David Tilley This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Bennington Banner - City & Town

   www.benningtonbanner.com/Stori - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/3/2004   Last Visited: 5/3/2004

   BENNINGTON -- During working hours at the WCW Carpet Warehouse, it is hard to get manager David Tilley to share personal information.
   
   Standing in the unassuming carpet warehouse located on River Street, Tilley would much rather talk about the business' newest undertaking, selling state-of-the-art beds out of the already multi-tasked building.
   
   "You wouldn't know it but a lot goes on in this little building," he says, while working the small showroom of beds like the veteran salesman he is. The building also houses a shipping service similar to Mailboxes ETC.
   
   Tilley began his sales career in New York after graduating from Mount Anthony Union High School in 1986, selling bedding, carpet and numerous other products for various retailers before landing a job as store manager at Disiena Furniture.
   
   After five years at the store he hooked up with longtime family friend and owner of WCW, Jon Willkinson, and decided to come back to his home town, which brings his narrative back to where he is most comfortable, talking about the beds.
   
   "Christopher Reeve has this one," Tilley said, pointing to a huge mattress that occupies center stage in the showroom.
   ...
   "Because we're not spending all that money on advertising, but we have basically the same product, we can sell it between 40 to 50 percent cheaper then they can," Tilley said, in his practiced salesman style.
   
   The company's factory employs about 80 people, Tilley says, including a sewing line for the wool bed covers that Tilley and Willkinson prefer over the industry's cotton norm.
   ...
   About five years ago WCW replaced the plastic, accident-proof cover with more comfortable wool and cotton covers, and started selling the beds to consumers over an Internet site designed by Tilley, and through various retailers, who sold the beds at a considerable mark-up.