J.D. Ewing is the President of COE Distributing, the largest furniture-only wholesale office furniture distributor in the United States.
We traveled out to Uniontown, PA to record this interview at the company’s headquarters, which includes a 300,000 square foot warehouse.
The company also operated hubs in North Carolina and Texas, which allows it to serve the entire continental United States.
Over the last decade, COE has been growing rapidly. He bought the family business back after an acquirer ran into bankruptcy in 2008/09. Now, they are named an Inc. 5000 company and a Top 100 Fastest Growing Business by the Pittsburgh Business Times year-after-year.
In this episode, Aaron and J.D. discuss the start of the wholesaling business, when J.D. has been an opportunistic buyer, and trends in office furniture.
Pittsburgh’s best conference to Expand your Mind & Fill your Heart happens once a year.
J.D. Ewing’s Challenge; Optimize your life around work you enjoy.
Connect with J.D. Ewing
Books
Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders by Steve Shallenberger
Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty by Patrick Lencioni
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip & Dan Heath
If you liked this interview, check out episode 396 with Kristy Knichel where we discuss family business, 3rd party logistics, and customer service.
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