DLO Spotlight – Bob Ross

Question: What made you choose the business of office furniture?

I really didn’t choose. I was struggling in the investment world when I met a charismatic guy who convinced me to come and join him in the office furniture business. At age 27 I thought why not, office furniture can’t be as hard as people yelling at you about their money! Not sure I was correct on that initial assumption.

Question: How long have you been in the industry?

Yikes, since 1985 so like, 100 years.

Question: What industries take up the bulk of your clientele?

Our clients are truly from a broad spectrum that includes tech, legal, accounting, real estate, higher education, engineering and many more.

Question: What are the biggest office furniture trends right now?

The most popular trend words would be culture and collaboration and how furnishings can enhance those aspects for an organization. Vancouver, I am told, is one of the tightest commercial real estate markets in North America, if not the tightest. That also means expensive, so I believe clients are thinking long and hard as to what can make their spaces efficient, effective and still be a place where people like coming to work. The landscape has shifted a lot and will continue to shift as organizations work towards the best solutions for their business.

Question: Tell us about your team at Brooks Corning

Call me biased but our team is amazing and continues to evolve in an incredibly positive way. As with many industries, our world can be pretty pressurized at times by deadlines which raises the stress level on everyone. Our team is great at understanding that dynamic and maintaining their sense of humour. At the same time they are also very competitive and want to produce great results. We are actively trying to find a few more key individuals to enhance our capabilities.

Question: If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

Sports Medicine Doctor or an outdoor adventure guide of some sort. Maybe skiing in the winter then hiking or kayaking through the warmer months.

Question: What is your charity of choice?

We have historically supported the Boys and Girls Club and Covenant House. Recently one of our long term staff members was tragically diagnosed with ALS. Given that, many of us did the ALS Walk on June 2nd and raise funds that went towards research and support for those fighting this horrible disease.

Question: Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

I have hiked up above about 20,000 feet in the Nepal and have been diving below 130 feet deep in the Caribbean off the coast of Cozumel. I am very fortunate to have had those experiences. On the lighter side, I had a massive afro at the end of high school. My father hated it of course.

Picture: Bob participating in the Penticton Gran Fondo

Picture: Aquilini/Canucks Sports and Entertainment Project, furniture provided by Brooks Corning