Change in Leadership - Yvonne Jacobs to lead Slifer Designs!

After 24 years of building Slifer Designs, the timing is good for a change in leadership. We have become a regional leader in resort interior design and are beginning to achieve national recognition for our creative and reliable services. The next 24 years will no doubt enjoy even more change and development.

Yvonne Jacobs, our own Vice President of Residential Interior Design, has accepted the challenge to lead Slifer Designs. She is already engaged in improving the organization so that we are poised to deliver more innovative design projects to a wider audience. Yvonne has the three ingredients necessary to take our company to the next level of success. She has design talent, leadership skills and business acumen. All three are equally important to expand our brand, protect our culture and keep us financially successful.

Changes in leadership always create opportunities throughout an organization. Personal growth and new skills will be needed to meet future needs and new services. There will be clients who think globally and want us to be their design partner in distant locations. There will be more challenging projects and possibilities for licensing our designs like the contract with Rubinet Plumbing Fixtures. The possibilities are immense. All we have to do is imagine our future and then work together to make it happen.

As “Chairman of the Board” in 2009, I will continue to be available, but not engaged daily. I look forward to some limited consulting for clients and monthly meetings with the management team.

I’m especially looking forward to the innovations and improvements that will evolve in the near and distant future. Each of you has an opportunity to put your imprint on the evolution of Slifer Designs. It is very exciting.

Beth Slifer
Creative Director & CEO

New York - Winter Gift Show

Our buying team, Patti Armstrong and a few of our designers descended upon New York for the winter Gift Show in February. Every vendor had new offerings and innovative designs. There was a definite trend towards accessories made of natural materials like shell, wood, crystals, antlers etc. Also the number of vendors making eco friendly products seems to be growing exponentially. Recycled glass, wood and paper are more prevalent. Upholstery using recycled petroleum products are popular.In contrast with the earth friendly materials, vendors were displaying bright colors - perhaps as an antidote to our long and severe winter.We will have wonderful new products coming into our showroom over the next few months. Many of our orders will ship immediately and be displayed as early as March 1st. Great looking accessories and lots of fresh ideas for wedding gifts will be in stock soon. Happy shopping!

Xoxo
Beth

My unique experience at Kohler's headquarters in Kohler, WI

Angela Ogle and I had a unique experience at Kohler's headquarters in Kohler, WI.

We were invited to attend an upper management presentation identifying appropriate and environmentally sensitive products, properties and strategies for their company. We learned a lot about corporate process and the difficult trade offs between financing new green initiatives versus limited budgets for capital expenses. One executive reminded the 15 - 20 managers present that Ford spent over $1 Billion building a state of the art, environmentally efficient auto factory. However, in spite of the grand gesture, Ford missed the point by not spending part or all of the money manufacturing SUV’s with significantly lower gas consumption. Ford missed the PR benefit of their green factory.

The moral is obvious: we must practice what we preach comprehensively! We need to apply green standards in our workplace as well as to these products we provide our clients.

I am a firm believer that doing a little better than doing nothing. In fact, the total impact one household, one condo building or one office facility makes is small and difficult to measure. But success is made of millions of correct and beneficial actions – however small. Our conversation of paper and supplies, our recommendation to clients to choose water saving plumbing, energy saving lighting, appropriately scaled appliances, recycled, renewable and reclaimed products, etc., etc, all adds up to environmentally friendly actions to help save our planet. Anything we can do and doing these things frequently to improve our world is commendable and worth doing. “You may not notice the difference…but the environment will!”

Bridges of Understanding

The horrible events in the Middle East have puzzled all of us.

I've wondered and doubted that Muslims and Christians could coexist with trust and respect. So when invited to visit Jordan with 20 other American women, I eagerly accepted. My hope was to understand "what in the world was happening in the Middle East.”

I found far different people, attitudes and potential for the region than I had imagined. The people (probably like people everywhere) were more similar than different from our delegation. Our group called "Bridges of Understanding" was founded by the wife of the former Jordanian Ambassador to the US and the wife of a Bush Administration official. So our access to leaders in government, education, health and business was extraordinary.

We met with 21 career women; and we met Queen Rania who is exquisitely beautiful. We met the US Ambassador, Cabinet Ministers, family friends of our host and working people in hotels, shops and tourist attractions. Everyone was amazingly friendly and hospitable. Even my camel driver was ingratiating after over charging me for a 15 minute camel ride.

I loved the people and fell in love with the country. Their King is a visionary. The King and Queen appear to work tirelessly to bring prosperity to their nation. They have no oil and almost no natural resources. Consequently they rely on human capital. Their highest priority is to expand the education and produce citizens able to compete in the modern world. They are currently adding computer science and hospitality to their curriculum as well as adding Kindergarten, 11th and 12th grades to what was only a ten-year mandatory public education program.

Religious tolerance is part of their culture. Many of their Muslim leaders were educated in Christian missionary schools. However only 6% of the people are Christian and 92% are Sunni Muslims. A significant portion are of Palestinian descent having immigrated during various Palestinian-Israeli conflicts seeking both security and opportunity.

When asked what they thought of the Iraq war, each person responded that a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel (with return to the 1967 boarders and compensation for the dislocated Palestinians) would be the first step towards peace in the Middle East. Following the King's lead, the people believe peace between Israel and Palestine will remove a primary excuse for war and help lead to peaceful negotiations throughout the region.

We had fun also! We visited four of the key tourist attractions: Mt Nebo where Moses saw the Promised Land; Jarash, ruins of a fantastic Roman City; Petra, a natural and archaeological wonder where I rode a camel and "The Raiders of the Lost Ark" was filmed; and the Dead Sea where I bobbed in the salty sea nearly 500 feet below sea level and had a black mud mineral bath. The potential for tourism is terrific…if fear of violence is reduced.

