their boss, I’m their back up. First I have to make you successful before I can be suc- cessful,” he says. “I have been given the nickname ‘Father Time’ by some in the industry. I’m told it’s not because of my age, but because of my knowl- edge. You see things di erently when you stay on top of everything,” he admits.
“I’ve been very fortunate with the employees here; two have graduated from design school and one was an intern here rst before coming aboard full-time. Susan Barrineau, a Certi ed Lighting Consultant (CLC) who has been with Charleston Lighting for 18 years is integral to the business.
“I don’t expect my employees to do all of the grunt work. I prefer to lead them in doing the grunt work. I’d rather be pushing my team forward instead of pulling them,” Willoughby explains. “I’m more con- cerned about my employees than anything else.”
98 enLIGHTenment MagazIne | January 2019
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