Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Dixon Mitchell Named President, COO of Fairfield Chair
October 3,
2017 by Larry Thomas in Executive Changes, Industry 
Upholstered seating manufacturer Fairfield Chair Co. has named Dixon Mitchell president and chief operating officer, effective Oct. 9.
Mitchell most recently was president of Resource Décor, and previously worked as senior vice president of high-end producer Sherrill Furniture.
During his time at Resource Décor, he was responsible for sales, marketing, finance, credit functions and business development. While at Sherrill, Mitchell directed sales, marketing and merchandising, also serving as general manager for four divisions of the company.
Earlier, Mitchell served as president of high-end resource Vanguard Furniture, and was national sales manager at Baker Furniture.
In a statement announcing his appointment, Fairfield Chair said Mitchell “possesses a solid understanding of the manufacturing process and the financial experience to read balance sheets and financial reports. Having managed P&L responsibility for Hickory White, Lillian August, MotionCraft and CTH Occasional, his direct and results-driven approach has him keeping a daily eye on numbers and tracking the company’s key indicators.”
As President and COO, Mitchell will direct all facets of the nearly 100-year-old company, including innovation and technology, strategic initiatives, and a revamped sales and marketing approach. He also will further cultivate and grow customer relationships, the company said.
"I am excited to work with the Fairfield Chair Company team as the next President and COO. By honoring Fairfield's history of valuing its people, we will continue the company’s heritage of high quality products, innovative design solutions and development of talented sales and manufacturing professionals," said Mitchell. "As a native son to the local furniture manufacturing industry, I recognize and value the importance of retaining the manufacturing of our furniture in Lenoir, N.C.”
“We know him to be a talented and seasoned industry expert with a reputation for strengths in customer and employee relationships in addition to a strong understanding of lean manufacturing initiatives,” added board Chairman John Beall. “Mitchell was the unanimous choice of the Board due to the many factors we were searching for in order to move the company forward. The Board and I enthusiastically welcome him as the new leader. We are confident in his abilities and excited for the future of Fairfield Chair.”