Jordan felt very safe. The crime rate is very low. One colleague lost her new camera and tearfully reported the loss to the police. The police assured her "what is lost in Jordan is found in Jordan". Indeed, her camera was turned into the police department within several hours of her loss. We heard many other testimonials of the honesty and kindness of Jordanians.

Jordan was full of surprises for me. I expected a dour, poor population under siege. Jordan is poor, but it's economic growth rate was 7.4% in 2004 and continuing at an aggressive pace. The unemployed rate is a high 12% but declining. The population is young and benefiting from aggressive education programs. Everyone learns English beginning in the second grade; 91% of the people are literate.

There is much to applaud in Jordan. There is much to be done. Our ambitious goal to improve Arab-American understanding has had a great beginning. I hope sharing my experiences helps you appreciate the Jordanians and I do.

Beth

Slifer Designs - We welcome the surge of baby boomers who this year are beginning to turn 60 years old!

We welcome the surge of baby boomers who this year are beginning to turn 60 years old! Their enthusiasm for the second home life style is fueling a strong growth curve for Residential Design, Hospitality Design and Retail. Although we continue to expand our reach into Beach, Desert and Lakeside resorts, the bulk of clients are seeking our unique but much imitated styles for mountain living. We love to oblige clients who want warm, comfortable and relaxing venues for families and friends. Usually we shy away from "over-the-top" grandeur and seek design solutions to make owners feel good when they are in their home.

The talents we are looking for as we recruit a few more key personnel is the talent to listen carefully and to imagine whatever will most please the client. The designer’s job at Slifer Designs is 1/3 creative, 1/3 administrative and 1/3 amateur mind reader. All three skills are equally important to deliver satisfaction.

We are a service business. Understanding what clients want, creating a reality beyond their expectations and organizing thousands of details to produce the final result is a challenge beyond the lessons learned in design school.

Beth

Beth's December 2006 thoughts and the future for resort interior design.

I'd love to have a crystal ball to tell us the future for resort interior design. What we do have is observations and data which indicate robust consumer spending in resorts especially by the Baby Boomers whose first members reached 60 years old in 2006. The sheer numbers of Baby Boomers combined with their anticipated wealth (inherited and earned) make for huge buying power. Market Research tells us that Baby Boomers intend to spend more on vacations, spas and personal indulgences than any other generation.

What this means for Slifer Designs is more spending on second homes, higher expectations for quality, comfort and fantasy vacations; and greater demand for spas and services. This also means our client base expects more pampering, more luxury and more personalization of design and services than ever before. The 90's were about excess and extravagance. Trend gurus and sociologists are projecting a different kind of pleasure for 2007 which is based on feel good comfort, convenience, personal experiences and soft adventure. At Slifer Designs we are well positioned to meet the latest expectations. We have always had a culture of service and communication with our clients. Our policy of on time and on budget reduces anxiety and increases client enjoyment of the process. Additionally our design style most often creates pared down elegance which appeals to Baby Boomers and Gen Exers who want simplicity and convenience instead of the burden of excessive layering and opulence. What pleases the senses, the eye and the sense of appropriateness will rule the next decade. What adapts to personal tastes and creates unique experiences for clients will deliver utmost satisfaction. A little fantasy, a lot of comfort, and a generous dose of originality in each project will fulfill today's clients with the right blend of adventure and luxury to satisfy their yearning for personalized experiences.

Luxury is a state of mind and we at Slifer Designs provide the environment and atmosphere for luxury living experiences.

Beth

Waterworks Design Leadership Conference (Montecito, California)

At the recent Waterworks Design Leadership Conference (held in Montecito, California) many speakers described how design and creativity enhance products, profits, and the quality of life.

Michael Graves designed trash cans and other household conveniences which increased sales and added a fashion statement to the Target Brand. Steve Jobs developed IMAC and later the huge success of the IPOD overshadowed all other music players by using color and plastic to make electronic stylish. Swatch applied design to cheap Swiss watches which created a new category of watches as fashion. Slifer Designs is in the business of applying design to enhance Lifestyle. Our upscale comfortable furniture transformed the ski camp-like experience of Vail in the 60's and 70's to the sophisticated family resort of the 80's and 90's.

Design can improve life's experience. In fact, it can change the experience in a given place or circumstance. Think of the increased excitement at a Homecoming Dance in an "over the top" decorated gymnasium versus a stark, under decorated gym.

Design can add to the atmosphere, to the mood and to personal satisfaction in a home, on a boat, in a small cabin in the woods. And design can add or diminish dollar value of resort real estate.

Design is no longer only available and appreciated by the educated connoisseurs. Businesses and individuals are increasingly recognizing the value of good design. The mass market has become very savvy with their exposure to TV shows, magazine ads and photo features, Home Depot, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware and Target. All these and other influences have raised awareness and taste levels of the American public. They want more surprises, more creativity and more quality.

For Slifer Designs, a purveyor of furniture and interior design, we find expectations are higher. Our clients with more money than time, want professional help to create what they have learned to appreciate. They want astute buyers and designers to offer them what they cannot provide for themselves. Our challenge is to combine creativity with service to capitalize on today's demand for design talents. When we do our job best, our clients find they enjoy the environment, their home, more than they could have without our creativity and service.

The opportunity for Slifer Designs is to tap into the new priorities of the 21st Century. The 90's were about "wealth creation". Since then, the emphasis is on "value creation" and "life style creation". Our core purpose and goal has always related to improving the life experience of our clients. We do that as well or better than any design firm in the resort industry. Public demand is increasingly aligned with what we offer. We have the geographic advantage of being in markets where the super rich want to gather and enjoy well designed environments. We have the talents and service levels to meet their discerning demands.

Beth Slifer