Furniture Today Feature - People to Watch: Mark Jones, HSM
Mark Jones is a student and teacher of business transformations.
He’s spent much of his career helping companies transform their businesses, developing a unique skill set that was suddenly put to the test when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the home furnishings industry in March.
When HSM saw its bedding orders contract, Jones knew he had to find a way to keep his employees at work. So HSM pivoted to the healthcare field, serving medical providers in the Southeast U.S. as it began producing masks and hospital gowns.
The ramp-up was quick, and it yielded major results. Jones was pleased to announce that HSM recently passed the 1 million mark for gown production.
Jones said COVID-19 reinforced an important business lesson.
“Our longevity in the industry — we celebrated our 75th anniversary last year — taught us how to be nimble,” he said. “It taught us how to adapt to various situations and how to remain relevant. If you are not nimble and adaptive, the market will pass you by. You have to be able to pivot on a dime.”
HSM did just that and reaped the benefits. Now bedding orders are surging and business is booming.
Jones has more than 25 years of experience in finance, global management, consulting and corporate transformation, and he is known for his strong leadership, successful product launch strategies, collaborative team building, implementation of strategic plans, and merger and acquisition initiatives.
Appointed CEO of HSM in 2015, Jones has applied his extensive background in corporate transformation to drive the company’s recent success, leading the acquisition of Atlanta Attachment Co. in 2016 that added high-margin sewing capabilities and automated manufacturing solutions to the company’s portfolio.
In 2017, he established a new enterprise-wide organizational model that reflects the company’s family legacy, while also creating a sense of personal responsibility across its nearly 2,500 employees in facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
During 2018 and 2019, he launched new facilities in Georgia and Arizona to support HSM’s growing transportation and bedding markets.
Jones is also passionate about his community. He has volunteered and served on the boards for a number of local and national charitable and educational organizations.
Now he’s helping HSM steer a steady growth course, reassessing market conditions each month, ready to respond quickly as market needs dictate. It’s a lesson he’s been putting to good use for decades.
https://www.furnituretoday.com/furniture-people/people-to-watch-mark-jones-hsm/