Bruce’s Story

“I started out emptying ashtrays and changing lightbulbs.”

That’s how Bruce Stacy’s journey with Drexel Furniture began—working in the showroom while still in high school. Years later, he rose through the ranks to become Plant Superintendent at Drexel 3 & 5, overseeing operations with just one person above him: the plant manager.

Bruce remembers the people most. “They were the best,” he says. “If you trust your people, tell them to call you if they need you—but let them solve their problems. Leave it in their hands.” That philosophy defined his leadership style, and it’s one he carried with him throughout his career.

One memory still makes him laugh: “When the weather was bad, the folks driving in from Newland would always show up—but the people who could walk to work? They’d stay home!” It was all part of the everyday rhythm of life in the plant, where community and craft came together.

Bruce says he learned everything he knows about furniture at Drexel. “I learned what quality really is, and what customers will accept. Nothing’s perfect—you’ve got to learn when to let some things go.” That mindset still guides him today, as he continues to build furniture and the impact of those years at 3 & 5 remains.