The Century Way

Several years ago I was trying to put into words a mission statement or vision statement for our company.  It was a particularly interesting time for us as we had recently acquired Century from the rest of our family, and then within two years were making an acquisition on another group of amazing companies.  Change was happening very quickly, and I felt the need to solidify who we were and what we stood for. 

Mission statements as a rule are supposed to be brief.  A couple of sentences.  Something you boil down to the essence.  As it turns out, I am not very good at brief.  (English majors curse, and I blame it on my graduation task of writing a thesis) However, I wrote what I felt was the heart of Century and what we strive to be.  I remember choking up that market, reading it to our sales representatives and associates during a pre-market meeting.  I think because of what it meant then amidst so much change. 

It needs some refining, and certainly editing to be brief, but the heart is there and sometimes that is the hardest things to capture.  I give full credit for the title to our Director of Customer Service, as these three words hang on a wall in her office.

The Century Way

Our story begins with one man, one thought, one idea… to create furniture of such impeccable quality that it would bring joy not only to those who own it, but to those craftspeople who created it as well.  This idea was carried forward with passion, commitment and dedication and through the years it has been our singular vision.  Generations have worked tirelessly to instill this passion into the next generation, into each individual who works at Century and thus, every piece of furniture we make.  This idea has become known throughout our company as “The Century Way”. 

The Century Way is an answer to the daily question, “how should we handle this…”.  It represents our past, our present and our future. It is the touchstone that has guided us through to our third generation of family ownership, and will be the roadmap for how we continue beyond. It is the standard that was set for us by our past associates, and is now so ingrained that we hold each other accountable to it as our second nature.

The Century Way is honest, true and sincere, holding at its core a deep rooted integrity and respect for our families, our people, our customers, our community, our company and our craft.

The Century Way is committed, caring deeply about our craftspeople and our craft, choosing to invest in domestic manufacturing when many decided to let go.

The Century Way is proud, believing in the extraordinary will and ability of our people to make truly exceptional and beautiful furniture, one piece at a time, by hand, with heart.

The Century Way is relentless in its quest for unique design, in the pursuit of great engineering and artistry, in our efforts to be sustainable and in the details that define fine furniture.

The Century Way is bespoke and personal, realizing that style and beauty are in the beholders eye and therefore our furniture needs to be custom.

The Century Way is local, with a strong belief that style and service are personal and best provided by passionate local businesses.

The Century Way is thoughtful and intentional, knowing that every piece of furniture we make will live in someone’s home, and thus with and among all that they hold near and dear.

The Century Way is to work hard with heart, to care, to create.

Our people know this; our partners feel this; and it is our hope that every piece of furniture we make says this about us.