Occupation: Specialty Retailer, Hauser’s Patio

Special Interests/Hobbies: “Traveling/RVing when time allows; cheering/booing our NFL Chargers; turning chairs over to see who made them.”

Major Problems Facing the Patio Industry:

• “Distribution Revolution – Confusion among manufacturers who think they have a plan to adapt to the distribution of product vs. those that appear lost and make poor distribution decisions. Both impact specialty retailers.
• How we, as specialty retailers, need to reinvent ourselves going forward and succeed in a rapidly changing marketplace. We need to understand that the manufacturer is not our partner; we will travel the road ahead on our own.”

Forecast for the Patio Industry in 2014: “Most of us already will know that answer by July. A sluggish, cold spring for many, followed by attempts to catch up or slightly surpass 2013 numbers.”

Years Reading Hearth & Home: “At least 25 years.”

Reasons for Reading Hearth & Home: “Hearth & Home is the industry magazine that will ask the tough questions in the many interviews they do with industry leaders. It’s not an advertorial magazine; it’s an industry news/trends magazine.
I read the whole magazine, although I’m not a fireplace/barbecue dealer. As a specialty retailer, I find that the hearth industry walks a parallel path, with the same success and/or problems that we in patio have.”